BoxRec

I've just read a report on fightnews.com that contracts have been signed for Ricky Burns to fight some guy called Matt Zegan on either 4/11 December in London . I have never heard of him so I had a look on boxrec ratings . Apparently Zegan is the WBO European champ at lightweight . I know incredible isn't it !!!
I can't find him rated in the top 150 either at light welterweight , lightweight or super featherweight ,although it was a quick look so maybe I've missed it .
Ricky gave us all such a glorious night in Glasgow ,surely he can't be going in against this chappie in his next fight ?
If they are really struggling for an opponent I can run round to the local pub and get somebody for them.
Can somebody in the know please ,please,please issue a denial !!!

dalcumly wrote:I've just read a report on fightnews.com that contracts have been signed for Ricky Burns to fight some guy called Matt Zegan on either 4/11 December in London . I have never heard of him so I had a look on boxrec ratings . Apparently Zegan is the WBO European champ at lightweight . I know incredible isn't it !!!
I can't find him rated in the top 150 either at light welterweight , lightweight or super featherweight ,although it was a quick look so maybe I've missed it .
Ricky gave us all such a glorious night in Glasgow ,surely he can't be going in against this chappie in his next fight ?
If they are really struggling for an opponent I can run round to the local pub and get somebody for them.
Can somebody in the know please ,please,please issue a denial !!!

shocking match up, the guy seems pretty tough judging by his record but this is a joke match up, deserves an easy first defence but not this easy!

I believe Zegan just lost a 4rd fight to a 5 or 6 fight novice?

I didn't think I'd see the day where we would have a Universium style matchup in the UK and Ireland. I guess I was wrong and we will see one in December in the ExCel arena.

Floyd wrote:I believe Zegan just lost a 4rd fight to a 5 or 6 fight novice?

Zegan was originally announced the loser against a guy who was 3-0, but it was changed to a draw. There is a lot of controversy, as some seem to think the result was changed not because of a scoring error, but to save Zegan his world ranking and oppurtunities like this. Here is a bit about the situation.

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/berg-ze ... more-61656

Given what happened in Zegan's last fight, it is hard to accept him as an opponent. I don't care if some people think Burns deserves an 'easy' first defense, Zegan would be a joke opponent.

Matt Zegan: http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_ ... &cat=boxer

Its a shocking choice of opponent but people have to be realistic about Burn's situation.

He's one of the weakest 'champions' in the sport, and has to be protected. He showed a ton of heart and grit to lift the title but the guy he was up against was rubbish apart from genuinely crushing power. Great win for Burns but things have to be kept in perspective.

The first time Ricky is matched tough he'll likely lose his title, so they're trying to give him chance to make a defense and make a bit of cash. Yeah it highlights a side of the sport thats very cynical, but its not really a major issue. Its not like anybody thinks Burns should be looking to go after the real top men at the weight or anything. Burns title will of course mean the world to him, but its a tiny side issue in the big picture at the weight.

Unless someone's hands are forced, the first time Burns is matched tougher it'll be against a Brit also under the umbrella.

I hope this isn't true, this would be a totally laughable fight. Zegan is probably nowhere near for the EBU title, let alone a world title in a weight devision lower than he has fought all his career.

Most worrying about the whole thing is that Zegan hasn't made 130lbs in 9 years.....

(and that's funny to say "most worrying" when we're talking about a WBO-European champion and a guy who lost his last fight, then gets the decision changed..... the moment I saw his name I was thinking "but he just lost to a 3-fight novice!!!!!!").

"T.M.K"

What a fukin joke never mind the weak opponent but the fact he got his last result overturned that is one of the worst things I've ever seen in boxing.

burns did have a tough one last time though.

will this be one of the multiple world title fights on the FW dec show?

Fightnews is suggesting that new WBO super-featherweight champion Ricky Burns makes a quick first defence against seasoned Pole Matt Zegan in December, with a question mark firmly attached to the report.
The whole thing does seem bizarre. Burns only won the title earlier this month from Puerto Rico's Roman Martinez after 12 gut-wrenching rounds – why the need for such a rapid defence? - and the 34-year-old Zegan clearly isn’t a super-featherweight, having competed at world level at lightweight some years ago and having struggled at light-welterweight more recently.
Oh well, money talks. Burns is entitled to cash in after climbing off the floor in the first round to outlast the previously unbeaten Martinez at a raucous Kelvin Hall in Glasgow. Burns, from nearby Coatbridge, really upset the odds against a man who looked horribly drawn before the weigh-in and who was clearly banking on an early finish, but Burns knew it and stayed right with Martinez after that shaky start and finished much the stronger in one of the hardest fights of the year to date.
The 27-year-old Scot will hope for an easier ride against Zegan, a safe choice of challenger, good enough to go 12 hard rounds with fellow southpaw Artur Grigorian in a gutsy crack at the WBO lightweight title way back in 2003 but bossed by Nate Campbell in a subsequent lightweight eliminator in the States in 2006, since when he has won five of his 10 fights, with three losses and two draws.
"Boom Boom" Zegan looks well past his best, whereas Burns is on the rise and much the livelier. There can only be one winner.

reckon the need for a quick defense is to fit onto FW's show which celebreates his 30 yrs as promoter. he did promise multiple world title fights.

wonder if cleverly & brook for some interim or international WBO title will also be on, or if perhaps cleverly v braehmer (surely an expensive opponent)?

honestly i would rather have seen burns heading his own show vs a better opponent.

how long was mike jones on the pac-margarito card? - he was never going to turn down that showcase. what i'm getting at is did anyone ever think he would be on the dec FW show?

think jones is a bit overrated. quiet american with big muscles who looks strong comes along. you read post fight reports commending his "impressive skills." the guy is like the peterson bros, strong, overmuscled, massive, and a bit cumbersome if i'm being honest. really telegraphs his shots but then again might be too strong for brook (or maybe brook is too smooth).

so brook for WBO interim is one of the "world title fights." burns v zegan is another. if we're being optimistic, cleverly v braehmer. reckon that would be the main fight of the night, with some of the other matchups paying for that in quality.

looking at zegan he is the wbo european lightweight champion .so surely he cant be ranked number 3 at super feather weight.

Zegan is not ranked in Septembers rankings from the WBO so it would need some strings pulled, lets hope common sense prevails, can't see Sky allowing this, there are other very beatable fighters in the top 15 for Ricky to take before lowering himself to this farce

1 Terdsak Jandaeng (Oriental) THAI
2 Eloy Perez (NABO) USA
3 Leva Kirakosyan ARM
4 Roman Martinez PR
5 Sergey Gulyakevich BEL
6 Rey Labao (Asia-Pacific) PHI
7 Vicente M. Rodriguez ARG
8 Luis Cruz (Latino) PR
9 Emmanuel Tagoe (WBO Africa) GHA
10 Will Tomlinson (Oriental Int.) AUST
11 Santos Benavides NIC
12 Jason Litzau USA
13 Fernando D. Saucedo ARG
14 Allan Tanada (Asia-Pacific Youth) PHI
15 Rene Gonzalez NIC

i hope martinez guns for burns again. that could develop into a fabulous rivalry. that was the fight of the year, no doubt. will martinez end up going elsewhere?

jandaeng and guly would be decent title defenses.

Autobarn wrote:i hope martinez guns for burns again. that could develop into a fabulous rivalry. that was the fight of the year, no doubt. will martinez end up going elsewhere?

jandaeng and guly would be decent title defenses.

They would be great for the public but my guess is it will be a fight that they are convinced Burns can win and to be fair he probably does deserve if not a gimmee but certainly one he should win then he can get a defence in locally in Scotland afterwards.

Tomlinson would be my pick from that point of view.

This fight isn't going to be on the big Warren 30th anniversary card. He has said it will be week before on 4th December. Should really be a better opponent than this - it's not exactly the deepest division going!

I've seen Zegan a few times, he aint that bad - it would have been a decent fight for Burns as a tune up for Martinez. I do completely agree Zegan does not deserve another shot at the world title, but is a half decent gate keeper. As Bennie said, I very much doubt he can make Super Feather. He's a big Lightweight.

what on earth is the WBO European title?

This doesn't smell right. Hopefully Sky will enforce a bit of quality control.

Where are the Irish posters who are condoning Andy Lees fight? Why are they not condoning this fight also?

goldbird wrote:Where are the Irish posters who are condoning Andy Lees fight? Why are they not condoning this fight also?

I am an Irish poster and I have said my opinions on this post.

GLOBALBOX wrote:

Autobarn wrote:i hope martinez guns for burns again. that could develop into a fabulous rivalry. that was the fight of the year, no doubt. will martinez end up going elsewhere?

jandaeng and guly would be decent title defenses.

They would be great for the public but my guess is it will be a fight that they are convinced Burns can win and to be fair he probably does deserve if not a gimmee but certainly one he should win then he can get a defence in locally in Scotland afterwards.

Tomlinson would be my pick from that point of view.

ricky burns v ricky tomlinson?

reckon only one of these could make super feather

Autobarn wrote:

GLOBALBOX wrote:

Autobarn wrote:i hope martinez guns for burns again. that could develop into a fabulous rivalry. that was the fight of the year, no doubt. will martinez end up going elsewhere?

jandaeng and guly would be decent title defenses.

They would be great for the public but my guess is it will be a fight that they are convinced Burns can win and to be fair he probably does deserve if not a gimmee but certainly one he should win then he can get a defence in locally in Scotland afterwards.

Tomlinson would be my pick from that point of view.

ricky burns v ricky tomlinson?

reckon only one of these could make super feather