Burns ready for American dream
TV return for Scot in his first US battle
RICKY Burns finally gets to fight in Ameri ca this weekend. And, despite being a long way from his dream of contending for a major belt in Las Vegas or Madison square Garden, he knows that the stakes could hardly be higher.
For too long now, it feels as if the story of Burns — previously one of world titles at two separate weights, swaggering defences and soaring ambitions of achieving undisputed status — has been dominated by negatives.
since the controversial draw in september 2013 with ray Beltrano, during which the scot amazingly fought on through the agony of a broken jaw, Burns has lost his WBO lightweight title to Terence Crawford, then lost one low-key bout and won another in a stop-start bid to revive his career.
saturday’s clash with Omar Figueroa (below) could change all that. Live on us terrestrial TV, the clash with Mexico’s former WBC lightweight champion in Hidalgo, Texas, has the potential to put Burns on the radar of serious American promoters.
For the 32-year- old Coatbridge fighter, who has been beset by l egal disputes and f i nancial problems of late, the chance to dispel all doubts about his fading physical gifts — and leave behind some of his worries away from the sport — couldn’t have come at a better time.
‘This is such a huge fight for me,’ said Burns, who has taken the Figueroa fight at super-lightweight despite his intentions to move back down to lightweight in the near future.
‘I have had a tough time of it recently, in and out of the ring, but that’s in the past and it’s time to get back to performing in the ring and doing what I love.
‘We wouldn’t have taken the fight if we didn’t think I can win it and I am confident that I will.
‘I don’t want to contemplate defeat, I am not thinking about it — but there’s no doubt that I need to win this one to get back on track and to get into more big fights.
‘I can’t wait to fight in America. It’s something that I have always wanted to do and I can tick it off the list. ‘Before the fight was confirmed there were a few names mentioned and Figueroa in America was one of them. ‘When I was told that i t was l i kely I was going to be fighting in America I didn’t really care who it was, I am just looking forward to the challenge of boxing in the states.’ The list of British boxers to win fights on the other side of the Atlantic is hardly a lengthy one and, to be honest, there is a reason why Figueroa — with his record of 24 wins and no losses, including 18 knock-outs — is as short as 12-1 on to win this one.
Burns, who has never fought anywhere further away from home than London, acknowledged the odds piled against him.
He said: ‘I’m going into his home town and he’ll have the crowd behind him. But they can’t help him when the bell goes, it’s down to the two of us — and the best man will win on the night.
‘Omar is a very good fighter, there’s no denying that — you don’t become WBC champion without being good.
‘ We’ve s een a l ot of him, though. Kevin Mitchell beat the guy that Figueroa beat last time out, so Tony sims (Burns’ new trainer) has seen plenty of him and so have I.
‘Our styles will mix and it’s his debut at 140lbs so it’s a new thing for him to have to cope with. He was tight at the weight before and he still might struggle even at this weight as they were talking about going up another one, too, so we will see.
‘ We had been talking about moving down to lightweight and I believe that is where my future lies, but this fight is too good to turn down so I am not going to grumble at a few pounds, I just want to get in there and get on with it.’
Burns split with long-time trainer Billy nelson last April to work with the Essex-based sims, who is Anthony Joshua’s corner man. He has also been working alongside the aforementioned Mitchell — a long- time friend as well as former defeated opponent — and London middleweight Kevin ryder during an intensive training camp in the states.
‘I’ve been in Texas for a couple of weeks already getting used to the heat — it’s a wee bit warmer than Glasgow and Essex I can tell you that,’ laughed the scots fighter.
‘Kevin and John have been out here with me, too, so it’s been a really great camp with those guys. They both have big fights in London on May 30 so they are right in the zone, too.
‘John is a cracking guy and Kevin is just about the funniest bloke you could meet, so it’s been good fun as well as a lot of hard work.’