Gonzalez: I’ve got to KO Ricky Burns to win

By Boxing News - 05/11/2013 - Comments

gonzalez33(Photos courtesy PR Best Boxing Promotions/Joel Colon) By Scott Gilfoid: #1 WBO challenger Jose Gonzalez (22-0, 17 KO’s) realizes what he’s up against tonight in venturing into Glasgow, Scotland to face WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns (35-2, 10 KO’s) at the Emeritates Arena.

Gonzalez realizes that he’s probably going to need to knockout Burns to make sure that he walks out of the ring with the WBO strap around his waist.

This is Burns’ home turf him being from Scotland, and it might take a thudding knockout to make sure that he doesn’t find himself on the receiving end of a questionable decision.

Gonzalez said “I’ve got to knock Burns out.”

Yes, I think that would be a good plan to try and win this fight because the last thing you need is to dominate the fight for 12 rounds and then find yourself getting royally jobbed.

The only fight I’ve seen of Burns where one of his opponents appeared to get a raw deal was in his “win” over Michael Katsidis in November 2011 in fight staged in London, UK.

Katsidis BADLY outworked Burns in every round and blasted away at him for extended periods in each round while Burns stood with his back against the ropes trying to somehow cover up from the angry horde of shots from Katsididis.

This was the routine in every round – Burns running and then covering up on the ropes while Katsidis went at it. About the only offense Burns could muster up was an occasional jab.

I thought his jab looked good, but he was so outworked in the fight that it wasn’t even funny. Another thing about that fight was the size difference. Burns looked like a welterweight facing a lightweight.

I’d have loved to have put Burns on a scale before he stepped inside the ring because he looked as big as former welterweight champion Oscar De La Hoya in size.

I hope Burns isn’t counting on beating Gonzalez on side a lone because he’s not going to be able to win that kind of way because Gonzalez is the first guy that Burns has fought that has the same size as him. Gonzalez is just as big, but a much stronger puncher.

Like I said before, I rate Gonzalez’s power as being the best in the lightweight division, better even than WBC lightweight champion Adrien Broner or former WBC lightweight champion Antonio DeMarco. Those two are considered to be the strongest puncher in the lightweight division until I saw Gonzalez. He takes the cake now.



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