By Scott Gilfoid: The World Boxing Organization recently ordered WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns (36-2-1, 11 KO’s) to start negotiations for a title defense against #1 WBO, Terence Crawford. But instead of doing that, Burns’ promoter Eddie Hearn is looking to put him in a unification bout against either WBA champion Richard Abril or IBF champion Miguel Vazquez.
This would enable Burns to bypass Crawford and avoid a likely one-sided loss to the talented fighter. Burns stands a better chance against Abril or Vazquez then he does against Crawford.
Hearn said via the evenningexpress “I am also in talks with Miguel Vazquez and Richard Abril regarding a unification bout that would supersede a mandatory defense.”
If Hearn can set up a fight between Burns and Abril or Vazquez, then all of Burns’ troubles as far as Crawford would be solved, because if he beats one of those two champions, then he can vacate his WBO title and keep their straps and he wouldn’t have to face Crawford. And if Burns loses to Abril or Vazquez, then he still won’t have to fight Crawford.
Getting beaten by Vazquez or Abril would likely be a much closer fight than Burns getting beaten by Crawford and getting totally dominated and or stopped in the process. I think I’d rather lose to Abril or Vazquez than lose to Crawford if I were Burns, because Crawford has a way of making his opponents look so incredibly bad while beating them.
Burns and Hearn wanted to fight a rematch against #2 WBO Raymundo Beltran after getting a gift 12 round draw against him last September in Glasgow, Scotland, but then the WBO chose to force Burns to defend his title against Crawford. I had a feeling that Hearn would never let Burns do that due to Crawford’s immense talent and the likelihood that Burns would be beaten badly, and sure enough, it looks like Hearn is putting Burns in position to duck the Crawford fight by putting him in with the paper champions Abril or Vazquez.
Burns has really slowed down in his last two fights, and he looks nothing like the fighter he was three years ago when he beat Roman Martinez. He’s not old, but his opposition has caught up with him recently and I think he’s ready to be picked off by more than one of the top 15 contenders that the WBO has ranked.
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