John Ryder is a good fighter but in the eyes of oddsmakers, he couldn’t make the leap to true championship contender.
With a handful of losses already smeared onto his record, the betting world had a feeling that he would come up short against Daniel Jacobs in February of 2022. They were wrong. Ultimately, they doubled down in his next appearance against Zach Parker a few months later. They were wrong again.
Those wins, coupled with several others, were enough to place Ryder (32-6, 18 KOs) as the WBO mandatory challenger to Canelo Alvarez. Although he was on an eye-catching streak, Alvarez was simply too much, winning a lopsided decision earlier this year.
Losing for the first time in a long time wasn’t an easy pill to swallow but Ryder isn’t despondent from his shortcomings. In fact, the 35-year-old believes that moving forward, that defeat could be valuable.
“I think I can be a better fighter for that fight,” Ryder told Seconds Out. “It’s been a great life lesson.”
Sometimes, losses push fighters into permanent purgatory or to the depths of their respective division. For Ryder, it may have given him a boost. Jaime Munguia, after years of being somewhat babied, could use a big win, making Ryder the perfect opponent. Officially, they’ll attempt to put each other in the dirt on January 27th, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
Taking out Munguia (42-0, 33 KOs) in the first month of the new year will gift Ryder with a ton of time to relaunch himself up the super middleweight ladder. Over the years, the old vet has enjoyed loads of success. With that said, it’ll pale in comparison to what 2024 will bring.
“I believe 2024 will be the best year of my career,” continued Ryder. “Including a win over Jaime Munguia.”