Canelo Alvarez’s trainer Eddy Reynoso says 2023 will be “huge” for his fighter. Reynoso is confident that Canelo (58-2-2, 39 KOs) will successfully defend his undisputed super middleweight championship against challenger John Ryder on May 6th in Guadalajara, Mexico, and then defeat WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol in September.
Reynoso hasn’t said anything about Canelo fighting a third time this year, but if he does, fans will want him to defend against the Caleb Plant vs. David Benavidez winner. Those two are fighting this Saturday night with hopes of facing Canelo next.
Given Canelo’s recent left wrist injury, it’s not likely that he’ll fight in December against the Plant-Benavidez victor, but it would look courageous on his part if he were to do so.
“We’re not going to let down; we’re NOT going to retire,” Canelo’s trainer Eddy Reynoso said during the San Diego kick-off the press conference with John Ryder. “We’re going to return with all four belts that he came with.”
No one is doubting whether Canelo will successfully defeat the 34-year-old ‘Gorilla’ Ryder (32-5, 18 KOs), so it’s not really going to be a big deal if he beats the British fighter and returns with his undisputed super middleweight championship intact from that fight.
“This is going to be a huge 2023. He’s going to go up against many challenges this year in his career, and we’re excited for what’s to come this year,” said Reynoso.
Canelo will need to do more than fight Ryder and Bivol in 2023 for it to qualify as a “HUGE” year. That’s only one good fight for Canelo because you can’t count his tune-up match against the 34-year-old Ryder as one that makes for a “huge” year for him.
For Canelo to have a good year in 2023, he must face these three killers: Bivol, David Benavidez & Jermell Charlo.
Ryder has losses to these former Canelo victims:
- Callum Smith
- Rocky Fielding
- Billy Joe Saunders
Ryder is only getting this fight with Canelo because he needed a tune-up, and he’s WBO mandatory after his wins over Zach Parker and Daniel Jacobs.
Canelo could have stepped around the Ryder fight to fight the rematch with Bivol or David Benavidez, and the WBO likely wouldn’t have stripped him. Fans wanted to see Canelo fight Bivol or Benavidez, not Ryder, who is an unknown in the U.S., and not popular in that country or even in the UK, where he’s from.
