Sometimes analyzing a common opponent of fighters can lead to priceless insight before a bout.
Other times, doing so could have absolutely no bearing on a fight at all.
Whatever should transpire between Canelo Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia on Saturday night in Las Vegas, where they'll fight for Canelo's undisputed super middleweight world championship, each man counts a recent common opponent in John Ryder.
Here, DAZN looks back at how each Alvarez and Munguia handled the British fighter in their respective bouts.
Munguia demolishes Ryder; January 27, 2024
Fighting possibly the most controlled bout of his career, Munguia delivered an absolute drubbing of Ryder earlier this year.
Ryder was coming off a respectable showing against Canelo in May 2023, but Munguia made sure that no momentum would carry over in their fight.
The bout had Munguia dropping the Brit four times in total: in the second round via a straight right hand, the fourth with a compact left and twice in the ninth by the way of a punishing overhand right.
Simply put: Munguia had everything working for him in Phoenix, Arizona that night, turning the contest into one-way traffic en route to a ninth-round TKO in which Ryder's corner called for an end to the fight.
A dominating, eye-opening performance from Munguia to say the least. Plus, he was able to do something that Canelo couldn't — finish Ryder.
Canelo drops Ryder but can't put him away in unanimous decision victory; May 6, 2023
Alvarez was levels above Ryder in retaining his undisputed super middleweight crown in front of 50,000-plus raucous fans in Guadalajara, Mexico.
However, despite dropping the rugged British fighter with a left-right combination straight down the middle in the fifth round and turning Ryder's nose into a running faucet of blood, Alvarez just couldn't put the challenger away. And he certainly tried, even showing his frustration at times that he couldn't produce a stoppage.
With immense heart and fortitude, Ryder managed to hang on round after round to go the distance for at least a moral victory.
Whether each Canelo's or Munguia's handling of Ryder has any relevance on Alvarez vs. Munguia remains to be seen. Though perhaps something is to be taken from their common opponent experiences.
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