A HEAVY HITTER
Despite the weigh-in drama, Hatton backs Relikh to beat Burns
RICKY BURNS won the first round of his world title defence against Kiryl Relikh without a punch being thrown yesterday.
The Belarusian, who has designs on the Scot’s world super-lightweight title, required three attempts to make the 10st limit in front of shoppers at Glasgow’s St Enoch Centre.
He finally shed the four ounces that led to lunchtime drama ahead of this evening’s bout at the city’s SSE Hydro after being given an hour to do so.
But despite eventually coming in bang on the 10st limit, Relikh has handed 33-year-old Burns a pre-fight boost knowing his opponent has experienced difficulties.
Burns had no such problems, weighing in at 9st 13lbs and two ounces.
The Coatbridge boxer is in line to meet Adrien Broner, a former four-weight champion, in a million-dollar bout in Las Vegas in December.
But that fight is subject to Burns ending Relikh’s perfect 21-fight record, 19 of which he has won by knockout.
The odds are overwhelmingly in favour of Scotland’s first three-weight world champion.
But Ricky Hatton, who trains and promotes Relikh, has a sneaking fancy for his man after declaring: ‘He is more than ready.
‘As a boxer and trainer, when you come to this stage you want to be able to look in the mirror and ask have we done everything right or is there more we could have done.
‘But I think we can look in the mirror and say there is nothing more we can do. He is more than ready and I think he’ll do it.
‘Kiryl believes he is destined for bigger things and while people might think they’ve never heard of him, I see what he does in sparring and he can’t wait.
‘I know how passionate the fans up here are and what the atmosphere will be like. So my job, as his trainer, is to make Kiryl aware of these factors, but when I look into his eyes I can see he’s not bothered.
‘He believes he’s going to be a superstar and he’s got ice in is veins. He’s a nice down-to-earth kid but he’s also got a real nasty streak.
‘The atmosphere will be hostile but, when it comes to fighting, he’s ruthless — and he’ll need to be.’
Hatton still badly misses direct ring involvement four years after the last of his 48 bouts, 45 of which he prevailed in.
But his continued involvement in the sport is compensation of sorts, after he pointed out: ‘This fight is effectively for my old belt and there are not many people who have won world titles and then gone on to train world champions.
‘This will be a massive milestone for me — to have been a world champion and to train one — hopefully.
‘I’ve already lived my dream and now to help him fulfil his is a priority for me.
‘This is the next best thing to actually being a champion yourself; to train one. It’s like reliving my good years.
‘It doesn’t mean quite as much as the fighting days, but it’s not far behind and I want him to achieve the things I did.
‘I’ve been there and done it and learned a lot over the years, and I have a great deal of experience.
‘I was always in great shape and Kiryl, while he has not done the rounds that Ricky has, does what I did in the gym, so I have no fears about his stamina or confidence.’
Irrespective of the result, Hatton believes that Burns is entitled to be talked about in the same breath as the true giants of boxing.
He added: ‘Ricky should be held in the same regard as the likes of Joe Calzage and myself.
‘Joe was unbeaten, which was a big thing, while I had a very exciting style and I was also a bit of a scallywag in the process.
‘But Ricky has done something I didn’t manage to do and that’s being a world champion in three different weight divisions.
‘Duke McKenzie and Bob Fitzsimmons are the only other Brits to have won world titles at three different weights, so it’s some achievement.
‘Yet, Ricky has remained humble. We are all special for our own little reasons and he deserves his place in history.’
“Kiryl is more than ready for this challenge”