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Canelo vs. Ryder San Diego Press Conference Quotes
Photos: Melina Pizano - Matchroom
Canelo Alvarez
“The press conference in Guadalajara was an unbelievable
moment for me 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. For me, 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.”
“I think it’s the perfect time. 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.
“I’m so excited to show everybody they’re wrong. 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.
“He [Ryder] has everything to win, nothing to lose,
right? He’s always there, fighting with the good
fighters trying to get that opportunity, and now he got
it. It’s going to be a danger for me, but I feel good.
“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.”
John Ryder
“It’s a great opportunity that has not been gifted. I’ve
worked hard at this for years. Like you said, I’ve
suffered the highs, the lows, the bottom of the barrel,
really. I’d like to take time to thank you, Saul and
Eddie, for making this fight happen. Charlie, for
working tirelessly back and forth with you to get the
deal done. And three, it’s right what [Charlie Sims]
said about my trainer Tony Sims, he can’t be here
because of the schedule.
“We’re all in big fights and Tony’s been a rock in my
career and someone that’s brought me back from the
bottom and believed in me when I didn’t believe in
myself, and I thank him for that. I also thank the
family and friends, you, Charlie, for sticking by me and
livening me up at times. Down to my mom and dad, my
partner, and you know what, down to myself because if I
give up on myself then I won’t be here. I’ve dug deep,
I’ve done what I’ve had to do, I’ve worked hard to get
back into this mandatory position, took the right fights
at the right times, and I’m just really pleased to be
here.
“Obviously the decision went against us in 2019, then
the Covid times hit, which really messed everything up,
but like you say, and I truly believe, timing is
everything in this sport. It waits for no man, but the
timing is right for me now.
“I’m not here for a holiday and I wouldn’t bring the
team with me, have the team around me that I have if I
didn’t believe I could win. I’m going, leaving no stone
unturned, putting everything in this camp and truly
believe I can come away victorious on May 6.”
Eddy Reynoso
“I’m super happy, proud to go back to the place, the
home that made Canelo the boxer that he is and made me
the trainer that I am. We are going to come back with
our hand raised. We’re not going to let down, we’re not
going to retire. It won’t be an exhibition fight, we’re
going to return with all four belts that he came with,
and that’s something that we’re going to do with pride.
We also just really want to put on a good show for the
fans.”
“He had a great rehabilitation for his hand, and we’ve
been working hard. He’s at 100% and this is going to be
a huge 2023. He’s going to go up against lots of
challenges this year in his career and we’re excited for
what’s to come this year.”
“It’s going to be fantastic; it’ll be an entirely full
stadium. There is a saying that ‘you aren’t always a
prophet in your home’. Canelo will change that. He will
be a prophet in his home, he will fill the stadium. I am
very proud to return as winners outside of Mexico from
all the fights we’ve had outside of Mexico, but we want
to share it and we will share it with the people of
Jalisco. We just hope the people enjoy having their
champion home again.”
Eddie Hearn
“Thank you for joining us here today at the incredible
Petco Park, home of the Padres in San Diego. And thank
you for the incredible team for letting us host a very
special and important press conference here. The first
thing I thought when I walked around here was, wow, we
must do a Canelo Alvarez fight here in the Petco Park
stadium. It would be incredible.
“But firstly, we have some very special business to take
care of on May 6, Akron Stadium, Guadalajara, Jalisco,
Mexico. Canelo Alvarez will defend his undisputed super
middleweight world championship against John Ryder, live
and exclusive on DAZN pay per view around the world, and
we cannot wait. Sport is a business now, but this was
something where business didn’t count. This was personal
to Saul Alvarez and Eddy Reynoso. This was from the
heart. This was an opportunity to bring an event back to
his people. Regardless of the money, regardless of
everything else, it was an opportunity to celebrate the
sport, to celebrate his career in front of what will be
50,000 people in Guadalajara on May the 6th, Cinco de
Mayo weekend. An event, an atmosphere that I believe you
will not witness again in boxing.
“The whole world will be watching as he defends his
Undisputed Super-Middleweight world championship against
this man, John Ryder, someone that we’ve worked with for
over a decade. He’s paid his dues in the sport. He’s had
his ups and his downs and now he’s on a big up.
Victories over Danny Jacobs and Zach Parker made him the
mandatory challenger, the interim world champion, and
someone that will come to Guadalajara with every
intention to win. With a big heart, with lots of
strength, and a chance to make history for Great Britain
and become the Undisputed Super-Middleweight champion of
the world.
“But in front of him, the biggest star in the sport of
boxing, Saul Canelo Alvarez. The undisputed champion,
someone that we’ve worked with for a long time, and I
have seen fearless to challenges. There’s a lot of
opinion in boxing, and what I see from Canelo and from
Eddy Reynoso is a pure competitor. A winner, a legend of
the sport, that he’s prepared to take on anybody. His
last four fights have been unifying against Billy Joe
Saunders, undisputed against Caleb Plant, stepping up in
a fight that many say he shouldn’t have taken against
Dimitri Bivol, and then Gennady Golovkin. The best
resume in the sport of boxing, but now coming back off
injury, still with a point to prove to some people,
crazily, against a man that’s there to win it all on May
6. This is going to be a tremendous fight, a tremendous
card, and I think that people here and particularly in
Guadalajara should be very proud of Saul Canelo Alvarez
and Eddy Reynoso for bringing this event to the people
on May 6th live on DAZN. It's going to be incredible.
Charlie Sims (manager of Ryder, and son of Ryder’s
longtime trainer Tony Sims)
“It’s been a great experience doing this press tour. We
had the pleasure of going to the stadium, look at the
stadium, imagine the ring in the middle of the stadium,
and what 50,000 are going to look like. It’s been great
to spend some quality time with John as well just on
this trip. One person I want to take this opportunity to
thank who couldn’t be here because the schedules clashed
was Tony Sims.
“Tony Sims is a trainer with John Ryder, he’s dedicated
years and years to the sport and years and years of
developing John into the fighter he is today. They’ve
been through all the lows together and now this is the
pinnacle. He’s going to face the best in the division,
the undisputed champion, Canelo Alvarez. I just want to
take this opportunity again to thank everybody for
making this event happen, but undoubtedly, we wouldn’t
be here, me and John wouldn’t be here without Tony
today, so I just want to take that opportunity to say
thank you to him. And no doubt he is going to be
extremely excited and extremely proud, come May 6 to
face Canelo in the ring. He’s one of the best.”
An announcement on ticket sale dates will be made soon.
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