The lopsided odds indicate that Canelo Alvarez will handle John Ryder relatively easily Saturday night.

The heavily favored Alvarez at least respects that Ryder will come to fight as the game southpaw attempts to pull off a massive upset in what has been promoted as a celebratory homecoming fight for the Mexican legend. London’s Ryder will enter enemy territory at a sold-out Akron Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, just outside of Alvarez’s hometown of Guadalajara, but his history suggests that the mandatory challenger for Alvarez’s WBO super middleweight title will stand his ground and at times press the action against Alvarez.

“I love it. I love it,” Alvarez told a small group of reporters during a virtual interview session Thursday. “I love it because, you know, it’s gonna be a good fight when the opponent is coming forward and me, too. So, it’s gonna be a good fight. He’s a good fighter. He’s a southpaw and he throws punches from everywhere, so it’s gonna be a little bit difficult the first [few] rounds. But then, you know, I have experience and I need to handle [him].”

Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 KOs), who is listed as at least a 16-1 favorite by most sportsbooks, has occupied this position plenty of times during his illustrious 17-year professional career. The four-weight world champion has faced numerous huge underdogs, but this 12-round, 168-pound title fight comes with the additional pressure of performing in his home country for the first time in more than 11 years.

A crowd of more than 50,000 will fill Akron Stadium for Alvarez’s first fight on Mexican soil since he stopped Kermit Cintron in the fifth round of their November 2011 bout at Monumental Plaza de Toros Mexico, a renowned bullring in Mexico City. It’ll be a proud moment for the 32-year-old Alvarez, yet also a pressure-packed environment.

The 34-year-old Ryder (32-5, 18 KOs) figures to be loose because all the pressure is on Alvarez, who will defend his IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO 168-pound crowns.

“It’s more dangerous when they have nothing to lose,” Alvarez said. “It’s more dangerous because they wanna bring everything. They wanna win everything. But, you know, I’ve been in this position a long time, so I know [what] to do.”

DAZN will stream Alvarez-Ryder as the main event of a pay-per-view show set to begin at 7 p.m. EDT and 4 p.m. PDT. Subscribers can purchase the five-fight event for $59.99 through DAZN’s website, but it will cost non-subscribers $79.99 to buy it though cable, Internet or satellite providers.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.