One of the biggest stars in boxing, Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez took a hiatus from the ring to heal from surgery. Now, he is ready to reclaim his spot on top. In his way is John Ryder, who he faces in a homecoming fight on May 6.
The fight for Canelo's status as undisputed super middleweight champion will be in Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Canelo became the undisputed super middleweight champion in less than 11 months. Following that journey, he ventured to light heavyweight to win more gold. He failed to capture the WBA light heavyweight title against Dmitry Bivol in May 2022, suffering his first loss since 2013. Canelo's last fight was a unanimous decision win over Gennadiy Golovkin in September, ending the trilogy 2-0-1 in favor of him.
Ryder won the interim WBA super middleweight title against Bilal Akkawy in May 2019. Callum Smith beat him that year to retain the WBA and The Ring belts. Since then, Ryder has won four in a row, beating Zach Parker in his last bout for the interim WBO super middleweight title.
WATCH: Canelo Alvarez vs. John Ryder, live on DAZN PPV
The underdog, "The Gorilla" believes he shouldn't be known as an afterthought right away. Ryder is ready for the dramatic upset.
"I've seen him mention Bivol and [David] Benavidez," Ryder told Boxing Scene. "Don't sleep on me. The only rematch you're having in September is with me at the Emirates [Stadium]."
To watch Canelo vs. Ryder, you must have a subscription to DAZN.
What is DAZN?
Founded in 2015, DAZN is a global over-the-top sports subscription video streaming service.
DAZN launched in the U.S. in 2018 and came to an agreement with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing. Several fighters have competed under the DAZN/Matchroom brand, including Anthony Joshua, Katie Taylor, Gennadiy Golovkin, Dmitry Bivol, and Mauricio Lara. Big fights have been on DAZN, including Canelo vs. Bivol, Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr., and Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano.
MORE: All you need to know about Canelo vs. Ryder
Canelo signed a record $365 million deal with DAZN back in 2018. In 2020, Canelo filed a lawsuit against DAZN and Golden Boy and accused both of a breach of contract. He requested damages of up to $280 million following disagreements of potential opponents and payments. It was believed by DAZN (per ESPN) that a third Golovkin fight was on the table early on in the deal, which didn't happen. Canelo was granted his release not long after.
After competing on a variety of platforms, Canelo returned to DAZN to face Dmitry Bivol for light heavyweight gold. He also faced Golovkin in a trilogy bout on September 17. Both were rare PPV formats on DAZN, the same as Canelo-Ryder.
How to watch DAZN: Available devices
You can use DAZN on your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android phones and tablets, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Amazon Fire tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, and Google Chromecast.
Other devices include an LG Smart TV, Smartcast, Panasonic Smart TV, Samsung Smart TV, and Sony Smart TV.
You can also watch DAZN on your web browser.
WATCH: Canelo Alvarez vs. John Ryder, live on DAZN PPV
Canelo Alvarez vs. John Ryder PPV price: How much does the fight cost?
- DAZN monthly subscription: $19.99 on a 12-month contract or $24.99 month-to-month in U.S. / $24.99 per month in Canada / £9.99 in the U.K. on a 12-month contract, or £19.99 month-to-month / 13.99 AUD
- DAZN annual subscription: $224.99 in the U.S., $199.99 in Canada, and £99.99 in the U.K.
- Existing subscribers pay $64.99 for access to the PPV event. New DAZN subscribers pay $84.99.
In the US and Canada, the Alvarez vs. Ryder fight is a PPV event. In the US, the cost is $54.99 for the fight, and in Canada, it is $79.99.
Canelo Alvarez vs. John Ryder fight card
- Canelo Alvarez (c) vs. John Ryder for the undisputed super middleweight title
- Julio Cesar Martinez vs. Ronal Batista for the WBC flyweight title
- Oleksandr Gvozdyk vs. Ricards Bolotniks; Light Heavyweights
- Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela vs. Steve Spark; Super Lightweights