By Scott Gilfoid: WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns (36-2, 11 KO’s) survived a scare last May in stopping the taller, faster, stronger and more athletic Jose Gonzalez in the 9th round after the Puerto Rican ran out of gas and suffered a hand injury. Burns now plans on focusing more on his boxing skills for his next title defense against Raymundo Beltran (28-6, 17 KO’s) on September 7th at the Scottish Exhibition Centre, in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Burns said to Sky Sports “I’ll get involved in a brawl in this fight if and when I need to but I’m going to rely on my boxing a bit more. Preparation has been going great and I can’t wait to get in there. We’re expecting a tough fight…I’m first to say I wasn’t myself that night [against Jose Gonzalez] and I’ll show what I’m capable in my next fight.”