There was a time when John Ryder’s boxing career had slowed down so much that he decided to work as a nightclub bouncer on the weekends to supplement his income.

And the London super middleweight, who is putting the final touches to his preparation for Cinco de Mayo clash with Canelo Alvarez, admits there was a time he nearly gave up hope of ever reaching the top.

But now the 34-year-old knows he could etch his name into boxing folklore with an unlikely victory against Canelo in Guadalajara on May 6.

Ryder is currently in Los Angeles for his last few days of training camp before fight week kicks off on Monday ahead of his challenge for all four of the 32-year-old Mexican’s super-middleweight titles.

It has been a long and winding road for Ryder, who has lost five times, including one inside the distance, over the course of his 37-fight career. That is why he says all the pressure is on the champion this time around.

‘The Gorilla’ will pocket a career-best payday for his part in the clash at the Estadio Akron but there was a time when his earnings from boxing were so low that he sought further employment.

“I got a doorman’s license around 2017,” he told BoxingScene.com.

“There wasn’t a lot going on for me in boxing and they asked me to go down there, earn some money to help me get by.

“It was good on the social side too, training all week and then having that Friday night working with good people.

“I did that every Friday throughout 2018 but in 2019 I was quite busy fighting in Vegas and fighting Callum Smith. But it served me well.”

Those nights dealing with drunk revelers provided some lessons in keeping a cool head, which he will need if he is to handle the occasion and crowd in Guadalajara.

He added: “It was a nightclub in Aldgate, it was round the corner from Darren Barker’s gym 12x3. So before work on a Friday we would go down to the gym and have a body spar then I’d go and work for the night.

“There were no rows though, nothing major, you learn that you can settle things with a bit of talk most of the time. It was a good learning experience for me. Just being calm, keeping control of your emotions if there was ever any trouble and that sort of thing.”

That was during a spell when he managed just two fights in 12 months as the southpaw became a high risk, low reward opponent for many of the bigger names in the division. He wondered whether he would ever secure an opportunity like this.

When asked if he ever gave up hope the WBO interim champion said: “Yes potentially, maybe there were times when I thought that.

“But I think something deep inside of me knew this time would come because I stuck at it. At certain points in my career it would have been a lot easier to just think - ‘no this isn’t for me, I tried my luck but I’m not getting anywhere’. 

“But I stuck at it, I rode the storm and I’m here now. I’m at the pinnacle of the sport with a shot at all the belts in the division against the biggest name in boxing.

“It’s all a journey isn’t it? I could not be more ready than I am now.”