Canelo’s special homecoming

Canelo Álvarez will face British opponent John Ryder at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico this Saturday, May 6. Álvarez has the upper hand for a few reasons - he will be defending his undisputed super middleweight championship, and he will be defending them in front of “his people”.

Álvarez’s homecoming

Álvarez will fight in Guadalajara for the first time since 2011. In a speech leading up to the match, he told the audience how much it meant to him to be back again.

“I’m honestly so thankful to all of the media, all of the people, to my family, and especially to my team,” said Canelo. “I remember when I fought at the Jalisco Arena when I made my debut at the Chololo Larios Arena. I’m really thankful now to return as the greatest in the world.”

Many times, fighters don’t return to their homes to perform for their people until they are ready to retire, but Canelo is instead performing for his at his peak, and he’ll be earning much less to do so.

“Tonight is going to be very special to me. To defend my titles in front of my people, in front of you all. There’s no better moment than this, coming back as the best, not when I’m already retiring.”

Canelo usually fights tough opponents, but this time, he will have an “easy” rival in Ryder, though the Brit can’t be written off completely. Ryder has been known to defy the odds in his career so far. But this match is more about Canelo coming home than anything else - to fight in front of 50,000 fans at the Estadio Akron.