Britain’s John Ryder says he will walk away from boxing if he loses to Mexican Jaime Munguia in Phoenix this weekend.
Ryder, who faces Munguia (42-0, 33KOs) in the super-middleweight division on Saturday night, will be looking to bounce back from a unanimous decision defeat to Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez last May.
And the Londoner, who would not be willing to fight at a lower level if he is not victorious, is hoping he can cause an upset and spoil Munguia’s plans of a date with fellow Mexican Alvarez later this year.
“It really wouldn’t be ideal if I picked up two losses,” Ryder told the PA news agency. “I’ve been in this predicament before, where I have come from defeat so it’s a must-win.
“I need to win this to continue my career. A loss here would signal the end for me. I’m not willing to drop down levels and fight at a lower grade.
“I want to go out at a level I know I can operate at.
“They’re priming Munguia to fight Canelo in May and I’m looking to spoil that party.”
The 35-year-old, nicknamed ‘The Gorilla’, believes the knowledge garnered from previous fights will stand him in good stead when the pair meet at the Footprint Center.
“I’ve got more experience,” said Ryder (32-6, 18KOs). “I know it sounds strange because I have had less fights than him but I’ve got a vast experience at this level.
“Experience is one of those things you can’t buy.
“I’ve been in with many different styles, I’ve been in the away corner before so it’s nothing new to me and I have all the balls in my court.”
Hard-hitting Munguia has developed into a feared super-middleweight foe, having stopped three of his last four opponents, and Ryder feels he needs to take the fight to the 27-year-old.
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“He’s had it his own way so far so I’m going to take it to him, stick it on him in the middle of the ring,” the Briton added.
“I can’t let him push me back like he wants to do or let him get in a rhythm and fight his fight.
“He’s got a high work-rate with a good variation of punches. I wouldn’t say he’s massively quick but he throws a lot of shots so it’s going to be hard to keep the movement going and to keep rolling.
“I’m not expecting no easy rides, I learnt that (what it’s like to fight a Mexican) from fighting Canelo. I’m not expecting an easy night’s work but I am expecting to be victorious.”
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