BoxRec

Ricky wouldnt beat even the best domestically at lightweight imho.

His performance against Martinez was superb, but ever since then its all been bullshit - dont suppose thats his fault personally, maybe his teams/promoters etc.

Also think Billy Nelson comes across as a bit of a bully/oath on here - I respect that you will back your fighters to the hill fairplay for that mate, just think comes across snappy and a bit immatuire, very defensive.

WBO has a record of giving champions from junior divisions shots at higher weights.

Burns could vacate.

JMM is WBO champion but fighting Pacman at 145.

Guerrero is WBO interim champion but injured.

Burns v Mitchell #4 by WBO for a vacant belt in London in front of a good crowd with DeGale v Groves for European title as chief support at the 02 in November/December.

There, worked it all out for you.

this is seriously dissapointing if the fight doesn't happen. if it's now the case that Ricky can't make the weight, why was Billy on here only a matter of days ago saying he was going to smash Broner?

What a load of balls.

Ricky has come out a few times and said he wants to unify, he wants the Ring belt. Why these worries now?

this is a business decision, plain & simple, and i'm fairly gutted that that's what it's come down to. The man has to make money, obviously, but this is still a kick in the balls to his fans.

billy nelson wrote:Ricky is massive for a SFW,he told be he even looked bigger than Khan on the Ringside programme,i would rather see Ricky move up in weight and be very very strong at it!
But beleive me he'd fight anyone at the weight anyone!

TBH it is what is best for Ricky, people can say what ever they want, usually through ignorance. It is obvious he is big for the weight. Moving up will be exciting and some great domestic dust ups out there, before going for world honours.

I do not believe he is scared, yet I come from the same Lanarkshire mentality.

I think if it was down to Burns he would fight Broner. He said so on Ringside and he doesn't come across to me as a bullshitter....this is a strategic move by his team not Ricky bottling it.
I also think that people are getting a bit carried away with Broner. yes he looked good in his last fight but he struggled in his fight before that. Burns is huge at the weight and with his pressure, long limbed jab and overall strength I can see him bully Broner and take him out of his stride the longer the fight goes on.......would he knock him out? Probably not so he'd have to dominate to win on points in the stated.....I think his team know this so the safe move is to move up UNLESS they can get the fight in Scotland which is what they are probably doing now hence the silence........

What utter nonsense from Burn and his camp, I hope he doesnt expect to be taken seriously ever again.

Of course if Burns is badly struggling to make the weight and it is becoming dangerous then he should move up. But I have never, ever seen that suggested by Burns, Nelson or his management team. As others on here have noted all the talk from Burns has been about the RIng title against an old beaten up Fana, not dangerous weight making concerns. Burn's weight was fine for a proposed Fana fight. Its spin of the highest order.

I agree entirely with Glyn Leach- the Broner fight has an extremely low risk- high reward ratio. If Burns wins live on HBO he becomes an overnight star. If he loses but performs well he also increases his profile and earning power. If he gets knocked out he still trousers $200,000 and can still come back and wipe the floor with John Murray and other big name domestic opponents. This is Ricky's big chance to reach the top and he'll likely never get another as good. What must be going through Alex Arthur's mind as he watches Burns reject the big opportunity he deserved but never got?

I cannot understand the terror Broner is provoking. Burns is supposed to be a world champion for God's sake! If Burns fight anyone at sfw other than Broner its a joke in my eyes.

p.s. to the guy saying Mitchell and Murray would destry Burns, your having an absolute laugh. Burns would annihilate John Murray, it would be difficult to watch. Mitchell would be tougher but Burns would prevail. You might want to note than when Micthell and Murray stepped up in class they had their arses handed to them. Burns dominated the no 1 fighter in his division!

Lloydy wrote:I think his team know this so the safe move is to move up UNLESS they can get the fight in Scotland which is what they are probably doing now hence the silence........

If Burns loses a controversial decision to Broner in the U.S.A. then his reputation will still be intact, perhaps enhanced. So why should they be worried about Burns not being given the decision over there and losing his title, if they are just going to vacate it anyway?

Is Burns vs Mitchell even a big fight? Would it be that much smaller if Burns was coming off a loss to Broner?

If Broner destroyed Burns or beat him very easily then I could see that doing damage to Burns future career earnings, but is that really what they think Broner will do to Burns?

Surely this is a case of a duck? If there were problems with making weight then why did discussions/negotiations with Schaefer occur in the first place? They were only about two weeks ago.

Think it's obvious Morrison doesn't fancy the fight, and is bullying Burns into not taking it. He doesn't like the odds. If this was in Scotland, they'd take it no problem.
Shame, as I'm sure Burns really doesn't want to give up his hard earned title. He might never win another, and to know he just gave it up will hurt. I bet Nelson isn't pleased either. They should tell Morrison to get stuffed and take the fight.

smcb80 wrote:this is seriously dissapointing if the fight doesn't happen. if it's now the case that Ricky can't make the weight, why was Billy on here only a matter of days ago saying he was going to smash Broner?

What a load of balls.

Ricky has come out a few times and said he wants to unify, he wants the Ring belt. Why these worries now?

this is a business decision, plain & simple, and i'm fairly gutted that that's what it's come down to. The man has to make money, obviously, but this is still a kick in the balls to his fans.

exactly

billy nelson wrote:Ricky is massive for a SFW,he told be he even looked bigger than Khan on the Ringside programme,i would rather see Ricky move up in weight and be very very strong at it!
But beleive me he'd fight anyone at the weight anyone!

i'd have loved to see him fight broner.
but say we accept his wieght issues for moving up
if he moves up a wieght, who are you looking to get him in with in lightwieght?
and if he gets a world title at lightwieght, will he face broner if/when he moves up a wieght?

Final round wrote:Sombody, somewhere has shat their pants.

Problem Solved - Pun intended!

The fight will still happen, just gives Burns, Nelson & co a battle cry of weight problems as an excuse for when they move up afterwards, how he was no longer the same man after 4 torrid and gruelling defences of his beloved belt.

Ricky fears nobody, and things like whats being said here is a regular occurence before big fights happen.

If Burns vacates w/o fighting Broner:

crusader wrote:If Burns vacates w/o fighting Broner:

I'm just wondering how deciding against fighting in Broner's hometown and instead moving up in weight against a more proven, harder hitting and heavier opponent constitutes as ducking Broner? If Warren can get it for the vacant WBO title against Mitchell, with Marquez vacating to fight Pacquiao and Gurrero vacating the interim to fight Maidana (that's assuming they do vacate), then Ricky should take the fight. It will do wonders for his profile in the UK, he'll get paid well and he can win a world title.

I really like Burns and he clearly loves being a world champion so I find it very strange that he would give up his title outside of the ring and not take the opportunity that Broner offers him to make a statement. This appears to be a decision made on his behalf but from a fan's point of view it's very disappointing.

Morrisson is a shrewd manager but it is well known in boxing circles that Burns struggles to make the weight and has done for a while.

dewipowell wrote:

crusader wrote:If Burns vacates w/o fighting Broner:

I'm just wondering how deciding against fighting in Broner's hometown and instead moving up in weight against a more proven, harder hitting and heavier opponent constitutes as ducking Broner? If Warren can get it for the vacant WBO title against Mitchell, with Marquez vacating to fight Pacquiao and Gurrero vacating the interim to fight Maidana (that's assuming they do vacate), then Ricky should take the fight. It will do wonders for his profile in the UK, he'll get paid well and he can win a world title.

I have no doubts that Burns would fight Broner; my accusations that evasive gestures have been made apply to the higher powers who are involved in the decision making. Ducking is mainly about risk analysis and certain people view a mandatory defense against Broner as too risky for too little. The fact that the fight would be in Broner's hometown (just as all of Burns' defenses have been in the UK) makes a win a tougher ask for Burns, but avoiding the fight because of that increased risk only solidifies the view this is a case of ducking. I'm, therefore, not sure why anyone would view travelling as a legitimate excuse to avoid an opponent—champions only defending at home is not good for boxing.

It also seems clear to me that the move to 135 was only seriously broached when it became patent a fight with the aging and inactive Fana would be untenable due to Broner's mandatory status. Burns made weight for his mediocre title challengers, and it was just weeks ago that he, Billy, and Warren were keen on fighting Fana at 130. Billy is also on record saying that Burn's was making 130 without struggle. However, soon after after Burns was forced to take a high risk fight over a lower risk fight a move to 135 became necessary due to 'weight issues.' To me that rapid shift of career direction suggests that someone in Burns’ team believed it would be prudent to avoid a fight in the USA with the young, mertible, and very dangerous challenger that is Adrien Broner.

I for one think that Broner is every bit as good, if not better, than Mitchell (your claims about Mitchell being superior are unsubstantiated by their results), and the hometown advantage Broner was scheduled to enjoy would have compounded Burns’ difficulties, making a Broner fight riskier than a Mitchell fight. Also, the appeal of Burns-Mitchell for some very important people is based on the fact that FW will win either way. He will earn a bigger chunk of change as the promoter of both fighters, he is guaranteed a winner who will be a very big draw, and that winner will be either a world titlist or in prime position to capture a world title.

I think Team Burns (again, I believe that Ricky would fight anyone put before him) clearly see a fight against Broner in the USA as too big of a risk for Ricky and not enough of a reward for them. This is unfortunate, because in my opinion, and as others have mentioned, Burns actually has a lot more to gain than lose if he fights Broner.

I think some of the so called boxng fans on this thread should be ashamed of themselves. Burns is a fighter to the soles of his boots, trown to the wolves early on in his career and still blossomed in spite of that. He now has to suffer some Internet monkeys calling him kiddie names and making out he is scared!!! FFS get a grip.

He is big at the weight and tbh Boner isn't all that, very fast but think he would struggle with Rickys jab and movement.

I hope Burns does what is best for his career overall not what some bumboys on here think he should.

crusader wrote:

dewipowell wrote:

crusader wrote:If Burns vacates w/o fighting Broner:

I'm just wondering how deciding against fighting in Broner's hometown and instead moving up in weight against a more proven, harder hitting and heavier opponent constitutes as ducking Broner? If Warren can get it for the vacant WBO title against Mitchell, with Marquez vacating to fight Pacquiao and Gurrero vacating the interim to fight Maidana (that's assuming they do vacate), then Ricky should take the fight. It will do wonders for his profile in the UK, he'll get paid well and he can win a world title.

I have no doubts that Burns would fight Broner; my accusations that evasive gestures have been made apply to the higher powers who are involved in the decision making. Ducking is mainly about risk analysis and certain people view a mandatory defense against Broner as too risky for too little. The fact that the fight would be in Broner's hometown (just as all of Burns' defenses have been in the UK) makes a win a tougher ask for Burns, but avoiding the fight because of that increased risk only solidifies the view this is a case of ducking. I'm, therefore, not sure why anyone would view travelling as a legitimate excuse to avoid an opponent—champions only defending at home is not good for boxing.

It also seems clear to me that the move to 135 was only seriously broached when it became patent a fight with the aging and inactive Fana would be untenable due to Broner's mandatory status. Burns made weight for his mediocre title challengers, and it was just weeks ago that he, Billy, and Warren were keen on fighting Fana at 130. Billy is also on record saying that Burn's was making 130 without struggle. However, soon after after Burns was forced to take a high risk fight over a lower risk fight a move to 135 became necessary due to 'weight issues.' To me that rapid shift of career direction suggests that someone in Burns’ team believed it would be prudent to avoid a fight in the USA with the young, mertible, and very dangerous challenger that is Adrien Broner.

I for one think that Broner is every bit as good, if not better, than Mitchell (your claims about Mitchell being superior are unsubstantiated by their results), and the hometown advantage Broner was scheduled to enjoy would have compounded Burns’ difficulties, making a Broner fight riskier than a Mitchell fight. Also, the appeal of Burns-Mitchell for some very important people is based on the fact that FW will win either way. He will earn a bigger chunk of change as the promoter of both fighters, he is guaranteed a winner who will be a very big draw, and that winner will be either a world titlist or in prime position to capture a world title.

I think Team Burns (again, I believe that Ricky would fight anyone put before him) clearly see a fight against Broner in the USA as too big of a risk for Ricky and not enough of a reward for them. This is unfortunate, because in my opinion, and as others have mentioned, Burns actually has a lot more to gain than lose if he fights Broner.

Points well explained

I think Burns has more to gain fighting Mitchell if that was made for a world title at lightweight than defending against Broner at super-feather. I think he has just as much to lose in both fights and the Mitchell fight would probably be away from home too, my guess would be London.

With boxing being as brutal as it is, as short a career as it is and as much of a business as a sport, I wouldn't blame Burns for moving up against Mitchell at all or think he's ducking Broner, I think he would be choosing a fight just as hard as the other but with more rewards. The rewards being a higher profile in the UK (his US profile might only last 5 minutes whatever the result against Broner), more money and the opportunity of becoming a 2 weight world champ.

Edit: Just to add that I'd only agree with not fighting Broner if there was a world title at stake at lightweight! Anything less is a backward step.

DaveBoyMorrison wrote:I think some of the so called boxng fans on this thread should be ashamed of themselves. Burns is a fighter to the soles of his boots, trown to the wolves early on in his career and still blossomed in spite of that. He now has to suffer some Internet monkeys calling him kiddie names and making out he is scared!!! FFS get a grip.

He is big at the weight and tbh Boner isn't all that, very fast but think he would struggle with Rickys jab and movement.

I hope Burns does what is best for his career overall not what some bumboys on here think he should.

Burns has only defended his world title against subpar opposition. Him dropping the title as soon as he has to fight a decent opponent makes him look bad, seem like a ducker and a joke champion.

That is the way it is, whether it is good for his career or not.

Come on we can all surely read between the lines here. Broner far too dangerous an opponent and if he's mandatory then it could be a nightmare if he ends up going over to US and getting mullered. Sensible manageent yes but I think he's avoiding Broner no doubt in my mind. He was all over wanting Fana a few months back and with good reason, he's an old man and not fought for ages.

billy nelson wrote:Ricky is massive for a SFW,he told be he even looked bigger than Khan on the Ringside programme,i would rather see Ricky move up in weight and be very very strong at it!
But beleive me he'd fight anyone at the weight anyone!

Except Broner?

DaveBoyMorrison wrote: I hope Burns does what is best for his career overall not what some bumboys on here think he should.

Ah, Davey, it's the way you tell 'em.

Have we heard anything on the subject directly from Ricky? I won't judge him personally until I have.

I'd be interested to see Burns fight Murray or Mitchell, but I'd rather see him defend his belt against a worthy challenger first.

I wonder how much it cost to get Ricky the home title shot, and whether there is more money to be recouped before he's thrown into a fight against a risky opponent (given that the financial return hasn't been huge in his defences to date).