The thing about spending your career as a trialhorse is that you spend most of your time chasing after the best in your weight division.

John Ryder is fine with the road that led to this point, even as a longshot underdog versus undisputed super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez this weekend. That said, he is just as intrigued with what can come with an upset win for the ages.

“Win this fight on May 6 and I’ll be a wanted man for sure,” Ryder told BoxingScene.com during a recent WOW HYDRATE™-hosted media roundtable session.

The 34-year-old southpaw from Islington, London is viewed by bet365 sportsbook as a +900 underdog to shock the world versus Guadalajara’s Alvarez (58-2-2, 39KOs). Their bout headlines a DAZN Pay-Per-View this Saturday from Estadio Akron in Zapopan, Mexico, mere minutes from the defending champion’s hometown.

It marks the first trip to Mexico and third overall fight in North America for Ryder (32-5, 19KOs). There was a time in 2021 when his name was in the mix to challenge for the secondary WBA ‘Regular’ super middleweight title held by red hot David Morrell (9-0, 8KOs). The fight fell through for a variety of reasons, none of which were revisited by either side.

Morrell is one of several top super middleweights represented by Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), which also houses current interim WBC and former two-time full titlist David Benavidez (27-0, 23KOs). Both boxers are considered the greatest threats to Alvarez’s current reign and considered to be next in line for whoever prevails this weekend.

“It’s strange. I was meant to fight Morrell a few years ago but it never materialized,” noted Ryder, who has won four in a row and currently holds the interim WBO super middleweight title. “And now there’s Benavidez back near the top, the Mexican Monster who had his issues outside the ring but has enjoyed his resurgence. It’s fun to be in this division.”

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