‘It would be unbelievable’ – Eddie Hearn says Canelo Alvarez could fight John Ryder at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in May next year

Canelo Alvarez could finally be coming to the UK having spent the entirety of his career fighting out of the USA or Mexico.

The man tasked with welcoming him looks to be John Ryder, who recently beat Zach Parker to become mandatory challenger to Canelo’s WBO super middleweight world title.

After his latest victory, promoter Eddie Hearn revealed that he had already been in contact with Canelo’s manager to set up a clash between the Mexican and Ryder.

“I am so pleased for John Ryder. Since he beat Daniel Jacobs, we’ve been looking for this big fight,” Hearn told Matchroom Boxing.

“We didn’t expect it to be Zach Parker. He came through and was just too much for Parker, who I think had an injured hand. But he was getting to him and I think he would have stopped him anyway.

“I’ve already texted [Canelo’s trainer and manager] Eddy Reynoso to say ‘John Ryder is mandatory, let’s go in May at the Emirates’.

“It would be a dream for Ryder, he deserves it. He is a very good fighter and he’s the mandatory challenger for Canelo Alvarez.

“This could be our chance to bring Canelo to the UK, it would be unbelievable. We’ll see if we can get it over the line.”

With that being said, Canelo is a different beast and Ryder has acknowledged that in the past, saying that he would need a baseball bat to beat him.

“Hopefully [with] a baseball bat up my sleeve if I could have it,” Ryder told WOW HYDRATE when asked about a potential clash with the Mexican.

“But no, I think you’ve got to play Canelo at his own game, just put your head in the fire a bit, stay in range, and do what he does and stay in there, use your head movement, use the hips.

“Just show him the movement, the angles, and just try and hit him more than he can hit you.

“Just be sensible in there, don’t get overawed of his power, or who he is. Place your shots properly and just try and get to him.”