John Ryder: record, next fight and profile →
John Ryder feels considerably less pressure heading into this weekend than was the case in his lone other fight on the year. The veteran super middleweight believes it is countryman Zach Parker who is in the hot seat in their all-British matchup
Zach Parker never viewed a fight with John Ryder as a priority until it became a means to an end. “I’ve wanted to fight him but in the same sense that I want to fight all the top super middleweights,” Parker told BoxingScene.com. “I was never specifically targeting John Ryder but, sure, it’s been a fight I’ve fancied for a couple of years.”
John Ryder is used to being overlooked, quite literally. The Londoner is “5 foot 10 inches… on a good day”, meaning that since he has moved up to super-middleweight, he generally has to crane his neck at any face-to-face.
If Zach Parker needed any reminding about what he will be fighting for on Saturday night, it came three weeks ago when his partner, Lydia, gave birth to their first child.
Tonight, his super-middleweight Zach Parker faces John Ryder at the O2 Arena in London in what many are calling a Canelo Eliminator. Then, on December 10, another Marsh client, David Avanesyan, goes in with Terence Crawford in a huge welterweight clash.
John Ryder is familiar with handling pressure in a high stakes fight. It goes without saying that the former title challenger will rely upon such experience to test the heart of his younger, unbeaten foe.
Zach Parker is not under any illusion of being guaranteed an immediate crack at Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez even with a win this weekend. However, cementing his pace as interim WBO titlist and mandatory challenger for the undisputed super middleweight
Parker, Ryder Weights Photos Gallery - Super middleweight contenders Zach Parker and John Ryder will collide in a 12-round main event for the WBO Interim world title this Saturday, Nov. 26, at The O2 in London. This high-stakes showdown pits two of the UK’s top fighters, with the winner in pole position to earn a super fight in 2023.
Zach Parker’s long-awaited fight for the WBO’s interim super middleweight title was finally made official Friday afternoon in London. Parker and John Ryder both made weight for this 12-round, 168-pound battle between Brits, which will headline a show Saturday night at O2 Arena in London.
Zach Parker was able to breathe a sigh of relief once he learned of his next ring assignment. Any concern of another opponent pulling a disappearing act went out the window once it was confirmed that countryman John Ryder agreed to terms for their interim WBO super middleweight title fight. The all-British clash will mark the only fight of a frustrating 2022 campaign for Parker, who spent all year watching separate efforts fall through for a similarly staked bout with Demetrius Andrade.