Burnett vows to make WBA ‘gamble’ pay

RYAN BURNETT recognises he has taken a ‘high-stakes risk’ by pursuing a unification match-up with fellow bantamweight world champion Zhanat Zhakiyanov. In the 25-year-old’s first defence of his IBF title, he seeks to take the WBA belt from his former stablemate from Kazakhstan. Even in his home city of Belfast where he became a world champion, Burnett (right) admits to the danger his more mature opponent will represent at the SSE Arena and when, in Ricky Hatton, has a trainer with significant knowledge of him. Burnett was also trained by Hatton until he moved to work with Adam Booth, a trainer generally considered cautious in his match-making. Ahead of the first ever unification world title fight in Northern Ireland, however, Burnett said: ‘We could have swerved this fight but the opportunity to unify the division came up and sometimes you have to take risks. If you gamble at high stakes, the rewards are big, but so are the risks. We’re flipping the coin and when I win, I’ll reap the rewards.’

IT was double golf success for Maynooth at the Irish Intervarsity Championship as Caolan Rafferty captured the men’s title while Ciara Casey took the ladies crown. Rafferty had one shot to spare on three over following a final round 75. Playing partner Eugene Smith, also Maynooth, tied for second alongside UCC’s Ben Murray. Ciara Casey’s final round 73 was good enough for a one-shot win over Eleanor Metcalfe, also Maynooth.