GUADALAJARA, Mexico -- Against the backdrop of 51,000-plus passionate fans who waited nearly 12 years for their hero to return, Canelo Alvarez retained his undisputed super middleweight championship with a unanimous-decision victory over England's John Ryder on Saturday at Akron Stadium.
Canelo, boxing's top star, battered and bloodied Ryder and floored him in Round 5 but couldn't put the challenger away. Alvarez settled for the points win via scores of 120-107, 118-109 and 118-109. The 32-year-old fired home run right-hand shots down the stretch, but Ryder, whose nose bled profusely for most of the fight, showed immense courage to hear the final bell.