By: Sean Crose
“The press conference in Guadalajara was an unbelievable moment for me,” Canelo Alvarez said on Thursday, “because I saw my grandma, my dad, my mom, my brothers, my family there. A lot of media guys I saw when I started boxing.” The man had good reason to be pleased, for he was indeed at a press conference for his May homecoming fight against mandatory opponent John Ryder. “For me,” Canelo continued, “I feel very proud and happy to bring this fight to Guadalajara and give the people some of the experience I have in other places as the best in the world.”
Still being perhaps the sport’s biggest star, the undisputed super middleweight titlist tends to fight in Las Vegas or Texas where a maximum amount of money and attention can be delivered. Yet Canelo has long desired to once again fight in his native Guadalajara. “I think it’s the perfect time,” he said. “A long time ago I wanted to fight in Guadalajara, but I think this is the perfect moment, the perfect fight to bring to Guadalajara.”
The past twelve months have been challenging for the future Hall of Famer. After losing to Dmitry Bivol in a bold attempt to move up in weight to wrest the WBA light heavyweight title from around Bivol’s waist, Canelo then battled arch rival Gennady Golovkin for the third time. Although he won that match handily, many thought Canelo should have beaten the aging Kazakh more definitively. Now, however, Canelo feels he has an opportunity to respond to those critics who say he’s begun to slip.
“I’m so excited to show everybody they’re wrong,” he told the media on Thursday. “I feel very good. I have a lot of years in my career; 17 years as a pro. I’ve had injuries too. I’m not at my best but I’m very motivated and I’m very happy to be in the gym, to train at 100 per cent, and they’re going to see what is coming. I’m very excited and motivated. Be careful with that.”
Canelo then went on to say that the Ryder fight may well be a high point in his storied career. “It will be one of the best moments in my career for sure. The fight with Billy Joe Saunders in Dallas was amazing, one of the most enjoyable fights I’ve ever been in. I think in Guadalajara it will be the same or even more.”