Ricky Burns: Leading from the front

by Shaun Brown for Undisputed Fight Magazine

The future is bright in Scottish boxing and one man is leading from the front. His name is Ricky Burns. After the enigma that is Scott Harrison vanished from the sport, boxing fans in Scotland have never really had someone to latch on to. But the date of 4th September 2010 may well have sparked off a revival. On that night Burns was meant to have next to no chance against the then WBO Super-Featherweight champion Roman Martinez. The destructive Puerto Rican was simply meant to show up, put his challenger on his backside and go back with the belt still wrapped round his waist. After a first-round knockdown the ‘boxer’ in the contest Burns dusted himself down, fought fire with fire and brought a world title to Scotland for the first time since 2007.
So after such a memorable triumph does he feel the weight of a nation on his shoulders? “I don’t really look at it like that,” said Burns. “Since winning the world title I don’t feel any different. When I’m in the ring that is when I will show that I’m a world champion and when I’m out the ring things go back to normal.”
Before his world title success, Burns had been racking up a number of victories since an educational defeat at the hands of Carl Johanneson in a British title fight back in 2007. Three years and 14 victories later the man from Coatbridge is hoping that he can bring back more glory days similar to when the likes Jim Watt, Ken Buchanan and Scott Harrison took on the world. “Although I was getting my Commonwealth title defences up here (in Glasgow) and getting the arenas sold out, by winning the world title means we can bring back the bigger shows like in my next defence at Braehead. My manager (Alex Morrison) and promoter (Frank Warren) are confident that we can get even more support. It’s up to me to keep on winning. The shows are great not only for the fans but the up and comers too,” Burns said.
And those up and comers like John Thain along with fighters on the verge of great things such as Paul Appleby, right through to veterans like Alex Arthur are all going to be a part of the good times in Scottish boxing. And as Ricky said it is all up to him to keep on winning. In his first defence against unknown quantity Andreas Evensen he is taking nothing for granted now he is the champion. “I said before the (Roman) Martinez fight that no-one had seen the best of me. When I am up against it that is when I am at my best. And for my first defence we are still training as though I’m the challenger. As always I will give it 110% and even more so now I’m world champion and at this level.
If by the end of the year Ricky Burns can retain his world title, John Simpson can win the British featherweight title in Belfast in November and the likes of Paul Appleby and Kenny Anderson can put themselves into contention for a shot at domestic titles then fight fans in Scotland can look to 2011 with a smile on their faces.
Look out for an in-depth feature on Ricky Burns in the coming weeks here on Undisputed.

 

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