John Ryder has not lost sight of conversations regarding any future fight involving Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez beyond their upcoming championship clash

Much of the pre-fight talk has been less about the title consolidation bout and more on whether Mexico’s Alvarez (58-2-2, 39KOs) will enter a September rematch with Dmitry Bivol (21-0, 11KOs). A targeted sequel has been a hot button topic from the moment Bivol outpointed the Mexican superstar to defend his WBA light heavyweight title last May 7 in Las Vegas.

Guadalajara’s Alvarez has since threatened to invoke his rematch clause, though he is now on his second fight since that night. Ryder emerged as his first-in-line mandatory challenger after obtaining the interim WBO super middleweight title. The two will meet for Alvarez’s undisputed super middleweight championship on May 6 at Estadio Akron in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico.

Ryder would love to hear more talk about their fight and less about any future options.

“I’ve seen him mention Bivol and (David) Benavidez,” Ryder told Boxing Scene and two other reporters during an intimate WOW HYDRATE™-hosted virtual media roundtable. “Don’t sleep on me. The only rematch you’re having in September is with me at the Emirates (Stadium).”

The venue which Ryder (32-5, 18KOs) references is the 60,000-plus stadium which houses the world-famous Arsenal Football Club, based in his hometown of Islington, London.

That’s not to say that the 34-year-old British southpaw regards an upset win as a foregone conclusion. Still, Ryder has never been shy on confidence, particularly following a 2022 campaign where he lodged arguably the two biggest wins of his hard luck career.

Ryder—who enters his second career major title fight—outpointed former IBF middleweight titlist Daniel Jacobs last February at the famed Alexandra Palace in Muswell Hill, London. The win was followed his fifth-round injury stoppage of unbeaten Zach Parker atop a November 26 show presented by Queensberry Promotions, Parker’s promoter, from The O2 in London.

The win over Parker came with the interim WBO super middleweight title. The secondary belt at stake was key, as the WBO is next in the rotation of mandatory challengers for the super middleweight crown. Alvarez abandoned those duties in 2022, first with a failed bid to claim the WBA light heavyweight title which he followed with a twelve-round win over longtime rival Gennadiy Golovkin in their trilogy clash last September.

The second victory over Golovkin in their three-fight set came while Alvarez fought through a lingering injury in his left hand for which he underwent surgery last October.

It remains to be seen how Alvarez—a -1400 betting favorite according to bet365 sportsbook—looks in his first fight since fully recovering from the procedure.

Ryder is, of course, prepared for the best available version. At the same time, he can’t help but sense that there is no time like the present to pull off the upset against the former pound-for-pound king.

“I think I’m a year older than him but he’s got a lot of miles on the clock,” noted Ryder, currently a +700 underdog according to bet365. “Last year was a tough year for him. He only had one win and had one loss. It wasn’t a big win he had with Golovkin, and of course he lost to Bivol.

“The hand and wrist surgery he had in between—I guess it will all just depend on how he is when he returns. We’ll see if he comes back as the old Canelo or if he’s not longer what he once was.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox