Ricky Burns Back on March 10 in Glasgow, Opponent to Be Named

by Scott Christ on Dec 14, 2011 9:01 AM EST in Boxing News Analysis

Ricky Burns will return home to Scotland for his next fight on March 10. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Ricky Burns will return home to Scotland for a fight at Glasgow's Braehead Arena on March 10. No opponent has been named, but Burns will be defending the interim WBO lightweight title he won on November 5 with his defeat of Michael Katsidis in London.

"I couldn't have ended this year any better than by beating one of the best in the division in Michael Katsidis," said Burns via release from Frank Warren Promotions.

"I proved people wrong when I beat the favorite Roman Martinez to win the world super featherweight title and I proved people wrong again by going up a weight to take on and beat Katsidis. I belong with the best in the division and next year I hope that I can take on one of the other title holders and unify the belts.

"I'll have a rest over Christmas and then I'm back hard in training in January getting ready for the March 10 date at the Braehead Arena to defend my title."

Burns (33-2, 9 KO) will likely face something of a soft challenge on this date, as it's a home fight where he doesn't need a name opponent to draw fans, and he comes back yet again as something of a conquering hero, having knocked off the well-known Katsidis, who had gone an emphatic 2-0 in the UK prior to losing to Burns.

The 28-year-old Scot is also waiting to see what will happen with the full WBO lightweight title, currently held by an in-limbo Juan Manuel Marquez.

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Somewhat curious to see what happens to the full title myself.

When JMM vacates, which seems pretty certain, I would hope the WBO does the right thing and elevates the interim champion, I mean that is the definition of the interim champion, right?
Or they could just keep an interim champion and organize a title fight for the full title for one of the bigger promoters’ fighters of choice. Wanna bet if Yuriorkis Gamboa decides to go directly to lightweight, he will find himself directly in a title fight for the WBA “regular” title or this soon to be vacant WBO title? This even though he has no history of fights at all at that weight. Plus, who knows, they might match him up with the 43rd ranked fighter, that’s a title fight right there!!

by Radu on Dec 14, 2011 9:49 AM EST reply actions

I really hope they get a decent opponent. The post-Martinez challengers were a joke last year. In the current economic climate Warren can’t expect to just put on anything and expect the home audience to blindly come out in droves to support a substandard main event. The fact that Burns’ defences didn’t do that great at the gate shows that.

Crolla is barely acceptable if that happens. Don’t get me wrong, I rate him, but he has done nothing to deserve a ‘world’ title shot yet. I would really like it to be Kevin Mitchell, but he has loads of issues just now, and besides, Frank Warren would probably prefer to do that in London.

Nobody will read this and care and why should they?

by Eoin_not_ian on Dec 14, 2011 11:41 AM EST reply actions

My guess would either be whoever the Ghana lightweight champion is right now (Warren seems to love making those fights) or a Scot like Alex Arthur or Willie Limond. Either way I would be shocked if it’s anyone who you could remotely class as a test for Burns

by Skeletor1982 on Dec 14, 2011 12:27 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions

Emmanuel Tagoe, the number 1 rated super featherweight from Ghana on Boxrec. I’m guessing Warren avoids a fully fledged lightweight. Also the number 1 rated Ghanian lightweight, Yakubu Amidu, has already lost to Ricky Burns!

Nobody will read this and care and why should they?

by Eoin_not_ian on Dec 14, 2011 3:15 PM EST up reply actions

Ha ha Burns does seem to have fought his fair share of Ghanain’s!

Maybe they’ll dig out the Hungarian Super-featherweight champion. They seem to get wheeled out quite often on Warren shows!

by Skeletor1982 on Dec 15, 2011 3:51 AM EST via iPhone app up reply actions

+1

“tough Ghanaian” or “never been stopped Polish guy”

by Shitali Klitschko on Dec 16, 2011 6:41 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

For Burns its all about the ABB:

Anybody
But
Broner

And I realize Adrien Broner isn’t a full lightweight but I can’t let that obvious duck job Ricky did go.

Other than that I say give him Robert Guerrero. Ricky said he moved up to fight the better opponents, so let him fight one of the best lightweights in the world. Heck I’ll even say that Robert is now the best non belt holding lightweight in the division seeing as Rios is moving up and Marquez’ future is up in the air.

And before anyone asks: Robert Guerrero being the best non belt holding lightweight in the world means he’s the only lightweight out there in my view that’s capable of beating any of the champions at 135.

by Scott Harrison on Dec 14, 2011 3:36 PM EST reply actions