John Ryder is gearing up for one of the biggest moments of his career, when he faces former two-time middleweight world champion Daniel Jacobs on Saturday night at the iconic Alexandra Palace.
In his last fight, Jacobs barely got past Gabe Rosado with a very close twelve round split decision win.
Jacobs has now been out of the ring since November of 2020.
A loss to Ryder could be the end of his career.
The London native will be looking to propel himself towards another world title shot after suffering a controversial decision loss to Callum Smith in November of 2019.
“It’s a fight I’ve been craving for a long time, I know your [Eddie] ears have been on fire when the phone’s been ringing and Tony’s been on the case but listen, you’ve delivered. A massive name in the UK and on my doorstep at Ally Pally, it doesn’t get much bigger than this for me," Ryder said.
“At 33 I’m not ready to retire, I want to kick on and have a few more years in this sport and a few more years of big fights – world title fights – getting what I deserve out of this sport. I’ve been working tirelessly in the gym with the best strength and conditioner in the world Dan Lawrence, Tony and Charlie Sims, been lucky enough to have the likes of Peter Sims and Kevin Mitchell in the gym, just picking their brains and getting their knowledge. It’s a real family affair.
“It feels like a long time coming, COVID messed things up for everyone massively, it’s about putting things right now. It’s been a slow two years but get back in 2022, a good start to the year and really kick on.”
