By Scott Gilfoid: Former WBO super featherweight champion Ricky Burns (32-2, 9 KO’s) says he likes opponents that come to fight. Well, I hope Burns still likes it when his next opponent Michael Katsidis (28-4, 23 KO’s) brings a war to him on November 5th in their fight for the interim World Boxing Organization lightweight title at the Wembley Arena in London. I foresee a lot of tears from Burns’ fans on November 5th after he gets trounced by Katsidis.

I think Burns is going to get royally hammered in this fight by Katsidis. Burns only knows how to fight one way and that’s to slug. The problem is he can’t punch his way out of a wet paper bag and is going to be facing someone with light welterweight-type power.

Katsidis is huge puncher with his left hand and has respectable power with his right. He struggles against guys that can box, and does remarkably well against fighters that come straight towards him like Burns will no doubt be doing on November 5th. I almost feel sorry for Burns because he’s going to get thrashed and he doesn’t even know it.

“He [Katsidis] will come to have a war, but so did Roman Martinez when I won the world title,” Burns said to acadvertiser.co.uk. “I put my best performances against fighters who come to have a fight.”

What Burns fails to say is he fought a weight drained Martinez and still barely beat him. And as for the other guys that Burns has fought, he’s been dining on weak opposition for pretty much his entire career with the exception of the weight drained Martinez. There’s no real quality there. On November 5th, Burns is finally going to be stepping it up when he take son Katsidis and it’s going to be bad for Burns. He’s going to get one of those old fashioned whippings that you saw in the 50s where I guy is completely torn apart. Katsidis hits too hard, and Burns doesn’t have the power to be fighting with the style that he’s been using.

Burns recently moved up in weight rather than defending his title against his number #1 challenger Adrien Broner. Fighting Katsidis is one thing, but facing an amazing talent like Broner is a whole different matter. I suppose Burns did the right thing because he would have gotten spanked had he taken the fight with Broner. At least now he has a chance to win/ Not a good one mind you, but a chance.

Also on the same card will be British and Commonwealth super middleweight champion George Groves defending his titles against Paul Smith. That should be an interesting fight as well. I’m going with Smith by knockout.