“Lead by Decision”: Roy Jones Jr Picks a Side in Canelo Alvarez vs John Ryder

Even though a clear favorite to win, ‘Canelo’ Alvarez wouldn’t be taking chances against John Ryder. The latter retired Zach Parker and defeated Daniel Jacobs by a split decision last year. However, Olympic silver medalist and four-division champion Roy Jones Jr., one of the greatest ever boxers to enter the ring, sees clear handwriting on the wall about the winner and how it might end up.

Outside of his second title defense, the match has gained considerable attention due to the choice of venue and timing. Firstly, it is taking place in a city in Alvarez’s home country Mexico after a gap of nearly twelve years.

Most boxing fans do not expect Ryder to chuck out an upset in Guadalajara. But it is always interesting to know different perspectives about the match. How both the belligerents stand against each other, and its outcome. Roy Jones Jr., through his YouTube channel, ‘Roy Jones Jr. Official,’ spoke at length about the match. So he started by describing that during a homecoming fight or a mandatory bout, usually a boxer, ‘hot’ but not to the extent of dethroning a reigning champion, turns up.

Roy Jones Jr. shares his views on the ‘Canelo’ Alvarez-John Ryder fight

Speaking about Ryder, he said that the Londer-born southpaw comes on the back of two great fights, “Canelo versus Ryder initial thoughts my initial thoughts are that, you know….you still want to pick a guy that’s hot, but maybe that’s it or not, and… the reason I say this [is] because you’re hot because you’re coming off too long to win two impressive wins…but there [are] two good names, you know so when you beat two good names like that, it sounds good in boxing.“

He added that he likes Ryder as an opponent because his victories have made him more potent. But not strong enough to defeat a boxer of ‘Canelo’s’ caliber. To the question, “If you had to make a prediction, what would it be?” Jones Jr. replied, “My prediction would be the Canelo lead by decision or Canelo lead by stoppage because Canelo is going to go out motivated, you know, because this is first part of the…fight, I’m sure, so he’s like, why would he not be super motivated to come back and show people that hey I’m still Canelo.“

Of the five matches he lost, only one was a knockout defeat for Ryder early in his career. Hence he is expected to drag Alvarez till the last round. Being the bigger among the two, he might utilize his height and reach to slow down the world champion.

Read More: Roy Jones Jr. Warns Anthony Joshua: Stay Away From This Boxer!

What’s your take on Jones Jr.’s prediction? Do you agree with him? Do share your views and opinions with us in the comments below.

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