Family first for Burns
FORMER world lightweight champion Ricky Burns is in a hurry to dispatch Dejan Zlaticanin in his comeback bout at Braehead Arena on Friday night — so he can spend some quality time with his family again. The 31-year-old, who has set his sights on the vacant WBO International title, says an enforced 10-week separation from wife Amanda and baby son Leon while he trains in Essex has given him a new-found perspective on fatherhood. ‘I came home every second or third weekend but it was difficult having to wave my wife and wee one goodbye on a Monday morning and head back south,’ he said. ‘It was a big sacrifice because Leon is at the stage of being up and about so I have missed quite a lot as far as he’s concerned. ‘Mind you, now that I’m at the grumpy stage a couple of days before the fight I think Amanda wants rid of me again.’ Burns admits knowing next to nothing about his 30-year Montenegrin opponent, except that he’s a southpaw undefeated in 18 contests, 13 of them achieved by stoppage. ‘I haven’t watched any footage of him, but I always adopt the attitude of letting my opponent worry about me,’ said the Scot. ‘Training has gone well and I don’t feel any added pressure. This is a fight I have to win, but if I start thinking about it too deeply I’ll put unnecessary pressure on myself.’ Burns admits losing his WBO lightweight crown to American Terence Crawford four months ago was hard to take. But he insisted: ‘I don’t think I have anything to prove. I was gutted when I lost the world title but I was beaten by the better man. ‘Crawford is a class act and we knew that before he even stepped into the ring, so it was no disgrace. ‘When I lost earlier in my career I bounced back strongly and my attitude hasn’t changed. I just want to put on a good show with the aim of becoming a three-time world champion. ‘Eddie Hearn (promoter) said if I come through he’ll be pushing for me to fight the champion, Omar Figueroa, and I believe I have another world title in me. ‘Figueroa is a good fighter and another southpaw, but I’ve seen clips of him and his last defence was close, so it’s a fight I’d be confident going into and the WBC belt is one everyone wants to get their hands on.’