John Ryder scored the best win of his career on Saturday night, and many thought he could now look forward to a world title shot at undisputed super-middleweight king.
The WBA labeled Ryder’s win over Danny Jacobs an ‘eliminator’ for a future chance at their 168-pound black strap.
However, WBN can reveal that the Londoner’s chances of being in the opposite corner to pound for pound king and WBA ‘super’ ruler Canelo Alvarez are slim to none.
“The Gorilla” still stands a good chance of fighting for the full version, though. Here’s why.
David Morrell Jr. is the current secondary WBA super-middleweight champion. Dependent on what Canelo does next, Morrell could get boosted to the full belt holder.
Canelo is contemplating a run at 175 or 200 pounds for his next outing, meaning his title belts could be left behind.
Over the next few months, that would be the only way Ryder fights for a bonafide world title.
UNDISPUTED
Reports that Canelo could face Gennadiy Golovkin on May 7th continue to hang around the air. Add to that the fact that ‘GGG’ is known to want four titles on the line if coaxed to move up in weight.
Golovkin battling Canelo on Cinco de Mayo is the preferred fight out of the options open as time is of the essence for the Kazakh warrior.
Waiting until September would not only put the belts in jeopardy, it would mean a trilogy fight would have less significance.
If Canelo and Golovkin are going to rumble again, it must be now. This scenario also means Ryota Murata would have to wait a little longer.
Should Canelo choose light heavyweight or cruiserweight, he may get forced to make a big decision of whether or not to relinquish his undisputed status.
JOHN RYDER
Regarding Ryder, Morrell is in his future. How far in the future is up to World Boxing Association President Gilberto Mendoza.
The WBA is making good progress in molding their title belts into one in each division. Morrell is a firm part of that as one of nine secondary belt holders left.
Morrell is hopeful of being ordered to fight Canelo. In all likeliness, Canelo will vacate the straps after a meeting with Golovkin in 2022.
That leaves Morrell and Ryder free to trade blows for the full title belt. It also gives the WBA one less champion headache.
The views expressed in this article are opinions of Phil Jay.
Phil Jay – Editor of World Boxing News since 2010 with over one billion views. Follow WBN on Twitter @WorldBoxingNews.
