The news from Guadalajara is that ‘Canelo’ Alvarez has not been dethroned. The title defense on Saturday night was billed as ‘The King is Coming Home‘ and displayed a commanding performance from the reigning champion, who fought in front of a home crowd after nearly twelve years. John Ryder showed typical British grit and toughness and dragged Alvarez till the final bell rang.

Of course, no one suspected Ryder of cranking out a coup against the ‘King.’ Rather, many suspected whether the match would be stretched to its full, with Alvarez forcing an early stoppage in front of a rousing home crowd. However, giving a good account of himself, Ryder slugged it out despite his nose and mouth bleeding by the third round.

In round five, a one-two combination had Ryder on his knees to the utter jubilation of the crowd. However, the Briton got up when the referee reached the eighth count and continued. Ryder blocked a powerful right hook from Alvarez in the sixth round, but still, it got the former wiggling on his legs. It was enough to get the fifty thousand viewers on their feet.

A proud John Ryder despite the loss and injuries

Finally, as expected by many, ‘Canelo’ Alvarez won unanimously. During the post-fight press conference, John Ryder said a few words about the Mexican champion. He said, “He was very good. I still think he’s probably past his best, but he still had enough in his tank tonight.” Unfortunately, he nursed a broken nose thanks to an uppercut from ‘Canelo’ during the second round. BoxingScene shared a pic of Ryder sitting in his corner yesterday through its Twitter handle.

But the profuse bleeding barely deterred him from putting up a spirited fight. So despite all the odds stacked against him, the British Southpaw can now pat himself on the back for unsettling one of the pound-for-pound best boxers in the world. He said, “After all these years of boxing, it’s the first time I broke my nose. It was a new experience. Got back to my corner, towel in my face, [and] just couldn’t breathe. There was blood going back down my throat.”

Later, in true sportsman spirit, he appreciated the way Alvarez fought. The latter true to his style, laid traps for the opponents, pushing them into making blunders and exploiting the gaps to launch powerful combinations. Unhappy, he lamented that he had devoted so much to the sport and came up with a ‘dream’ but, in the end, could not come up scratch.

Read More: Canelo Alvarez Displays Brutal Power in Latest Training Clip Ahead of John Ryder Fight

What is your take on John Ryder’s boxing skills on May 6? Do share your views and opinions with us in the comments below.

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