I'm not so sure it's gonna be all that easy for Smith. An awful lot will depend on what range the fight gets fought at. In close Ryder could buzzsaw Plank All night. As I say Smith is vastly overrated and Ryder is underrated. The gulf between them is not large at all. Don't be surprised if this turns into a nightmare for Smith.
Ryder has improved but Smith would have to have a really off day to lose to him IMO. Ryder's tough and could last the distance, but I'll go for a Smith TKO round 8 onwards.
He is a better boxer, yes. Will he win? Not necessarily. The better "pure boxer" doesn't always win. It needs the "right kind" of boxer, with the right approach. Ryder could be that guy. One thing for sure, once a guy "solves" Smith, he will be destroyed. I don't see the plank as a guy with more than one dimension.
Went life and death with fielding, got out boxed by Jack arnfield and battered by nick Blackwell, and he's the better boxer than Smith?? How is he better? What does he do better?
I thought he beat both Arnfield and Fielding. He took BJS right to the brink, too. He’s been the ‘opponent’ a few times and he’s massively improved of late. Arguably, he should be unbeaten at 168. This is going to be a hard nights work for Smith imo. I believe Smith will win and I’d like him to do a clean, clinical job on Ryder but I think he’s going to get in on the inside and try and stop Smith using those long levers. He can throw that big overhand left too, in which he carries legitimate power at 168. I can see this being a decision win by something like 116-112 for Smith and he won’t get the accolades he deserves because many still underrate Ryder.
You "thought" he beat fielding, did you see Smith vs fielding? There was zero doubt who the superior fighter was. Smith vs arnfield?? Wouldn't even be a contest. Now I know boxing doesn't work like that but it does give a little marker as to where both fighters are at. Ryder will do himself justice but will be caught and disposed of inside the distance. Smith needs to look good here and looked razor sharp against ndam last time out. His timing is unreal. Smith KO5
Smith will stop Ryder mid-late rounds, all wrong for Ryder and smith can really bang I’m looking forward to the glover vs billam smith fight
I hope so. And you’re right, Smith has been far more clinical than Ryder & I hope he does the job, but I think if the Ryder of today fought the Arnfield or Fielding of then, he would stop both.