Hearn wants Ricky Burns to rebuild

By Boxing News - 04/04/2014 - Comments

burns6664By Scott Gilfoid: Matchroom Sport promoter Eddie Hearn thinks that former two division world champion Ricky Burns needs to back off a level for his next fight on June 27th, and focus on regrouping after his recent loss to unbeaten talent Terence Crawford. For Burns, he’s had three tough fights in a row against Jose Gonzalez, Raymundo Beltran and Crawford, and he’s not looked good in any of them of those bouts. It’s fair to say that Burns deserved to lose 2 of the bouts instead of just 1 of them, and it’s also a good indication that he’s either past it or doing something wrong with his training.

Hearn wants Burns to face the winner of the Anthony Crolla vs. John Murray fight in order to give Burns a rest from top level opposition, but also to see where he’s at in comparison to these fighters. Crolla and Murray are fringe level contenders at lightweight, and clearly not top 5 material at 135.

“It’s time for Ricky to step back a level,” Hearn said to the Dailyrecord. “He needs to put in a great performance, get the confidence back, get the belief of the people again and then go for another fight. He has had a really tough run of fights…The Gonzalez performance was poor and the Crawford performance was poor against a very good fighter. The winner of Murray vs. Crolla is a good fight for Ricky. Now is not the right time for a world title shot.”

Burns told Hearn that he wants a world title shot against champions Richard Abril, Miguel Vazquez or Crawford. Burns doesn’t want to face one of the contenders in a rebuilding fight like most ex-world champions do after they’ve been whipped.

It’ll be interesting to see what move Burns ultimately makes for his next fight in June. Does he push Hearn into getting him a world title shot against Abril, Vazquez or Crawford, or does Burns realize that Hearn is right in the need for him to step down a level in his competition?
In looking at how badly Burns performed in his last three fights in addition to his less than spectacular performance against Michael Katsidis in 2011, I think Burns will struggle even in trying to beat the Crolla-Murray winner.

Burns seems to have lost something in the last couple of years from his game, perhaps due to the punishment he absorbed in the Katsidis fight. At this point in his career I think even someone like John Murray or Crolla will be a life and death type of fight for Burns. Murray especially will be a dangerous fight for Burns to take, because he’s a big puncher and an excellent body puncher.

Burns might have to hold Murray for 12 rounds to try and avoid absorbing a beating like he took in the Beltran fight. Murray is every bit a puncher as Beltran is. The difference between those two guys is that Beltran is a little more rugged with a better chin.



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