John Ryder admits he may have been too tense following his hard-fought comeback victory over Adam Jones at York Hall on Saturday.

The Islington middleweight was back in the ring for the first time since his second unsuccessful British title challenge, against Nick Blackwell in May.

Ryder was made to work hard over six rounds by his Yorkshire opponent before securing the points triumph that took his professional record to 21 wins and two losses.

“I think if I’d been more relaxed, I maybe would have done better,” Ryder told the Gazette. “I caught him with some good punches, but he was tough.”

The 27-year-old southpaw took the fight to Jones from the start, forcing him onto the back foot as he slammed home a series of right jabs and left hooks.

Jones – who had never been stopped in 19 previous fights – spent most of the six rounds with his back against the ropes and was shaken by Ryder’s uppercuts on more than one occasion.

However, he held on to see out the contest – which referee Jeff Hinds scored in Ryder’s favour by 59 points to 56.