JOHN RYDER sits on his couch in his London flat and scoops up his TV’s remote control. He holds it in the same hands that went 12 hard rounds with boxing’s franchise, Canelo Alvarez, a few weeks earlier, and turns on DAZN.
The softly spoken ‘Gorilla’ has watched the fight back twice since that incredible night in the Guadalajara cauldron on May 6, when he and Canelo shared 12 blood-soaked rounds in front of 60,000 fans.
After the contest, there were a smattering of lines about the 32-year-old Mexican great being in decline, but the majority focused on Ryder’s bravery. The Islington underdog had ventured into the lion’s den, had his nose obliterated in the second round, was floored in round five and under heavy fire in the ninth, but he finished the fight with awe-inspiring defiance, unable to breathe through his nose having spent 30 minutes swallowing torrents of his own blood.
The spoils of war? Ryder has since been able to buy his first house.
As we rewatch the fight, Ryder searches DAZN. Whether it is modesty or humility, one can’t tell, but Ryder clicks on the magnifying glass and starts typing. ‘C… A… N….’
“There it is,” he says, as Canelo v Ryder pops up.
THE BUILD-UP
There are other options on DAZN’s menu. For a start, there are ‘Canelo Classics’, but they feature the Mexican’s fights with Avni Yildirim, the third go-round with Gennady Golovkin, and the Billy Joe Saunders clash. Ryder’s hasn’t fallen into that category.
You can also
