Canelo vs Ryder: “Just another easy fight”
Boxer Demetrius Andrade has criticized ‘Canelo’ Álvarez for fighting John Ryder in May, who believes poses no threat to the Mexican star.
Saúl Canelo Álvarez has been considered one of the best fighters in the world over the last few years and the truth is that his record is impressive, with 58 wins (39 KOs), two losses, and two draws.
However, he has also been one of the most criticized fighters for cherry-picking his opponents to have a smoother path to success.
The main complaint from fighters and boxing fans throughout the years is that the Guadalajara boxer, guided by his team and former promoter Óscar de la Hoya, decided to fight many top opponents when they were past their prime.
His fights against Gennady Golovkin, Miguel Cotto, and Sergey Kovalev are among those that were criticized for that reason, but he was also in the spotlight for taking a low risk against boxers like Amir Khan, James Kirkland, Alfredo Angulo, and Rocky Fielding when he was already a star in the sport.
See also: Óscar de la Hoya’s latest attack on the legacy of Canelo Álvarez
John Ryder, seen as an easy fight
Now the debate on Canelo facing easier opposition is back. Boxer Demetrius Andrade has long criticized Canelo for his supposed lack of ambition.
The two-division world champion from Long Island, who was a network stablemate on DAZN with Álvarez, couldn’t help but slam Álvarez for taking the John Ryder fight in May.
“Just more bulls**t. That’s just what it is. Just another easy fight. Another situation for him to go in and say ‘I’m fighting the best.’ I’m not disrespecting John Ryder, but come on, he’s not the best”, he said on Tha Boxing Voice.
“Of course, he’s (Ryder) the worst of options when you got Jermall Charlo, when you got Demetrius Andrade, when you’ve got the rematch with Bivol when you’ve got other guys that have been champions in the same weight class as him,” Andrade added.
Andrade, who left DAZN content provider, promoter Eddie Hearn, recently linked up with Premier Boxing Champions, in a bid to try his hand at the 168-pound division.
Álvarez may get into the ring again with Bivol in September, against who he lost via unanimous decision when he tried to capture the WBA light heavyweight title.