Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez to face Britain’s John Ryder in undisputed title fight in Mexico
Undisputed super-middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez will defend his belts against Britain’s John Ryder on 6 May in Mexico.
The fight at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara will be the first time Alvarez has fought in his home country for more than 11 years.
Alvarez, 32, defended his undisputed crown against Gennady Golovkin in September in their trilogy fight.
Londoner Ryder, 34, is the WBO mandatory challenger.
Ryder has a record of 32 wins and five losses from 37 fights and his previous world-title shot was a points loss to Callum Smith in 2019.
He beat Zach Parker for the vacant WBO interim super-middleweight title in November.
Four-weight world champion Alvarez will be fighting in his 63rd bout, having had 58 wins, two losses and two draws.
He won the IBF title from Caleb Plant in November 2021 to add to his WBA, WBC and WBO belts.
The Mexican says he is “happy” to be returning to the ring after wrist surgery in late 2022.
“I was unsure of when I’d be coming back,” said Alvarez. “Returning to the ring and coming back to fight in Jalisco, where I’m from, makes me especially happy.
“And in John Ryder, I’m facing a very competitive fighter.”
Ryder added: “There’s no denying that Canelo is one of the greats and I’ve got a lot of respect for what he’s achieved in the sport, but I fully believe this is my time to fulfil my dream of becoming a world champion.”