Ricky Burns: What next?

By Stevie Ocallaghan - 10/09/2013 - Comments

burns5By Stevie Ocallaghan: Depending on what article you read or probably more importantly who writes it, everybody has an opinion on Ricky Burns.

Burns scraped a draw a few weeks ago against the tough US based Mexican Ray Beltran in which everybody knew that Beltran won. The amount said in the aftermath was a wee bit over the top mind you.

In the fight Ricky easily won the first round, got his jaw broken in the second round but arguably finished the fight the stronger guy. In between the first and last round, Ray Beltran won more than Ricky, but Burns still won some. For me the big and main factor was how the rounds where won.

Beltran won his rounds far more convincingly than Burns. But each round is only one round and Ricky did win some. Anyway after speaking a few times with Beltran, I don’t think he will come back to Scotland as he felt he was robbed. In his heart he is the champion. Unfortunately for Beltran that doesn’t matter. Burns still holds the belt.

So Terence Crawford is Burns’s mandatory and it’s possible that fight will happen. The only drawback is that Ricky’s Jaw won’t be properly healed till about December and he won’t be taking punches in sparring until February, so that makes it at the very best April before that could be made.

Crawford is very promising, 26 years old and a 22-0 record but he has only faced 2 decent fighters in Andre Klimov and Alejandro Sanabria, but they two guys are nowhere near world level.

Crawford is arguably the better fighter and his stoppage percentage is much higher than Burns, but if the divisions biggest puncher in Jose Gonzalez can’t take Burns out and Ray Beltran, even after breaking Ricky’s jaw can’t stop him, Crawford is not going to stop him.

Crawford is a smart boxer but Burns will draw him into a fight. Burns is the naturally bigger and stronger guy. Don’t be surprised to see Burns start to turn the tide in the second half of the fight after Crawford takes the opening rounds.

Burns has been at world level now for over three years, Crawford has not even had a day at world level.

The trolls can say what they want, some of the bloggers on this sit can say what they want and some certainly do, but Burns still holds the belt.

Burns is entitled to make his challengers come to him, let them come and take it away from him. For me, the only fighter in the division that could do it is Yuriorkis Gamboa. Why should Burns travel to defend his title. He has it so come to him. Gonzalez tried and failed, Beltran tried and through his own inability to stop a badly damaged Burns failed also. I don’t see Crawford as being a better fighter than Chelo Gonzalez, and he quit.

So let’s see what’s round the corner, whether it be Crawford or Beltran, Ricky Burns will still be champion. He defended for over 30 minutes with a broken jaw, even winning some rounds with a broken jaw, and as I said before all the trolls and wind up bloggers would be crying into the cornflakes for far less.

Give Burns some credit. He’s earned it and also earned the right to defend in his own back yard.



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