Scotland has a new Burns night to celebrate

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By Gav Duthie: Like a movie script the man who thought he’d lost it all found triumph through adversity. Generally in sport and in life it is uncommon to roll back the years and succeed when failure is expected. It is certainly the norm as a Scot painfully watching the tragic heroes fall at the final hurdle in football, rugby or whatever we seemingly take our hand to.

Ricky Burns Riches to rags, bankruptcy, fallen idol story seemed all too familiar for Scots but his determination to succeed embodies everything a small nation stands for. Criticize his opponent, question the legitimacy all you want but the fact remains Ricky Burns is now one of less than 50 men who have won world titles in 3 different weight divisions.

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Ricky Burns wants Broner or Crawford

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By Patrick McHugh: After beating Michele Di Rocco (40-2-1, 18 KOs) by an 8th round knockout last Saturday night to claim the vacant WBA light welterweight title that previously belonged to Adrien Broner, newly crowned WBA champion Ricky Burns (40-5-1, 14 KOs) says he’s eager to get a big fight against a big name.

The two names that Burns has interest in right now is WBO light welterweight champion Terence Crawford and Adrien “The Problem” Broner. For Burns to get either of those guys to fight him, he’ll likely need to travel to the U.S. because they might not want to face Burns in the UK.

The money for the fight would need to be worth it for Burns, 33, to take the risk of traveling to the U.S rather than staying in the UK and making simple defenses of his WBA title against the top 15 challengers.

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Ricky Burns defeats Michele Di Rocco

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By Scott Gilfoid: Moments ago, Ricky Burns (40-5-1, 14 KOs) defeated #1 WBA Michele Di Rocco (40-2-1, 18 KOs) by an 8th round knockout to capture the vacant WBA World light welterweight champion on Saturday night at The SSE Hydro, in Glasgow, Scotland. Burns knocked Di Rocco down with a series of hard shots thrown while the two were wrestling around on the inside.

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History beckons for Ricky Burns

burns763By Robbie Bannatyne: As a huge fan of boxing with an enthusiasm for writing, I have been unable to indulge in my twin passions on topics relating to my native Scotland for a long time. Starved of worthy material for a while, I’m delighted to finally have something to shout about again. Big time boxing is back in Glasgow!

Hometown hero Ricky Burns (39-5-1) bids to become the 1st 3-weight world champion in Scottish history tonight when he takes on Michelle Di Rocco (40-1-1) for the vacant WBA Super light-welterweight title.

While it’s been all boom for British boxing in recent years, Burns’ career at the top level looked to have gone bust after back-to-back losses to Terrence Crawford and Dejan Zlaticanin. In a period of such progress for the sport in the UK, the soft spoken Burns was forced to regress into the shadows and slowly rebuild his career.

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Burns faces Di Rocco for WBA 140lb title tonight

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By Scott Gilfoid: This could be the last chance for Ricky Burns (39-5-1, 13 KOs) to win one last world title in his contest tonight against #1 WBA Michele Di Rocco (40-1-1, 18 KOs) in their fight for the vacant WBA light welterweight title at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland.

This is like tee-ball for Burns. He’s the perfect opportunity to win an easy world title against a guy with a record that is filled completely with fluff from top to bottom. The 34-year-old Italian Di Rocco has yet to fight a good fighter during his career, and I think he has zero business being ranked #1 by the World Boxing Association. As such, I don’t know how the 33-year-old Burns could mess this one up and not win the WBA title.

I think Burns knows this too judging by the way he was getting in Di Rocco’s face during their face off on Friday and smiling like the Cheshire cat from ear to ear. Burns knows that he’s got this one in the bag.

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Weights: Burns 139, Di Rocco 139

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By Scott Gilfoid: Former two division world champion Ricky Burns (39-5-1, 13 KOs) and his opponent #1 WBA Michele Di Rocco (40-1-1, 18 KOs) successfully weighed in on Friday for their clash for the vacant WBA 140lb title on Saturday night at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland.

#7 WBA Burns weighed in at 139.125 pounds, and the 34-year-old Di Rocco came in at slightly heavier at 139.25lbs. Both fighters were under the 140lb limit for the light welterweight division.

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Burns wants Adrien Broner fight after Di Rocco

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By Scott Gilfoid: If former two division world champion Ricky Burns (39-5-1, 13 KOs) can beat #1 WBA Michele Di Rocco (40-1-1, 18 KOs) this Saturday night for the vacant WBA 140lb title, he’d like to face former four-division world champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner in a fight that would likely see Burns get a career high payday.

Burns and the 34-year-old Di Rocco will do battle at the SSE Hydro Arena, Glasgow. Burns, 33, is considered the favorite to win the fight in the eyes of many boxing fans, and it’s hard to argue with that when you look at Di Rocco’s resume of fights.

It’s completely barren of talented opposition, and it makes you wonder what was going through the minds of the World Boxing Association when they sat down to make the Italian Di Rocco their number one contender in the division.

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Ricky Burns looking to become a three-weight world champion

Image: Ricky Burns looking to become a three-weight world champion

By Scott Gilfoid: Despite being ranked at only #7 WBA at light welterweight and not having done much in that division, Ricky Burns (39-5-1, 13 KOs) will be fighting for the vacant WBA 140lb title on Saturday night against #1 WBA Michele Di Rocco (40-1-1, 18 KOs at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland.

It couldn’t get any easier than this for the 33-year-old Burns. Di Rocco is terribly flawed with a built up record based on wins over C-level fighters. Di Rocco has been fighting the type of guys that one would start their career out fighting. But instead of moving from facing weaker opponents to the top rung of the light welterweight division, Di Rocco continued to fight the weaker opponents right up to his fight against Burns on Saturday night.

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Ricky Burns vs. Michele Di Rocco for vacant WBA 140lb title

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By Scott Gilfoid: In a real head shaker, #7 WBA Ricky Burns (39-5-1, 13 KOs) will be fighting #1 WBA Michele Di Rocco (40-1-1, 18 KOs) for the vacant WBA light welterweight title this Saturday night on May 28 at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland. It’s one of those fights that makes you wonder what’s going on in the heads of the sanctioning bodies.

Burns, 33, has lost two out of his last five fights, and he hasn’t beaten anyone of real quality since his victory over Jose Gonzalez three years ago in 2013. Burns’ recent wins over Josh King and Prince Ofotsu were nothing to get excited about.

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Ricky Burns with perfect opponent in Michele Di Rocco

burns5By Scott Gilfoid: #7 WBA Ricky Burns (39-5-1, 13 KOs) has been given he perfect opponent for his title fight on May 21st against #1 WBA Michele Di Rocco (40-1-1, 18 KOs) at the SSE Hydro, in Glasgow, Scotland. The 33-year-old Di Rocco and 32-year-old Burns will be fighting for the vacant WBA World light welterweight title that was previously held by Adrien Broner, who was elected to the WBA’s Super light welterweight title recently for some reason.

It’s unclear why the WBA would elevate Broner to a “super” status after he just won the WBA title last October against Khabib Allakhverdiev. It obviously helps the WBA for them to have more than one champion at 140.

I don’t think it helps the fans of the sport because it’s confusing, and it also further waters down each division by having multiple champions.

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