Just been watching loads of Ricky burns fights during lockdown, I'm a huge fan of burns I know he is known for over achieving in his career but looking at his early fights, I think he could have been exceptional, the version of burns that beat Mitchell was a beast at the weight huge even, incredible chin heart, stamina great jab maybe just lacked a bit of power but could definitely bang, I think he was badly managed by hearn tbh, instant pressure was put on him due to matchroom ticket sales in Scotland and was fed a really really hard fight for his first fight , a total unknown hard hitting switch hitter who burns wanted to put a show on against and ended up taking a beating from until his heart and grit saw him through for victory, that fight in my opinion was the when he started doubting himself and his performance s were never the same after that, he had beat many world class fighters with ease before he joined hearn,big Shame the boy had an amazing career 3 weight champ but the last world title was a gimme, just wish we had seen him fulfill his potential personally I don't think he did.
Burns would have retired a legend in Scotland if he packed it in after the Mitchell fight. The legal issues with Fish eyes ruined him and he had to fight on. The very next fight before Beltran was Jose Gonzalez, where Burns was losing badly before the corner of Gonzalez was surely handed a brown envelope for him to retire on his stool late in the fight. That was the night he became a shell of the man who first won a World Title. All he done since that fight was beat puddings (eg Bepe Di Marco from Eastenders) and/or skip away to tame defeats when facing any decent opponent. Awful to see such a good legacy undone and most will remember the more recent fights such as skipping away from Indongo for 12 rounds.
Burns was a credit to Scottish and British boxing. Hard as nails and good fundamentals if the right opponent was in front of him. So much heart, effort, hard work and determination has gone into his career. Huge fan of Ricky.
Watching burns beat Martinez was the fight that made me a boxing fan till this day so love the rickster..a class act with the heart of a lion.
He seemed to become abit gunshy after the fight he broke his jaw, can’t mind who it was against. was at the Mitchell fight and it was brilliant, sure the card was pretty much Scotland v England which made the atmosphere even better
One of my favourite fighters. Remember watching his fight vs Martinez, as per the above post, it's probably the fight that made me really fall in love with boxing. People forget that he was a massive underdog against Martinez and was down early in the fight, yet came back to win in style. His KO of Cardle reminds me of Rocky IV training montage music, when it flicks between rocky cutting down the tree and Dragos sparring fighting falling over, it was exactly like that lol Would like to get a piece of his fighting memorabilia if possible!
It was Beltran that broke his jaw.i went to the weigh in at st enochs centre for this and I remember thinking when I seen Beltran he has got the biggest napper I've ever seen!..orange on a toothpick.burns walked through Mitchell there was no chance he was losing that one.
I think against Zlaticanin he one underestimated him a bit and secondly still hadn't fully gotten over his broken jaw injury. That's a fight he could and should have won. Should check his fight out against Omar Figueroa Jnr. That's the fight where Ricky came out with credit even with a loss, because everyone was saying he was completely done before that fight. Not only that but Figueroa Jnr came in (way) overweight for that fight and everyone was saying Burns was going to get stopped easily. Add in the fact this was again at a weight-class he really shouldn't of been fighting at either! Burns held his own and if it wasn't for some of the worse refereeing I've ever seen, he might or even had a chance of winning the fight. You could tell Figueroa was shocked at what had just happened. Then he went on to beat Kiryl Relikh (I had burns by a point), himself who went on to be a world champion. Bear in mind he shouldn't of even been campaigning above Lightweight and he really has gone above and beyond of what he should of achieved imo. I just hope he hangs them up now though. He reminds me of Froch and his durability was definitely in decline after the first Groves fight. Would hate to see him get stopped because of all the hard fights finally catch up on him. When you think of granite Chins and toughness, Burns is right up when he was in his pomp.
Kojak?...who loves ya baby!! Ahem..yeah I agree with dejan.burns would have beat him convincingly a year prior imo so it was hard to watch for me.the Figueroa fight was an absolute shocker the ref was actually putting his hands on burns to stop him throwing.disgraceful behaviour,even malignaggi who was commentating was squirming.
I remember his losses to Arthur and Johannsen and then he went on to have a really good run, I believe he should’ve stayed at light weight and tried grabbing a title after the crawford loss and him moving up. Instead he moved up a weight but money talks I guess. agreed with the earlier post, he was a heavy underdog when he fought Roman Martinez but he stuck to the game plan and got the job well done. funny how Mitchell after his loss eventually went on to putting in a good account for himself against linares
He broke my heart when he beat Kevin Mitchell but I always rated and respected Burns. Great career, tough as hell, @Jurgen is right though in what he says, he could and should have retired a legend but has had his legacy tarnished.
