EXCLUSIVE
I fought Canelo Alvarez and Callum Smith was ‘formidable’, but boxer who was forced to retire hit hardest and stopped me
John Ryder has a rather strange boxing record when you sit down and examine it.
The British super-middleweight contender is 32-6 as a pro, having shared the ring with the world class fighters such as Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders, Daniel Jacobs and even Canelo Alvarez - plus he will face Jaime Munguia on Saturday night.
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However, Ryder has only lost one fight by stoppage and it wasn't to any of the four big names he's faced.
His career began with a 15-0 unbeaten run before Saunders outpointed him for the British and Commonwealth middleweight titles in 2013.
Ryder then bounced back with five further wins before running into Nick Blackwell two years later.
The British title was on the line again, but Ryder did not win it and was instead controversially stopped in the seventh round.
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Blackwell did indeed hurt Ryder and had him staggering around the ring, but many believed referee Howard Foster jumped in prematurely to end the bout - as he infamously did in the first fight between Carl Froch and George Groves.
Regardless, the beaten man makes no excuses nine years later and admits Blackwell had significant power, arguably the hardest of anyone he faced.
Asked directly who is the biggest puncher he's fought, Ryder told marvelbet369.com: "It's tough, I've been in there with some big punchers.
"Obviously Nick Blackwell is the man who has a stoppage over me.
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"It was a good shot to the temple that done me and a good body shot.
"I've been in there with a lot of [other] good punchers.
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"Callum Smith was a formidable big puncher. Rocky Fielding could whack a bit. Patrick Nielsen had a good reputation. Sergey Khomitsky was a Brit basher who could whack as well."
Sadly, Blackwell had to retire a year later aged just 26 with a record of 19–4–1.
The British middleweight champion lost his belt to Chris Eubank Jr in a tragic fight that saw him placed into a medically-induced coma.
Blackwell suffered a serious brain injury that ended his boxing career and he still lives with some long-term effects to this day as he attempted to spar again six months later and once again ended up in a coma.
Thankfully the now-33-year-old has made a remarkable recovery and often posts inspirational motivational content on social media.
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