Canelo Alvarez retains belt in Mexico homecoming vs. John Ryder - ESPN

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Against the backdrop of 51,000-plus passionate fans who waited nearly 12 years for their hero to return, Canelo Alvarez retained his undisputed super middleweight championship with a unanimous-decision victory over England's John Ryder on Saturday at Akron Stadium.

Canelo, boxing's top star, battered and bloodied Ryder and floored him in Round 5, but couldn't put the challenger away. The 32-year-old fired home-run right hand shots down the stretch, but Ryder, whose nose bled profusely for most of the fight, showed immense courage to hear the final bell.

Alvarez hadn't fought in Mexico since his November 2011 victory over Kermit Cintrón in Mexico City.

Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KOs) plans to fight again on Sept. 16 (he routinely headlines on Cinco De Mayo Weekend and Mexican Independence Day Weekend) and there's only one fight he has in mind: a rematch with light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol.