Back on top of the world by way of his impressive stoppage win over Michelle Di Rocco in which he became the WBA super lightweight ruler and a three weight king, Scottish hero Ricky Burns currently has one thing on his mind: revenge. The 33-year-old was out-pointed by new star Terence Crwaford, who ended his reign as WBO lightweight champion, and Burns, when on the comeback trail from that loss, suffered another points defeat at the hands of Dejan Zlaticanin just three months later.
Crawford has gone from strength to strength since coming to Glasgow to beat Burns, and he next fights a unification bout with Viktor Postol at 140-pounds. Burns picks Crawford to add the WBC title to the WBO 140-pound belt he already holds with a win over Postol on July 23rd, and he told Sky Sports he would love a rematch with the pound-for-pound star. However, Burns, who has options thanks to his new belt, also likes the idea of dropping back down to 135 and challenging Zlaticanin, the new WBC lightweight ruler, to a rematch.
“If I’m staying at super-lightweight the biggest name is Terence Crawford,” Burns told Sky Sports. “I fancy him to get the job done against Viktor Postol. What a fight that would be. If I’m going back to lightweight then it’d be the rematch with Zlaticanin. I’d love to fight him again. It would be a totally different outcome but fair play to him – he’s got a couple of big wins and he’s got that world title.”
Whoever Burns, 40-5-1(14) fights next, he said his promoter Eddie Hearn says his next fight will likely be in September or October, once again in Glasgow. It seems Burns will not then, be fighting Crawford next. Why would Crawford, if he beat Postol, want to make a second trip to Scotland? No disrespect to Burns, a truly courageous fighter who has turned back the odds a number of times, but it seems Crawford has bigger fights out there for him. A return fight with the unbeaten southpaw from Montenegro appears more likely.
The man who shocked Burns in 2014 won the vacant WBC title with a stoppage over Franklin Mamani this past Saturday, a fight Burns of course watched with much interest. Burns is convinced he can avenge the split decision loss he suffered a couple of years ago. Burns says he is also open to fighting in the US again (he gave Omar Figueroa a great battle in dropping a decision in Texas last May) and his army of fans again have plenty to cheer about.
If Burns can do as he says and make 135-pounds and be strong there, many people will no doubt pick him to defeat Zlaticanin, in the process avenging one of his five career losses (all decisions) and picking up yet another major belt. And to think, Burns was all but written off just over a year ago.