Local boxing superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez returns to the ring on home soil for the first time in 12 years on Saturday, May 6, when he defends his undisputed World Super Middleweight title against British challenger John Ryder at Guadalajara’s Akron Stadium.

The fight is seen as nothing less than a “coronation” for the 31-year-old Canelo, whose rags to riches story from a shy ice pop vendor to boxing superstar seems to only enhance his connection with the majority of his compatriots, who would need scores of lifetimes to earn what their hero does in 45 minutes in the ring.

The venue will be packed to the rafters, with some 8,000 spectators among the 45,000 having received free tickets, courtesy of a Jalisco state government determined to milk every possible drop of self promotion from the event.

Canelo’s rise to boxing royalty has come through fights with the hardest punchers in his various categories, including three close encounters with arch rival Gennady Golovkin of Kazakhstan.

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