Having faced Canelo Alvarez in Mexico and lost a valiant decision, John Ryder is once again willing to step into the lion’s den and box Gennady Golovkin in Kazakhstan.
This week, Ryder’s manager Charlie Sims said that they have entered talked with Jamie Munguia, but Ryder won’t discount Triple G who, along with Canelo, has been an idol of the super-middleweight contender.
“I’d love to, I’ve proved I’ll go anywhere,” Ryder said, when asked about boxing Golovkin. “I’ve gone in there and fought Canelo, who I’m a massive fan of, and Golovkin’s no different. I’ve been a massive fan of him since when I very first turned pro, he was coming up quietly on the smaller shows in Germany and made his break boxing in the States. He’s been a great champion, [been in] great fights obviously. He’s had his three battles with Canelo himself. I thought he [GGG] won the first one. The other two was what it was, but he’s been a great fighter, done great things, and I’ve been lucky enough to meet him, and he’s a great person.”
Before Ryder fought Canelo, he felt there were signs the Mexican star was slipping and GGG, although still a force, is 41 and not the fighter he was in his brutal prime.
“I’m sure Golovkin’s got a few more miles on the clock, [he’s] a bit older as well,” Ryder continued. “But listen, they say the power’s the last thing to go, so I’m sure he will still have that massive punch power.”
Golovkin is the one the Englishman particularly wants, and his dream would be to box at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, Munguia would be his second option with David Benavidez third, but with the latter likely to face David Morrell later in the year, that seems least likely. Ryder also mentioned the likes of Caleb Plant, and he will watch Edgar Berlanga’s contest with Jason Quigley with interest this weekend. Ryder hasn’t seen Munguia’s Fight of the Year contender with Sergiy Derevyanchenko yet, but added: “That’s definitely a fight I’d be open to. Berlanga, I think he needs to take care of business Saturday [first]. Listen, I want these big fights, at world level. I’m not willing to drop down just yet.”
Fighting Canelo has given Ryder a taste of life at the top. With wins over Danny Jacobs and Zach Parker in his previous contests, Ryder has established himself as a world class pro. He was also unlucky to lose a controversial decision to Callum Smith back in 2019. And his stock rose in defeat to Canelo, by margins that were harsh on the official scorecards and in a fight that was tough for Ryder but probably harder than Canelo would have hoped for as a supposed homecoming parade at 32 and after 62 fights.
Ryder went there to win, but had his nose badly broken with the last punch of round two. While it never became about survival for Ryder, he didn’t give up hope of winning, he earned plenty of new fans around the world for his grit and courage.
“The summary of the night was I didn’t win the fight but I won the night,” Ryder said. “I won a ton of new fans in Mexico, got a great reception after the fight, and really felt the love from the Mexican fight fans in the aftermath, and I just really embraced the moment.”
And Ryder agrees that his reputation was enhanced as a result.
“Yeah, massively,” he added. “I think it rose in boxing, but it taught me a bit about myself as well. I’d never been dropped before, never had a broken nose, I faced a lot of new hurdles in that fight, but I overcame them. I just look forward to going again, with the opportunity.”
Ryder plans on returning to the gym this week. He’s banked a handful of runs since the Canelo fight but has otherwise enjoyed a rest. His wife joined him in Mexico for the fight, and they then holidayed in Cancun before flying home. Ryder’s bought his first house, too.
Having shared the ring with boxing’s franchise player, does Ryder still believe Canelo is in decline?
“He’s very good, I think he’s past his best, but I still think he’s very good, honestly,” Ryder reckoned. “I say he’s past his best and I still didn’t beat him, but listen, I’ve got a nose broke, but he’s a great fighter and I’ve been a fan of Canelo’s for years. And I’m interested to see what he’ll do with the rest of his career.”
Ryder and Canelo did not say much to one another during fight week. They had briefly spoken during Canelo’s fight week with Billy Joe Saunders, and they went through the formalities before and after their bout in Guadalajara, but certainly there is no friendship. It was strictly business.
“I’d like to think there's mutual respect there now,” Ryder added. “We shared the ring for 12 rounds in a bloody exchange, so I hope there’s respect both ways.”
