John Ryder suffers rough defeat by Jaime Munguia and faces hard decision

The Mexican dropped Ryder four times and sealed a ninth-round victory in Phoenix, Arizona

John Ryder suffered a rough defeat by Jaime Munguia on Saturday (27 January), as the Briton was dropped four times en route to a ninth-round loss.

Ryder was looking to bounce back from a decision defeat by Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, who retained the undisputed super-middleweight titles against Ryder in May, but the “Gorilla” again came up short against a Mexican foe.

Munguia, 27, put down Ryder, 35, in rounds two and four before dropping him twice in round nine, leading the Briton’s corner to stop the fight.

Munguia’s victory in Phoenix, Arizona keeps him unbeaten and may well set up a bout with compatriot Canelo, while Ryder faces a tough decision around his future.

The former interim world champion told The Independent this month: “I question myself daily. ‘What are you doing this for?’ But I know that I’m doing it for a good reason, because the fire’s still burning, I’m still getting up on these cold mornings, I’m still putting in the miles. The desire is still there.”

However, at the age of 35 and after suffering back-to-back losses, including Saturday’s difficult outing, the southpaw may just ponder his in-ring future.

Munguia (centre) remained unbeaten with his stoppage of Ryder (Getty Images)

Munguia wrote on Instagram after the fight: “THANK YOU PHOENIX! Off to party, rest and family time, see you soon God willing. Thanks again [...] I felt much loved.”