Canelo Alvarez admits he's interested in facing John Ryder in London

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez has revealed he’d be interested in returning to the ring to fight John Ryder. In a recent interview at his statue unveiling ceremony in Mexico, the fighter said:

“It would be interesting to fight him in London. It would be very big. But the truth is I have not negotiated an opponent yet. I'm focused on the rehab of my hand, see how I feel in January, and see what the doctor tells me.”

John Ryder hopes to be Alvarez's next opponent sometime around May 2023. He said in an interview with Boxing Social:

"Eddie [Hearn] is responsible for reaching an agreement and I know that he is talking with Canelo and with [Eddy] Reynoso. I wait patiently for either the United Kingdom or the United States. I hope I really hope to be the one in the opposite corner on the weekend of Cinco de Mayo."

Check out the full interview below:

Eddie Hearn, head of Matchroom Boxing and Alvarez's promoter, seemingly confirmed that John Ryder is the next fight for the Mexican boxer, and after that may be a rematch with Dmitry Bivol. He said via Hearn Unleashed on DAZN:

“I think John’s [Ryder] the mandatory challenger, he’s the perfect fight for Saul, John’s on great form. We’ve just gotta look at where the fight could take place, our plans for Canelo Alvarez is John Ryder and Dmitry Bivol if he’s successful and that’s the plan we’re putting together now."

Check out the full interview below:

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Who is Canelo Alvarez's next opponent?

John Ryder is a British boxer in the super-middleweight division who has held the WBO interim title since November 2022 after he beat Zach Parker via TKO.

Boxing in London - Zach Parker (L) vs. John Ryder (R)

Ryder (32-5-0) is a southpaw fighter with a 48% KO rate. He is ranked No.2 in the world super-middleweight rankings and is the No.1 in the UK at 168lbs.

Watch the Ryder vs. Parker highlights below:

The Islington-born fighter is the next mandatory challenger for Canelo’s WBO Super-Middleweight Title, being the current interim champion.

The 34-year-old fighter had previously faced Callum Smith for the WBA World Super-Middleweight Championship but lost on the judges' scorecards via unanimous decision. His previously held titles include the WBO Inter-Continental Middleweight Title, WBA International Middleweight Title, and the IBF International Super-Middleweight Title.