By Gilbert Manzano

LAS VEGAS — The super middleweight fight between John Ryder and Bilal Akkawy started with boos. It didn’t take long for the Saul “Canelo” Alvarez-Daniel Jacobs undercard bout to end with fireworks.

After a lackluster first round that drew the wrath of the sparse crowd at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Ryder delivered a massive right hook for his first of two knockdowns in the third round. Ryder nearly recorded another before referee Jay Nady stopped the bout at the 2:12 mark.

Ryder, a London native, won the vacant interim WBA “super” middleweight title and now could soon land a bout with the true WBA champion Callum Smith.   

The boo birds were out early as the two fighters refused to throw punches for the opening two minutes of the bout. The action picked up in the second round with Ryder using his speed to get inside, but Akkawy answered with a few combinations.

It quickly went south for the last-minute replacement Akkawy in the third round. After the memorable right hook, Ryder pummeled Akkawy in the corner to drop him a second time.   

Ryder was initially scheduled to compete in the co-main event against David Lemieux. But Ryder was moved down the bout sheet after Lemieux withdrew last month with a hand injury.

Akkawy, who hails from Sydney, Australia, was already expecting to fight in Las Vegas this week when he got the call to replace Lemieux. Akkawy was training in San Diego with Alvarez’s camp for Thursday’s card at the Hard Rock Hotel.

"This is a big opportunity,” Akkawy said entering the fight. “It's an opportunity for me to prove myself. It's a world title fight so there's no way I would turn down a fight like that.”     

With Ryder prevailing, an all-U.K. bout with Smith could be around the corner. Smith is scheduled to fight June 1 on the Anthony Joshua-Andy Ruiz Jr. undercard at Madison Square Garden in New York City.