Author: Sean Close
John Ryder, 35 years old with a record of 32 wins and 6 losses, faced Jaime Munguia in a 12-round bout at Phoenix’s Footprint Center on Saturday night. Despite being a former opponent of Canelo Alvarez, Ryder was not the favorite going into the fight. Munguia, with an undefeated record of 42-0, was expected to win. Unlike Ryder, Munguia had never experienced defeat. However, there were doubts about Munguia’s career decisions, with questions about his readiness to face top-tier opponents.
The fight began with both fighters looking to land effective blows, with Munguia showing more activity. In the second round, Munguia knocked down Ryder with a powerful combination. Ryder managed to continue fighting and even scored well in the third round. Munguia scored another knockdown at the end of the fourth round, but Ryder persevered. Both fighters landed significant punches in the fifth round, and Munguia showed resilience in absorbing Ryder’s attacks. In the seventh round, Munguia seemed to be tiring, but he continued to dominate. Early in the ninth round, Munguia sent Ryder down for the third time, and the fight was ultimately stopped in Ryder’s corner as Munguia unleashed a relentless assault.
After the fight, Munguia expressed his readiness to face super middleweight champion Canelo, stating that it would be an honor to share the ring with him.
*Photo: Golden Boy Promotion
