Burns denies insults

[Old bones Ian]

Burns no-show angers promoters
STEPHEN HALLIDAY
THE old adage that there is no such thing as bad publicity might easily have been coined with boxing in mind, but promoters Sports Network discovered yesterday that hype has its limits even for some in the fight game.

At the traditional head-to-head media conference for tomorrow night's European, Commonwealth and British super-featherweight title fight between Alex Arthur and Ricky Burns, one key figure was missing from the top table.

To the embarrassment and disappointment of Sports Network, Burns failed to turn up. The unbeaten 22-year-old from Coatbridge who will challenge Edinburgh's Arthur for his three belts at Meadowbank had, it later emerged, been angered by comments attributed to him in a Sports Network press release earlier in the week.

In the release, Burns, a former motor mechanic, was quoted as comparing Arthur to "an old banger" who is "so flash he thinks he's a Ferrari". It continued in similar vein with the suggestion that Arthur would "burn himself out" in the fight against Burns.

Such colourful language, of course, is nothing new in the build-up to a big fight but on this occasion it has caused considerable unhappiness in the Burns camp, who deny any part in it.

"I never said one word of that press release," insisted Burns last night. "I'm confident I will win on Saturday night, of course I am, but I wouldn't disrespect another boxer that way. As far as not turning up for the press conference is concerned, I also wasn't given exact details of when it was. I had other things to do today anyway and I didn't have time to go through to Edinburgh."

Alex Morrison, Burns' manager, added that the location of the press conference, which was staged at Easter Road, was also a source of concern to the challenger.

"Apart from the press release, which we were not happy about, Ricky didn't like the idea of being associated with a particular football club. In Scotland, it's not a good idea for a boxer to pin his colours to the mast of one club.

"When [World Boxing Organisation featherweight champion] Scott Harrison appeared on the pitch at Celtic Park, for example, it was a big mistake for him because we immediately had 300 tickets returned for his forthcoming fight at the time."

Although tomorrow night's fight is close to a sell-out, with Burns claiming to have sold 800 tickets himself in Coatbridge, Sports Network intended the head-to-head press conference to provide the final push in ensuring the remaining briefs are taken up.

"We find it disappointing that Ricky Burns has chosen not to turn up today for whatever reason," said Richard Maynard of Sports Network. "He was informed earlier in the week, through his manager Alex Morrison, of when the press conference was and he was reminded yesterday."

Arthur, of course, is more than capable of holding court on his own at any media gathering and the loquacious champion wasted no time yesterday in seeking to turn Burns' no-show to his own advantage.

"It's a shame, because we want to promote what is a very big fight, and it's not a very professional thing for Ricky to do," he said. "Maybe he is having a few mental problems, you never can tell, or perhaps even struggling with the weight. Maybe he has just suddenly realised the size of the task facing him on Saturday night."

Burns, however, denied all of the charges levelled at him by Arthur and intends to set the record straight in person at today's weigh-in.

"I'm actually sitting a couple of pounds under the weight already," said Burns, "and there's nothing wrong with me at all. Alex can call me unprofessional if he likes, but I'll see him at the weigh-in. I'll be there alright and he can be sure I'll be in the ring on Saturday night."

Wayne McCullough, the former WBC super-bantamweight champion who has been assisting Arthur's regular trainer Owen Smith in the preparation for the fight, believes Burns will find himself out of his depth.

"I've watched a few tapes of Burns and I've seen a lot of mistakes he makes," said McCullough. "Alex is world class and Burns hasn't been in this league before. If he had failed to turn up for a press conference like this in the US, he would have his purse cut. Like Alex says, it's just very unprofessional."

[Max Molyneux]

Arthur will be too much for Burns at the moment.

Nice to see Mc Cullough training him too.

[Manos de Oro]

No wonder Burns didn't turn up. The mentioned press release was so cringeworthy to anyone familiar with the langue of his area.

[Zhuge]

Hopefully Burns wins this one.

[tonyevs]

Even though I think Ricky is far out of his depth taking on Arthur he has shown real class in distancing himself from the silly trash talk.

I just hope he makes the fight closer than what I think it will be