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Canelo Alvarez '100 percent' for John Ryder, speaks on importance of homecoming fight

Victoria Hernandez, USA TODAY
·4 min read

As Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez has ascended in the boxing world, his name has become synonymous with his hometown. Michael Buffer has cemented "El orgullo de Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico" in boxing history as Álvarez has won fight after fight in Las Vegas, Miami, Texas and New York.

Now, Álvarez (58-2-2, 39 KOs) is returning home to face Great Britain's John Ryder Saturday at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara. His last fight in the Mexican city was in 2011.

"After 12 years, (I've) accomplished a lot of things in boxing and then (become) the best fighter," he told USA TODAY Sports. "... To fight to Guadalajara, I feel proud about it. I feel happy to bring this fight to my people who support me from the beginning."

That last fight was Álvarez' first title defense and was also against a British fighter. He beat Ryan Rhodes by technical knockout in the 12th round. The venue was at Arena VFG, named for iconic Mexican singer Vicente Fernández, adding on the initial of his last name, Gómez.

Canelo Álvarez speaks on preparing for John Ryder

Since then, Álvarez became only the sixth undisputed champion in men's boxing history in the four-belt era when he beat Caleb Plant for the IBF super middleweight title in 2021. The win came at a cost as he later said he injured his wrist in the bout.

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Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez says he's "one hundred percent" after having surgery on his wrist.
Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez says he's "one hundred percent" after having surgery on his wrist.

Last year, Álvarez suffered his first loss in nine years, a unanimous decision awarded to Dmitry Bivol at 178 pounds. He rebounded by defeating Gennadiy Golovkin to win the trilogy with two wins and one draw.

Álvarez, 32, fought both matches with the injury, which physicians said was torn cartilage, and had surgery in the fall.

"I feel great and I’m available to train hundred percent," he said.

Ryder (32-5, 18 KOs) is on a four-fight winning streak after losing a controversial decision to Callum Smith in 2019. The British southpaw, 34, is the owner of the interim WBO super middleweight belt, which he captured in his last match when he knocked out Zach Parker in November.

He knows he's the underdog against what some consider the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport.

"It would absolutely be a dream come true, I'm sure there would be a movie made about it at some point down the line because it would be an absolute blockbuster," he told Seconds Out of the possibility of beating Álvarez. "To hand off a belt in this boxing game, no one could have seen this coming four or five years ago. ... So the fact that I've stuck at it, turned it around and had the belief in myself and the belief of other people in me to carry on is a great thing."

Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez will be fighting in his hometown of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico for the first time since 2011.
Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez will be fighting in his hometown of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico for the first time since 2011.

Nonetheless, Álvarez is not treating the matchup like a cake walk.

"He has everything to win, so that puts him in a danger for me because he has everything to win, nothing to lose," he said. "So I’m training one hundred percent for the best John Ryder and that’s it."

Canelo Álvarez on fellow Guadalajara stars Javier 'Chicharito' Hernández, Sergio 'Checo' Pérez

Álvarez isn't the only sports star to hail from Guadalajara, which is the seventh largest city in Mexico and has historical significance as a hub for revolutionary leader Miguel Hidalgo.

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Javier "Chicharito" Hernández is the Mexico national soccer team's all-time leading goal scorer and is in his fourth season with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. The striker attended Álvarez's 2014 match against Erislandy Lara and the two remain friends.

Álvarez is equally proud of how Formula 1 driver Sergio "Checo" Pérez represents the city. Pérez is second in the F1 drivers standings coming off a win at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and sprint race. Last season, he became the winningest Mexican driver in F1 history when he won the Monaco Grand Prix, his third career victory.

"I feel proud about it because I know them since we are nothing," Álvarez beamed. "We’re starring in our own sport… and now we are one of the best athletes in the world."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Canelo Álvarez ready for homecoming fight against John Ryder