Canelo Alvarez has vowed to deliver "something special" to fans in his hometown of Guadalajara tomorrow night, at the expense of British title challenger John Ryder.
London native Ryder has travelled as a monumental underdog for Alvarez's first Mexican fight in over a decade, with a packed stadium of around 50,000 expected for the Cinco de Mayo celebration. The Brit tipped the scales right on the button at 168lb for the super-middleweight showdown, while Alvarez was just under at 167.5lb.
The pair have been relatively cordial throughout an understated fight week, which will represent another mandatory defence for Alvarez in his run atop the 168lb division. And despite Ryder's insistence that he's here to win, and could retire with a loss, fans and pundits are already eyeing up the pound-for-pound great's next moves.
“It's going to be something special after 12 years,” Canelo told fans after the weigh-in. “I started my career here in Guadalajara in the little arenas. And now we are in the biggest stadium and the biggest response from the people. It's going to be one of the best nights of my career for sure. I am really excited for this fight.
“I was always thinking about fighting again in Guadalajara of course. You can expect something special, and the result is even better. I'm glad and grateful that the people respond like this. I'm enjoying this moment a lot. I enjoy this because it is hard to put on this kind of fights and have people respond like this. It's an honour for me and I'm proud of it. I'm going to bring everything tomorrow night."
Ryder has been sure to use his time head-to-head with Alvarez to impose his size and intensity, but it appears to be another night at the office for the boxing champion, albeit a special one. The pair will headline the Stadio Akron, Zapopan, which is expected to be sold out with over 50,000 in attendance tomorrow night.
“I know it’s going to be hostile; I am prepared for it,” Ryder said of the expected atmosphere. “I think to go and fight a champion, you should go to their backyard to take their titles and that’s what I am doing. Most fighters have gone to Vegas or Texas to fight him, but I’m in Guadalajara in the Lion’s Den.
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“I think that the pressure is on him. It’s been a long time since he boxed here and who expects anything of me? No one. People think I am here for the paycheck, I am not, I am here to show that dreams can come true. I’ve worked hard to get here, and I deserve to be here.
“I think it is a good time to fight him, he has a lot of miles on the clock. Last year he had the Bivol defeat, I found it strange that he went back to Light-Heavyweight, and then he went back to 168 and while I don’t think it was a bad performance, I think people were expecting him to stop him and put the final nail in the coffin of the trilogy and he didn’t, although he did win comfortably.
"Obviously, he’s had the surgery on his hand and maybe there’s question marks on wear and tear, but I want the best version of him because I will give the best version of me. I have to embrace the moment. After 12 rounds, my hand will be raised, 'and the new, from Islington, London, UK, undisputed World Super-Middleweight champion, John Ryder'. It’s a dream opportunity and I don’t plan to waste it."
