Looks like team burns bottled it

[Britannian Stallion]

I have no experience in managing or training a fighter. I am a boxing fan and want to watch interesting fights. Burns against Walsh wouldn't have interested me. Burns against Broner would. Burns is going to take an easier fight than Broner and this fight will be much less interesting than the Broner fight would be. Whilst this may be the easiest way for Burns to make the most money out of his career it does nothing to appeal to me as a boxing fan. The decision to turn down Broner may make business sense for Burns and his team, but it means that fans will be left with a less interesting fight. There is no guarantee that Burns will get yet another chance to fight Broner. If he does get the chance after his next fight and if he takes it, that is great. But the way it looks at the minute, boxing fans aren't getting the fight they would like to see. Let's just hope that Team Burns do genuinely want to fight Broner later this year and that the offer from Team Broner will still be on the table. I certainly have no interest in watching a string of WBO defences in which the odds are stacked in Burns' favour. Burns, of course, needs to do what is best for himself, regardless of what I think. But if (and I'm not saying this is the case) Team Burns are going to claim that Ricky is the number one at the weight then this has to be proved in the ring and not in interviews and press releases. The fight isn't going to happen in February, but let's hope that it does happen later in the year. If Broner has decided to take a different route by then, however, then few can blame him after having been turned down twice.

[jimcook]

Watch Broner fight his timing is bad he leans back massively... He struggles to defend body head combinations!!! Ricky will beat Broner when it happens ;) I have faith in the Rickster and him not taking the fight in Feb is great!!! He was preparing for a southpaw and forward fighter which is total opposite to Broner!?! :s Middle of the year Ricky will fight Broner I'm sure if Broner don't move up the weight that is :) let Ricky focus on his next fight and put the Broner fight to rest for justnow please guys :)

agree. burns get nothing but doubt and criticism on here. nelson too. i dont see why burns cant beat broner...broner hasnt proved hes the next sugar ray yet, and burns lives the life and doesnt look for shortcuts. hes done everything right so far, and that is with the handicap of being involved with warren. he should be approaching his prime this year and i would assume fighting and beating broner will be part of his plan.

[Chambers2]

It's probably a good career move for Ricky not to fight Broner, because he look a bit special, but I'd love to see Ricky go over to the US and beat the shit outta the cheesy little prick. Tough ask though

[JLP]

I agree with the posters who suggest Broner is not the finished article. Amongst other weaknesses, I particularly hate the way his stance is so darn wide. It hampers his manoeuvrability no end and may be a contributing factor when he does come unstuck. That Broner is a way off being at his best is precisely why I think Burns should strike sooner rather than later. I take on board that Ricky has taken a bit of a hit having prepared for 8 weeks and then been left hanging but he shouldn't really be making that into a drama, these things happen - and not just in boxing, either, you get bad deals and fucked over in all walks of life - deal with it. I'd take the chance now, but Ricky and his people have got to do what they think is right for them and that's fair enough.

[whiskey]

He likes single shots - and especially likes opponents that throw single shots. Check the Ponce De Leon fight, turn off the sound and score it and he only just edged it. Many would argue he lost.

I think the key is swarm him a bit and mix it up. Standing and boxing in front of him will play to his strengths to pick you off.

Burn's might choke in America due to lack of travelling so far in his career. But I think he's got a good enough chance with the right tactics.

[HPI]

He likes single shots - and especially likes opponents that throw single shots. Check the Ponce De Leon fight, turn off the sound and score it and he only just edged it. Many would argue he lost.

I think the key is swarm him a bit and mix it up. Standing and boxing in front of him will play to his strengths to pick you off.

Burn's might choke in America due to lack of travelling so far in his career. But I think he's got a good enough chance with the right tactics.

I understand that view point but look what he has done since then, Demarco was no mug and he hammered him.

Burns gets stopped against Broner IMO.

There are different levels in boxing of course there is.

Burns is world level, Broner will prove in time he is the elite level

[Datsue]

I agree with the posters who suggest Broner is not the finished article. Amongst other weaknesses, I particularly hate the way his stance is so darn wide. It hampers his manoeuvrability no end and may be a contributing factor when he does come unstuck. That Broner is a way off being at his best is precisely why I think Burns should strike sooner rather than later. I take on board that Ricky has taken a bit of a hit having prepared for 8 weeks and then been left hanging but he shouldn't really be making that into a drama, these things happen - and not just in boxing, either, you get bad deals and fucked over in all walks of life - deal with it. I'd take the chance now, but Ricky and his people have got to do what they think is right for them and that's fair enough.

Yes yes yes yes yes to the bolded bit mate, I was less eloquently saying the same thing up-thread.

[Tykemania]

I reckon it boils down to this, Broner needs Burns more than Burns needs Broner

I don't see it this way. Burns could do well to remember that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. I think he, Burns, is a good fighter with a terrific attitude and work ethic but he's not, in my eyes, top drawer and could come unstuck long before he ever sees a similar offer being shoved across the table. I hope he doesn't live to regret this decision.

moreover, what does a loss to Broner really mean to Burns?

It would prove that Broner is a P4P contender, and Burns has enough credit from victories over Katsidis, Martinez and Mitchell that he would bounce back into world title contention straight away. And it isn;t like he would lose an 0 as he has lost - and been stopped - before!

Lets face it, this is not the biggest risk in the world...

[Datsue]

I reckon it boils down to this, Broner needs Burns more than Burns needs Broner

I don't see it this way. Burns could do well to remember that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. I think he, Burns, is a good fighter with a terrific attitude and work ethic but he's not, in my eyes, top drawer and could come unstuck long before he ever sees a similar offer being shoved across the table. I hope he doesn't live to regret this decision.

moreover, what does a loss to Broner really mean to Burns?

It would prove that Broner is a P4P contender, and Burns has enough credit from victories over Katsidis, Martinez and Mitchell that he would bounce back into world title contention straight away. And it isn;t like he would lose an 0 as he has lost - and been stopped - before!

Lets face it, this is not the biggest risk in the world...

[sarcasm]How many world champions have you looked after?[/sarcasm]

[IronLiver]

Ricky burns has always come across as a coward too me anyway.

[Datsue]

Ricky burns has always come across as a coward too me anyway.

See, that's where I must disassociate myself with you. Would a coward have got up from that right hand from Martinez? I don't even think the words "coward" & "boxer" are in any way mutually compatible.

I have nothing but respect for the kiddy. The way his handlers sometimes present themselves in public make me retch, however. & I wish they had the bollocks to let him off the leash, win lose or draw, wouldn't mind.

But when they come on here & go "Better fighter than Ken Buchanan" & then fight Jose Anonymo, the WBO's 752nd-ranked featherweight... It makes me wanna swear.

[JimJim2009]

Watch Broner fight his timing is bad he leans back massively... He struggles to defend body head combinations!!! Ricky will beat Broner when it happens ;) I have faith in the Rickster and him not taking the fight in Feb is great!!! He was preparing for a southpaw and forward fighter which is total opposite to Broner!?! :s Middle of the year Ricky will fight Broner I'm sure if Broner don't move up the weight that is :) let Ricky focus on his next fight and put the Broner fight to rest for justnow please guys :)

agree. burns get nothing but doubt and criticism on here. nelson too. i dont see why burns cant beat broner...broner hasnt proved hes the next sugar ray yet, and burns lives the life and doesnt look for shortcuts. hes done everything right so far, and that is with the handicap of being involved with warren. he should be approaching his prime this year and i would assume fighting and beating broner will be part of his plan.

The fundamental problem Jim is that Ricky won't get in the ring with him so we can find out. Richard Schaefer went public earlier this week, saying the hold up was the Burns team want to be paid "tax-free". Schaefer took the pxxs, pointing out we all have to pay taxes. Now, we know that nobody is so stupid as to think they can get paid for a fight in a way that you don't need to then pay tax; the four hundred thousand dollars on offer is presumably what they want AFTER tax. I can understand a party holding out for the best possible payday, and I also understand that negotiations and bargaining is what the sport is all about, behind the scenes. However, Ricky is being offered a massive unification fight on a plate with major, major exposure guaranteed. And he's talked about having unifications for years. This is the second time he's bottled it. Ricky's team are bottling it bigtime. Nobody will come out and say "no thanks, he's too tasty", its done by claiming mandatories get in the way, that the money isn't right, that TV companies are to blame, and so on. That is what is happening right now - Ricky Burns is a gravy train for people who - with the greatest of respect - aren't normally working with world champions, and I can only assume they want the gravy train to continue. Broner would derail it, so they're ducking him for a second time.

[earsjohn]

I don't like to criticise Ricky Burns, or see the criticism levelled at him. For the last couple of years he has been a breath of fresh air in UK boxing - just gets on with his job and has demonstrated enough times that he has the skills, ability and no little power that mark him out among the top 3 in the world at lightweight.

The problem (again for those that have read my recent Nathan Cleverly lament) is that his team (Nelson and Warren predominantly) were bigging up a future unification fight in the build up to the sadly cancelled sparring session with Ocampo. All the talk was of keeping Ricky busy while lining up Broner or Vasquez. So now the opportunity for that big fight has come along, with the money, date, venue all seemingly in place, along come the excuses and it looks like Ricky is backing out of the fight. I don't think that's the case, so why not give us the real reason why it's being turned down? I imagine saying no now is not going to help get the fight on later this year so could it be that the chance has been missed and that in 12 months time we'll be saying the same things and looking forward to a big unification fight thats in the works for 2014?

[Datsue]

The fundamental problem Jim is that Ricky won't get in the ring with him so we can find out. Richard Schaefer went public earlier this week, saying the hold up was the Burns team want to be paid "tax-free". Schaefer took the pxxs, pointing out we all have to pay taxes. Now, we know that nobody is so stupid as to think they can get paid for a fight in a way that you don't need to then pay tax; the four hundred thousand dollars on offer is presumably what they want AFTER tax. I can understand a party holding out for the best possible payday, and I also understand that negotiations and bargaining is what the sport is all about, behind the scenes. However, Ricky is being offered a massive unification fight on a plate with major, major exposure guaranteed. And he's talked about having unifications for years. This is the second time he's bottled it. Ricky's team are bottling it bigtime. Nobody will come out and say "no thanks, he's too tasty", its done by claiming mandatories get in the way, that the money isn't right, that TV companies are to blame, and so on. That is what is happening right now - Ricky Burns is a gravy train for people who - with the greatest of respect - aren't normally working with world champions, and I can only assume they want the gravy train to continue. Broner would derail it, so they're ducking him for a second time.

Also, I'd have a lot of respect for anyone who came out & said "Fvck that, he's too tasty." I'd go watch the sod live. But when it's bullshit after bullshit delivered in a sneering "What the fvck d'you know?" tone...

It makes me want to reply "Well, we are actually paying your wages, pudendum".

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

What you have nowadays are multiple champions and you have different levels which is daft
if you are calling yourself 'world champion' but that is the way it is. Burns is a good fighter but
he is a level below the cream of the division. Now - in this business - he can keep earning in the
UK, earning 100 grand a defence - a gift that keeps on giving - or he can go - like some Polish
cavalryman on a horse charging into a tank in the heat of battle - to America. lose his title and
then come back to what? It is a long way down. If he can defend against Walsh and then
take on Scott Harrison and then million dollar Crolla then good luck to him! None of us
are paying his bills.

Is it a long way down? Do you not think (worse case) he'll come back, profile raised and earn the same as what he would have last decemer for a re-building fight against the likes of Walsh?!

Best case of course he wins, bursts what many see as a hyped bubble, and then is THE man.

It is a massive long way down, I would compare him to Steve Robinson except Steve Robinson sold out arenas in Cardiff and had proper national exposure. One bad, one sided beating turned him into a gatekeeper and the same would happen to Burns - boxing doesn't seem to allow a fighter to 'come back' if you get destroyed, if he loses a close one or he actually wins then yes - that changes it all but the chances of that happening are slim.

The thing is, if you look at it as biziness (as the Russians would say) fighting Broner for 400000 dollars is very bad business. Burns is doing OK defending against domestic opposition like Liam Walsh and other fighters he knows he can beat and getting decent money - once he loses that though he is never getting it back. As for Broner and his deficiencies - Burns is not the man to expose them.

The Burns cheerleading squad reminds me of the Haye vs Hobson rigmarole of years yonder. Hindsight now dictates Hobson would have been lucky to last a round. Burns is nowhere near competing with Broner - doesn't matter what Billy Nelson says about it - he's going to, that is his job, we don't have to swallow it though because he comes on here.

[billy nelson]

He likes single shots - and especially likes opponents that throw single shots. Check the Ponce De Leon fight, turn off the sound and score it and he only just edged it. Many would argue he lost.

I think the key is swarm him a bit and mix it up. Standing and boxing in front of him will play to his strengths to pick you off.

Burn's might choke in America due to lack of travelling so far in his career. But I think he's got a good enough chance with the right tactics.

I understand that view point but look what he has done since then, Demarco was no mug and he hammered him.

Burns gets stopped against Broner IMO.

There are different levels in boxing of course there is.

Burns is world level, Broner will prove in time he is the elite level

I dont beleive for a minute Broner will be an elite fighter and thats not me trying to be nasty in any way towards the guy,but what i will say is Ricky will beat him and beat him well when they meet

[GreenLightning]

WBO Mandatory will likely be the Hungarian Lionel Blair.

But I'm being facetious

Burns is a very good belt holder, not seen enough of Broner to judge, but I suspect there is another version of Jeff Lacy going on here.

"He's black, he's American, he looks bigger than Ricky, ergo, he must be brilliant."

Burns is a very competent guy.

I think 2013 will be very interesting for him.

Interesting that Shaeffer should make this offer so publicly the same week he's trying to recruit British fighters, if media reports are accurate.

I've seen a lot of Broner, pretty much from his very early pro days, and in my humble opinion he has the potential to be a mega star. He's quicksilver, throws excellent combinations, has huge confidence, hit's firmly, is very cool under pressure, is a good judge of distance and has a malicious killer instinct. Honestly, he's nothing like Lacy, there is almost no comparison.

erm.. you just described Jeff Lacy against opponents who were tailor made for him, look at the combination he finished Robin Reid with, better than any combo Broner has ever thrown...where-as Lacy struggled with guys who showed him something different, at least he won, Broner has actually LOST TWICE!

if Broner was 23-2 like he SHOULD be, nobody would be spouting such BS.

I love how many people forget in hindsight just how much smoke Jeff Lacy had blown up his behind, this guy was the FUTURE!

And boy did he look it..against the right opposition, the guy speaking the most sense in this thread is Datsue, Broner shows just as many exploitable flaws as there was in Lacy, it's actually a GREAT comparison.

[JimJim2009]

I dont beleive for a minute Broner will be an elite fighter and thats not me trying to be nasty in any way towards the guy,but what i will say is Ricky will beat him and beat him well when they meet[/quote]

Billy, Broner is taking on all-comers, demolishing them, making it look easy, winning major titles, and is willing to get into the ring with Ricky in February.

I have massive respect for you as a trainer but it is a sad reflection of how far wrong the sport has gone when you come on here and say "Ricky will beat him and beat him well when they meet". You guys have twice ducked Broner. I've followed your previous forum battles on here in the past with a bit of admiration for how well you fight your corner but its indefensible for you as a trainer to spout off, at this point in time, about how Ricky will beat Broner, when you guys are ducking him. It is as plain as day.

If there was a beatable WBC champ on offer for February you guys would jump at the opportunity for a unification. If you could pick up four hundred thousand dollars (gross) and the WBC belt, and get worldwide coverage, for beating somebody like Nicky Cook or the Walsh lad, you'd bite their hand off and take it in a heartbeat. Broner is a bit special and its easy to say "no he isn't" when you're walking away from a fight that's right there on the table.

[ThereByTheGrace]

They are holding out for more money, for their pension because the cash cow goes when he goes to America.

Broner is no finished article yes, but his level has constantly been higher than Burns and he is getting better.

The hourglass is ticking on the WBO lightweight champions reign, and they know it.

[GreenLightning]

I dont beleive for a minute Broner will be an elite fighter and thats not me trying to be nasty in any way towards the guy,but what i will say is Ricky will beat him and beat him well when they meet

Billy, Broner is taking on all-comers, demolishing them, making it look easy, winning major titles, and is willing to get into the ring with Ricky in February.

I have massive respect for you as a trainer but it is a sad reflection of how far wrong the sport has gone when you come on here and say "Ricky will beat him and beat him well when they meet". You guys have twice ducked Broner. I've followed your previous forum battles on here in the past with a bit of admiration for how well you fight your corner but its indefensible for you as a trainer to spout off, at this point in time, about how Ricky will beat Broner, when you guys are ducking him. It is as plain as day.

If there was a beatable WBC champ on offer for February you guys would jump at the opportunity for a unification. If you could pick up four hundred thousand dollars (gross) and the WBC belt, and get worldwide coverage, for beating somebody like Nicky Cook or the Walsh lad, you'd bite their hand off and take it in a heartbeat. Broner is a bit special and its easy to say "no he isn't" when you're walking away from a fight that's right there on the table.[/quote]



While I can't argue with everything else you say, again with this word "special" to describe Broner...I've heard all these words before, again one Jeff Lacy pops into my mind. To be honest, that's what makes it all the worse, because Broner is actually very beatable, as Datsue said, but exploitable flaws can only be exploited if you actually fight the guy

[JimJim2009]

While I can't argue with everything else you say, again with this word "special" to describe Broner...I've heard all these words before, again one Jeff Lacy pops into my mind. To be honest, that's what makes it all the worse, because Broner is actually very beatable, as Datsue said, but exploitable flaws can only be exploited if you actually fight the guy

Personally, from what I've seen of Broner I think he's the real thing and will go onto be a big, big star. However, it may not go that way, and for all we know he might never win another big fight - maybe it will be Lacy mark.2. If so there's nobody I would like to see hand Broner his first defeat that Burns.

Two debates going on here, (a) whether or not Broner is the next modern great and (b) why Burns is ducking him again. I'm not championing Broner, in fact if the fight was signed tomorrow I'd be rooting heavily for Burns. I don't think he'd win but I would be rooting for him to win. I'm just a fight fan who wants to see the best fight each other, and in a sport full of big fights that never happen, it makes my blood boil to see Burns shamefully turn down a fight with Broner AGAIN. Broner vs Burns isn't some potential match up that might happen, along the lines of Klitschko/Povetkin, Khan/Brook or Fury/Price, this is a match up that has a venue, tv date, tv coverage, and one willing participant....

It is so very, very, very easy for fighters to talk about potential fights that might happen 6-12 months down the line. This one is on the table right now for Burns, and major American promoters are trying to make it happen. Team Burns are backing out. The offer is there on the table and they're pricing themselves out of it. If Ricky won the world would sit up and take notice and it would eclipse anything else he's achieved. An earlier poster in this thread rightly pointed out how Froch is going to be idolised for the rest of his life for his fearless approach to facing the very best fighters in his division win, lose or draw. That is so true

[Trojans44]

Burns is not a credit to boxing if he refuses this fight. After an 8 week training camp he'll be in fighting shape. 8 weeks is surely plenty of time to get attuned to a big fight. If its not maybe he's not cut out for the top level.

Broner flatly does not need Burns and frankly Burns should be very grateful for a second opportunity for a career high payday. Broner can fight anyone he wants, Burns can't and many stay at home British alphabet champions have struggled for such an opportunity. The assumption Broner will still be there in April is a dangerous one. Ricky and his team have talked a good game and its now time to step up to the plate. Burns is a key meal ticket for Morrisson, Allegedly channel et al but he needs to assert hinself and make clear they work for him, not the other way around.

Moreover, I've paid alot of money to attend Burns fights and as a fan this is a real let down. I wont be spending any more cash to watch joke fights like Joseph Laryea if I know for a fact he wets his pants every a big fight comes up. The lovely humble boy schtick is wearing thin and he's developing a not unjustified reputation as a ducker.[/quote

a ducker? he goes into graham earl back yard who was 22-0 at time in his 10th fight, in his 13 th fight he goes into alex arthur back yard( at time arthur was at his peak) then into Carl Johanneson back yard and fights him with food posining sickness,. goes in with Roman Martinez undefated climes on canvas to beat him, goes in again with katsidis when no one fancies him, beats best in britain in mitchell, the lads not a ducker not in my opinion far from it, ricky will fight anyone anywhere and thats been proven .

You must surely be having a laugh. The term 'ducker' is used in boxing circles to describe a fighter who refuses to fight someone. That is the living definition of what Burns is doing! Its a bloody joke - 'aye i want unification fights' but an absolute belter of an opportunity emerges and he's not interested. Yet again. How beating Katsidis mitigates that is beyond me.

The flimsy excuse is that Burns is so psychologically scarred by missing out on the colossal opportunity to tangle with the fistic titan that is Jose Ocampo, that he is simply unable to recover. In 9 actual, whole weeks. Which presumably would've been focussed entirely on Broner since he's in fighting shape. Do me a favour.

Other fans on this thread want to become match makers of the sort that have destroyed this sport. They wish Burns all the best in fighting a string of nobodies - 'fair play to him, its a tough business' is the call. Well sorry it ain't very tough if your booting the shite out of Jose Ocampo every 3 months. This is a sport - competitors should want to be the best.

The other argument is he's not getting paid enough. Well hang on its treble anything he's got before now. Burns has a shite WBO title to bring to the table, he is not a name and despite claims to the contrary his resume is nothing to write home about at world level. So 400k is a fair offer I'd suggest. Moreover if Billy Nelson is really that confident he should be encouraging Burns in the strongest terms possible to step up. He'll be worth millions if he wins. As MAcklin has shown even giving a good account can open doors.

The bottom line here is Burns said he wanted this fight. Well it's here on a silver platter, for record money and he's rejecting it for the second time. But the cheeky bugger will still quite happily take your £75 to watch him thrash some Norwegian fisherman who had a decent win at flyweight in 1996. Thats not acceptable to me as a sports fan.

I'll finish by saying I hope no-one quotes this back if they do fight later. i hope they do and I'll root for Burns all the way. My point is that he'll be very fortunate if he does get another opportunity. This will continue to be a wrong, cynical and completely unjustifiable decision irrespective of whether he eventually does take the fight.

[Boxingcutsman]

Has much has I would like this fight to happen tomorrow from a fan's point of view, with Ricky being in his prime right now, loads of confidence at the minute, Broner not being the finished article yet, etc etc, I would not take the fight myself for one of my fighters unless everything was 100% perfect for him, people/fans need to understand there's lots of mind games & politics that happen behind close doors and its not has simple has people sometimes seem to think. I can see how it might look and why some fans would think he's avoiding Broner again but from a trainers point of view, you've got to do whats right for your fighter. Unfortunately Billy & Ricky do get some unfair stick on here at times, granted Billy does himself no favours at times and rubs people up the wrong way but like them or not, credit needs to be given where its due, he has done a great job turning Ricky into a good solid fighter. I will be the first to say I personally would like to see Ricky in these big fights has I don't see any of his world title fights or defences have been against genuine world class opposition yet, and think that now with his confidence sky high and him being in his prime is perfect to get him some big money fights against big marquee names, but listen this is a business and there's lots of brave people behind the scenes who don't have to take the punches, I personally for £400,000 (pre-deductions) would not take this unification fight against the next big billed super star in America on his home show, i would be looking on £400,000 - £500,000 take home after all deductions for my lad, plus I would want a good solid 10-12 week training camp to fully prepare. I personally could see Ricky giving Broner all sorts of trouble boxing long and keeping him mid-long range, hopefully the fight will happen in the summer, if not and more poor opposition is faced instead then there won't be much room for defending team Burns and there choices, but hopefully these big money/name fights start to happen soon win, lose or draw.


P.S ( before anyone jumps on the bandwagon about the world class fighters Burns has fought like Martinez, Mitchell, Katsidis, Moses, Lareya, etc, no I don't see them has genuine world class, to me the genuine world class are: Gamboa, Uchiyama, Burgos, M.Vasquez, Salgado, Broner, Rios, B.Vasquez, Lundy, Estrada, Abril. )

[Trojans44]

£500k take home well over a million dollars. Your living in fantasy land if you he's getting near that.

[jimcook]

What you have nowadays are multiple champions and you have different levels which is daft
if you are calling yourself 'world champion' but that is the way it is. Burns is a good fighter but
he is a level below the cream of the division. Now - in this business - he can keep earning in the
UK, earning 100 grand a defence - a gift that keeps on giving - or he can go - like some Polish
cavalryman on a horse charging into a tank in the heat of battle - to America. lose his title and
then come back to what? It is a long way down. If he can defend against Walsh and then
take on Scott Harrison and then million dollar Crolla then good luck to him! None of us
are paying his bills.

Is it a long way down? Do you not think (worse case) he'll come back, profile raised and earn the same as what he would have last decemer for a re-building fight against the likes of Walsh?!

Best case of course he wins, bursts what many see as a hyped bubble, and then is THE man.

It is a massive long way down, I would compare him to Steve Robinson except Steve Robinson sold out arenas in Cardiff and had proper national exposure. One bad, one sided beating turned him into a gatekeeper and the same would happen to Burns - boxing doesn't seem to allow a fighter to 'come back' if you get destroyed, if he loses a close one or he actually wins then yes - that changes it all but the chances of that happening are slim.

The thing is, if you look at it as biziness (as the Russians would say) fighting Broner for 400000 dollars is very bad business. Burns is doing OK defending against domestic opposition like Liam Walsh and other fighters he knows he can beat and getting decent money - once he loses that though he is never getting it back. As for Broner and his deficiencies - Burns is not the man to expose them.

The Burns cheerleading squad reminds me of the Haye vs Hobson rigmarole of years yonder. Hindsight now dictates Hobson would have been lucky to last a round. Burns is nowhere near competing with Broner - doesn't matter what Billy Nelson says about it - he's going to, that is his job, we don't have to swallow it though because he comes on here.

so what about khan then? hes been destroyed so many times, yet people on here still think hes gonna mop up the LWWs?