I fought Canelo Alvarez in Mexico and needed POLICE escorts to guarantee my safety… but I made a lot of friends after
JOHN RYDER walked into the lion’s den the night he fought Canelo Alvarez – but came out still roaring.
Canelo returned to Mexico for the first time in over a decade last May to defend his undisputed super-middleweight crown against Ryder.
And he dominated over 12 rounds to mark a successful homecoming.
Ryder needed police protection from the raucous and adoring Canelo faithful – but left having turned the rivalling fans into new friends.
He told talkSPORT: “I don’t think anything can really live up to it.
“There’ll have to be some serious bloodthirsty people there to really trump Guadalajara.
“Being driven in armoured SUVs with a police escort to guarantee your safety to weigh-ins and whatever we were doing.
“It was the magnitude of the fight, the magnitude of Canelo, it’s just massive.
“The Mexican fans – I’ve gained a lot of friends from that fight.
“I’m in touch with a lot of Mexicans now, they love their boxing and they back their own.
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“They’re what true fans should be, they just like to see the best fighting the best.”
Ryder, 35, returns against Canelo’s countryman, unbeaten former light-middleweight world champion Jaime Munguia.
And with 27-year-old Munguia changing trainers from Erik Morales to Freddie Roach, the switch period could prove profitable for Ryder.
He said: “Listen he’s not put a foot wrong yet.
“He’s been in there with a few good names – the standout for me would be Liam Smith.
“Listen, he didn’t look fantastic against Sergiy Derevyanchenko, but everyone has off nights. It was a Fight of the Year candidate there.
“He’s obviously made changes now to [new trainer] Freddie Roach. So it’s all yet to be seen what’s worked for him him and what’s not.
“I feel like I’m getting him at a good time, he’s gonna be in a bit of a transition I think after moving from Erik Morales to Freddie Roach.
“I’m in the twilight of my career and I’ve learned so much about myself in this past year with the Canelo fight – the fight I wish I’d have had a decade ago. I feel like this is the best time for me.”