Burns: Rees is going to be a tougher opponent than Broner thinks

By Scott Gilfoid: WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns thinks WBC lightweight champion Adrien Broner (25-0, 21 KO’s) is going to have a lot tougher time with Gavin Rees (37-1-1, 18 KO’s) tonight than he realizes. Burns says he’s sparred with Rees three times in the past, and he found him to be a tricky opponent to figure out.

Burns said to Sky Sports “People have been saying Gavin doesn’t have a chance. I’ve actually sparred with Gavin a few times. He’s a real nice guy. He’s very underestimated. When you see him fight, he’s got a good work rate, he likes to come and put it on you. He’s actually got a good boxing brain as well. He’s going to be a trickier fight than people think, and what Broner thinks as well.”

I think we need to put what Burns is saying in perspective. Burns found Gavin a difficult fighter to spar with, but I think what Burns is making a mistake in assuming is just because HE had trouble sparring with Rees that it means Broner will have problems as well. The mistake Burns is making in coming up with that prediction is he’s putting himself in the same class as Broner.

So Burns figures that if he struggled against Rees then naturally Broner will struggle as well. What Burns doesn’t seem to understand is not too many boxing fans see him as being anywhere near as good as the talented Broner, so it hardly matters that he struggled against Rees in sparring because that’s his problem.

That kind of tells you have limited Burns is as a fighter, but it doesn’t tell you anything about Broner will do with Rees. If you asked me how Rees and Burns would do in a fight, I think it would be a close one because both guys are around the same talent level. But that’s all you can say about that. Broner is simply WAY above those two guys in my view, and it’s going to be an easy night tonight.

It’s too bad Broner is going to get to Rees before Burns because I wouldn’t mind seeing a Rees vs. Burns fight. I could see that being one of those life and death matches where both guys fight each other tooth and nail to a standstill.