This weekend sees Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez face British fighter John Ryder in a 50,000 capacity stadium in Mexico for the first time in over a decade.
While Ryder isn’t the most heralded fighter, he has a chance to upset the applecart, having beaten Daniel Jacobs last year and been robbed of a victory against Callum Smith in 2019. However, Alvarez is expected to win, having won all the belts at super-middleweight and beaten Gennady Golovkin. While Ryder is an aggressive fighter and his style should bring a fun fight, he struggles with timing, which is a significant weakness against a counterpuncher like Alvarez.
Ryder typically starts with a low-hand jab, then moves in to rough up his opponent in close, but it takes him a while before he’s comfortable doing so. He’s more likely to be poking it out at a distance, moving his head, and trying to slide in after. However, this style may not work against Alvarez, who is adept at working off his opponent’s jab. Despite Ryder’s solid defense when he’s on the defensive, he’ll likely have issues with Alvarez, who is considered the best fighter around right now.
