John Ryder Was Driven in Armored SUVs With a Police Escort to Avoid “Bloodthirsty” Fans for Canelo Alvarez Fight

Canelo Álvarez finally fought at home last year. Over a decade after he defeated Kermit Cintron in 2011, the undisputed super middleweight champion returned to fight in front of a roaring home crowd. No surprises on his win. But what about his opponent? How did John Ryder tackle the pressure of facing an aggressive lot hell-bent on his destruction?

Eight months have passed since he fought Canelo Álvarez. Tomorrow, as he enters the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, John Ryder will repeat the feat once again. On May 6 last year, the Londoner challenged the Mexican icon for his undisputed titles. In many respects, it posed a dual challenge for the English boxer. First, he faced one of the ‘faces of boxing.’ But more significantly, he had to fend off the boos from an unsympathetic crowd that only cared about their local hero winning. In Phoenix, he expects a similar treatment. A heavy Mexican presence would be rooting for Jaime Munguia. However, the odds don’t seem to have perturbed Ryder. He even recalled going about his business under extraordinary circumstances.

‘The Gorilla’ Surrounded: John Ryder recalls

The travel to Guadalajara, Mexico, will not fade away so easily from John Ryder’s memories. He recalled making friends with a lot of them. But what really impressed him was their love for boxing and the way they stuck up with their hometown heroes. “The Mexican fans—I’ve gained a lot of friends from that fight. I’m in touch with a lot of Mexicans now; they love their boxing and they back their own,” ‘The Gorilla’ told talkSPORT.com.

He appreciated the Mexican fans for sticking up a lot. But it seems like he realized it when he went against Canelo Álvarez. The sheer weight his fights and his persona carried was enormous. He said, “It was the magnitude of the fight, the magnitude of Canelo; it’s just massive.” Recalling the days, John Ryder wondered if anything could ever match such crazy fan admiration levels.

“I don’t think anything can really live up to it. There’ll have to be some serious bloodthirsty people there to really trump Guadalajara,” said Ryder. Probably the most notable piece of memory remained how the organizers had to take steps, such as providing armored SUVs with police escorts, in order to keep him safe. “Being driven in armored SUVs with a police escort to guarantee your safety to weigh-ins and whatever we were doing,” recalled John Ryder.

The fight remains critical for ‘The Gorilla.’ He would turn 36 this year. One more defeat at this stage and chances of staging a return would be altogether challenging. Whereas, on the other hand, a win over Jaime Munguia would raise his stock and get him a much-vaunted rematch with Canelo Álvarez. Even if the crowds boo him at the Footprint Center, he will have to garner all his energies to stay focused and topple the Mexican boxer’s game plan, if any.

Would you give John Ryder any chance to stage an upset against Jaime Munguia? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

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