‘Corruption’ row as Burns licks his wounds
FURIOUS challenger Raymundo Beltran left Glasgow railing against the ‘corruption’ that saw Ricky Burns take a career-threatening hammering — yet retain his WBO lightweight crown. Burns had his jaw broken in just the second round of Saturday night’s title fight at a packed SECC and, with the Scot still recovering from emergency surgery to insert a titanium plate, promoter Eddie Hearn yesterday admitted: ‘I can’t guarantee that Ricky will ever box again.’ The two-weight world champion somehow managed to hang on for 10 more agonising rounds after sustaining the injury, despite receiving an eight count after being flattened in the eighth. There were gasps of disbelief from even the partisan home crowd as the bout was scored a draw, with American judge Carlos Ortiz Junior even giving it to Burns by three rounds. Andre van Grootenbruel gave the nod to Beltran by two, while the UK’s Richard Davies had both fighters level. And the big-hitting Mexican’s manager insists that sports fans will continue to drift away from boxing
until the game starts giving unheralded challengers a fair crack at victory. ‘You can’t bring in new fans if they feel there is some corruption going on,’ said Steve Feder, the New Yorker adding: ‘I’m not talking about money or moving things around. But corruption — look it up. ‘We’re corrupting a beautiful sport. ‘When it’s done right, it is beautiful. But this fight tarnished it. ‘Ray was robbed, of course. The least I had it was 115-113 to him. But saying we’ve been robbed makes it about us — and this is about boxing. Boxing was robbed here.’ Insisting he did not suspect foul play or undue influence on judges by promoter Eddie Hearn or anyone in the Burns camp, Feder — who hailed the Scot’s bravery — said: ‘I can’t blame Scotland or the UK for this. ‘Sometimes you go to a place and you think: “Tough spot — the fix is in”. But I never thought that here. ‘I don’t blame Eddie or Matchroom. This wasn’t about a promoter putting us in a bad situation. ‘They were embarrassed. I think they’re gentlemen and they’re here because they love the sport. ‘Eddie’s dad has been involved with boxing forever and, if I read them right, they’re embarrassed. I don’t think this sits well with them, either.’ Hearn, who said new dad Burns had been ‘crying with pain’ at the end of the most painful experience of his life, cast doubt on the 30-year-old two-weight world champ’s chances of recovery by declaring: ‘I can’t guarantee Ricky will ever box again. ‘It’s a major operation. We don’t know how he will recover and the jaw is an integral part of a boxer’s make-up. ‘Right now, my main concern is Ricky Burns’ health. His career will come second.’ Burns’ manager Alex Morrison, however, is in no doubt his man will return. ‘The hospital told me he should be all right in about six weeks,’ he said. ‘He told me he was so concerned with protecting his jaw that he couldn’t assess how the bout was going. ‘However, he wants to come back. He said: “If I box again, then I’ll give Beltran a rematch in my first fight … and I’ll take him on over there”.’