Ricky Burns: Vazquez is the toughest opponent of my career

02/10/201302/09/2013 ESB

burns4 By Michael Collins: WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns (35-2, 10 KO’s) believes he’s going to be in a real tough one on March 16th against IBF lightweight champion Miguel Vazquez (33-3, 10 KO’s) at the Wembley Arena in London, England. Burns has the home advantage of sorts given that he’s from the UK while Vazquez is from Mexico, but he still expects it to be a tough fight.

Burns said to Sky Sports “It’s the toughest fight of my career with two world titles on the line. He’s not the world champion for nothing. When you look at his record, he’s only lost to two fighters at the top of their game. I know myself it’s a tough ask, but I’m going to be really bring it. He’s going to bring out the best in me. He’s the fight I’ve always wanted, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Burns-Vazquez: Will this fight end in bitter controversy?

01/14/2013 ESB

By Michael Collins: IBF lightweight champion Miguel Vazquez (33-3, 13 KO’s) will be taking a long trip from his home country of Mexico to fight WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns (35-2, 10 KO’s) on March 16th at the Wembley Arena in London, England.

Ricky Burns’ next title defense postponed

01/09/201301/09/2013 ESB

burns43 By Michael Collins: WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns (35-2, 10 KO’s) won’t be back in the ring on January 26th as previously scheduled, according to his manager Alex Morrison. Burns wants to rest up a little more and then come back in February or March, according to the BBC.

Burns still doesn’t have an opponent in mind for his next fight, but we do know it won’t be WBC lightweight champion Adrien Broner, as Burns turned that fight down for some reason. Boxing fans really want to see Burns fight Broner, but Burns isn’t ready yet.

Broner has his own theory for why Burns isn’t interested in fighting him, saying to Fighthype.com “He don’t want to fight me…He’s trying to milk the game. He knows after he fights me, he’s not going to be s***.”

If Burns doesn’t face Adrien Broner in 2013 then A.B should forget about him

09/14/201612/31/2012 ESB

burns4545 By Michael Collins: WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns (35-2, 10 KO’s) has had two opportunities to face unbeaten Adrien Broner (25-0, 21 KO’s) and on both occasions he chose not to face him. The first time was last year when Burns held the WBO super featherweight title and Broner was in line to face him as his mandatory challenger.

Burns then complained about having difficulties making weight and then moved up to 140 and was given the WBO lightweight title. Next, Burns, after beating Kevin Mitchell and Paulus Moses, he was given another chance to fight Broner on February 16th. Burns instead decided not to take the fight and instead he’ll likely be defending his WBO 135 lb strap in late January.

In the meantime, Broner will be facing British contender Gavin Rees on February 16th in what pretty much amounts to being a sick mismatch at the Boardwalk Hall, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. If Broner comes through that fight without a scratch, he could be fighting on the Floyd Mayweather Jr. undercard on May 4th. Right now, he’s still penciled in due to his February 16th fight being so close to that date. Unless he massacres Rees like many boxing fans think he will, it’ll be kind of risky to have him fighting only three months later.

Ricky Burns off Saturday’s card; will next fight on January 26th

09/14/201612/11/2012 ESB

Ricky Burns off Saturday’s card; will next fight on January 26th By Marcus Richardson: Alex Morrison, the promoter for WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns (35-2, 10 KO’s), was unable to find a replacement opponent for Jose Ocampo for this Saturday night for Burns’s previously scheduled fight at the ExCel Arena in London, England. Morrison attempted to find someone after Ocampo pulled out but the fighter they were looking at getting Derry Matthews didn’t agree to the fight.

Morrison said to STV “Ricky will not fight this weekend. We couldn’t find an opponent for him to fight. He was offered a 10 round fight but decided not to take it. We’re now looking at January 26 for the next title defense and hopefully that will take place in Glasgow.”

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer was hoping to get Burns to agree to fight WBC lightweight champion Adrien Broner on February 16th, but with Morrison not mentioning that as option it doesn’t appear that there’s any interest in that fight on Burns’s team as of now. That’s too bad because Broner wanted to get a chance to grab Burns’ belt after failing to get a fight with Burns last year when Burns held the WBO super featherweight title and Broner was his mandatory challenger.

Ricky Burns looking for an opponent for Saturday, Ocampo withdraws from fight

12/11/201212/10/2012 ESB

By Michael Collins: WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns (35-2, 10 KO’s) is in need of an opponent for this Saturday’s fight on December 15th at the ExCel Arena, Dockland, in London, United Kingdom. Burns was supposed to be fighting Jose Ocampo, whose trainer recently passed away.

Adrien Broner fans want to see him fight Rios or Garcia next, not Burns

09/15/201611/23/2012 ESB

Adrien Broner fans want to see him fight Rios or Garcia next, not Burns By Ed Patrick: WBC lightweight champion Adrien Broner (25-0, 21 KO’s) may wind up fighting a unification bout against WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns (35-2, 10 KO’s) next, but that’s not the guy that boxing fans want to see Broner fight. Burns is down in the pecking order in terms of who boxing fans want to see Broner fight, although they do have some interest in seeing that fight. In a poll conducted by RingTV, fans want Broner to fight Brandon Rios or Danny Garcia next followed by Burns.

Here’s the results of the poll thus far:

Brandon Rios 28.4%
Danny Garcia 24.2%
Ricky Burns 13.3%
Lucas Mattysse 11.9%
Juan Manuel Marquez 11.1%
Amir Khan 9.3%
Miguel Vazquez 1.8%

No doubt the boxing fans who want to see Broner fight Burns are largely from the UK, because the casual fans in the U.S have little idea of who Burns is. That’s not likely going to keep Broner’s promoters at Golden Boy Promotions from making a Broner vs. Burns fight if possible, but it should. If boxing fans as a whole don’t have a clue who Burns is then Golden Boy shouldn’t waste one of Broner’s valuable fights by putting him in with a little known fighter.

Broner too powerful for Burns: Will Ricky move up in weight rather than face Adrien?

11/19/201211/18/2012 ESB

By Michael Collins: Last Saturday’s 8th round destruction of WBC lightweight champion Antonio DeMarco by Adrien Broner showed me enough feel that WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns would still little if any chance against the unbeaten Broner and that’s who Burns could end up fighting in early 2013 unless he chooses to move up in weight again. That would be a pity to see Burns move up in weight rather than face Broner.