Canelo Alvarez is going home, and he’s taking a huge event with him. The four-division world champ announced today that he will defend his undisputed super middleweight title on Cinco de Mayo weekend in Guadalajara, Mexico. He will meet WBO interim champ John Ryder.
Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 KO) bounced back from a loss to Dmitry Bivol in his chance to claim a 175-pound bout with a decision win over Gennady Golovkin in September. This is the first time Canelo has fought in Jalisco (the bout will go down in Estadio Akron on May 6th) since 2011.
Ryder (32-5, 18 KO) has won four in a row since a loss to Callum Smith that cost him his original shot at Canelo.
“I feel really happy to be coming back in May because following my surgery, I was unsure of when I’d be coming back,” said Canelo. “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.”
“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 fulfil my dream of becoming a World champion,” said Ryder.
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