By Carlos Rodríguez -
The Associated Press
GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Saúl
Canelo
Álvarez returned home and remained the undisputed king of super middleweights on Saturday, beating John Ryder by unanimous decision in front of more than 50,000 excited fans to see him in Mexico for the first time since 2011.
Álvarez gave the British challenger a nosebleed and knocked him down.
He took the win by one 120-107 scorecard and two 118-109 wins to improve his record to 59-2-2.
Ryder had his four-game winning streak snapped and was left with a 32-6 record.
[This Mexican woman met the king when he was a prince and kissed him back: “He is a very humble person”]
It was Canelo
's first fight
since he underwent surgery on his left wrist last March.
Before the fight, he said the injury had slowed him down in his previous four fights, including a loss to heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol a year ago.
“I hit him on the head a lot, but he wouldn't fall off,” Álvarez said.
"I have always said that when the rival gives me a fight and gives 100%, everything gets complicated, because normally everyone wants to give me the fight of their lives."
Ryder said he had probably suffered a broken septum in the second round.
This would have affected the defeat.
“Probably the best of his career has passed.
He couldn't reach me.
He wanted to knock me out and he didn't get it,” Ryder said.
“It could have been different without the problem with my nose.
It took me a few rounds to adjust."
After getting the victory over Ryder, the Mexican boxer has his sights set on a rematch against the Russian, in September.
The public filled the Akron soccer stadium in Zapopan, a suburb of Guadalajara located about 40 kilometers from Juanacatlán, the small town where Canelo grew
up
.
And the fighter's followers gave themselves to him from the first round.
Alvarez and Ryder began a slow-paced feud.
However,
Canelo
landed a straight right that gave his opponent a nosebleed after the third round.
[A puppy was given this Turkish name to honor the late Proteus]
The champion kept pressing in the fourth, landing body shots.
He sent Ryder to the canvas via a left hook to the chin.
Ryder made the host uncomfortable in the fifth round and landed a few punches to his face.
However, Alvarez landed another punch in the ninth.
Although he staggered, Ryder responded with a punch that rocked the Mexican.
With a bloody face, Ryder closed the fight well, but that was not enough to surprise.
In the preliminary bout, Mexican Julio Cesar “Rey” Martinez (19-2) knocked out Panamanian Ronal Batista (15-2) to retain the World Boxing Council flyweight title.
