Ricky Burns holds on to his WBO title after seeing off Paulus Moses

There are many ways to win a fight, but Ricky Burns again did not stray far from his stick-and-move formula to turn back the rugged challenge of Paulus Moses and retain his WBO lightweight title in front of an appreciative Scottish audience.

Judges awarded him the decision by margins of 119-110, 120-110 and 117-110 – a little harsh on the African challenger, from this vantage point, at least: I had him winning 116-113. The Coatbridge man remains on track for a considerably bigger fight in June, against the Londoner Kevin Mitchell.

Burns got a lager-spilling reception from the 6,000 fans in the Braehead Arena on his return to a Glasgow ring after an absence of a year – although it was a bit rude to play Flower of Scotland for the champion and be left to wonder what the Namibian anthem sounds like.

Snubbed or not, Moses was intent on making it a long night for Burns. The heavy-handed man from Windhoek, a former WBA champion, rumbled after Burns, who took a round or two to hit a rhythm, his pink gloves incongruous but effective weapons.

The Burns right, thrown at an angle over his opponent’s guard, hit the target with encouraging regularity as he took control of centre ring, giving ground only when covering up on the ropes, a strategy that non-plussed the challenger.

Reduced to charging through a blizzard of pink, Moses soaked up a steady flow of blows to the head but remained dangerous on the counter. He looked to have shared the fifth and took the sixth, growing strong as Burns struggled to hold him at bay.

Moses continued to throw big shots in bunches, not all of them catching Burns’s high guard. The boisterous crowd of only a quarter of an hour earlier idled in relative silence, and the chatter from the visitor’s corner grew ever more urgent.

An overhand right rocked Burns early in the ninth but he came back with one of his own and a few more jabs and uppercuts near the bell to take control going into the championship rounds.

The crowd came to life in the 10th, as did Burns, weathering the now less frequent attacks by Moses – who looked his 33 years – and working more vigorously to the ribs. As the seconds ebbed, so did Moses.

The 12th started curiously. They hugged at the start, rather than merely touching gloves, then Burns looked distractedly down at his shorts; had it been Floyd Mayweather in front of him rather than the gentlemanly Moses, he would have spent the next 10 seconds staring at the ceiling. He returned to work quickly enough, dancing clear of danger, and banging out enough jabs to consolidate his advantage. Scotland would be no Promised Land for Moses.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/mar/11/ricky-burns-retains-title?newsfeed=true

IN DEPTH WITH RICKY BURNS

Ricky Burns: ‘I’m Fed Up With Training and Waiting. Let’s Get the Fight On!’

With two world titles already on his CV, Coatbridge quiet man Ricky Burns is now primely placed to reap the material rewards of his labours.

But with a lucrative summer showdown against London rival Kevin Mitchell beckoning, and possible unification openings thereafter, this most unassuming of champions stresses to boxing writer Glynn Evans that there can be no room for complacency when he faces off with top grade Namibian Paulus Moses at Braehead Arena next Saturday.

The Scot makes the opening defence of his World Boxing Organization (WBO) World Lightweight crown live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 456/Virgin Ch. 546) from 7.30pm. Join at www.boxnation.tv

How do you reflect on your great win over Michael Katsidis for the WBO interim lightweight crown at Wembley last November? Do you agree it was the finest performance of your career?

It was definitely a good performance. Again, everybody had me wrote off beforehand and, again, I proved everybody wrong. It was definitely a tougher fight than when I won my (WBO) superfeather belt against Roman Martinez. Michael was exactly what we trained for; a tough, tough man and you could see at the end when I was interviewed how swollen my jaw was.

That said, it appeared a lot tougher when I watched the tape back than it had actually appeared when I was fighting the fight. I pretty much knew from the first round that I had the beating of him. The tactics were to stay on the jab and, when inevitably there were times when he managed to close the distance, to keep my hands up, counter, then use my legs to get me out of bother. It all worked perfectly. Again, I promise, there’s a lot more still to come.

It was your first championship start up at 135lbs. What difference did the added weight make during camp and on fight night?

I’d not have weighed much more inside the ring than I did when I boiled down to super-feather but it allowed training to go far more comfortably. I could train for tactics and technique not just to shed pounds. Straining to make weight definitely takes something out of you in the ring. I still looked massive for a lightweight.

Lightweight has been my natural weight for a lot longer than you’d realise. To be honest, I was surprised how long I continued at superfeather when I was fighting at Commonwealth level. We discussed lightweight a year before I won the super-feather world title. Every time it was ‘just one more fight’. However, the struggle I had making 130 for the Nicky Cook fight was absolutely ridiculous. Of course, it’s hard to walk away when you hold a world title but I knew after that it was definitely time to move up. When the opportunity to contest the ‘interim’ title at lightweight was offered, I jumped at it. A lifeline!

Your first defence against Paulus Moses on Saturday (10th) will be your first start in Scotland for 12 months. Given your last two showings at home were comparatively flat title defences over Andreas Evensen and Joseph Laryea, do you feel you owe Scottish fans a spectacular performance?

Obviously I’ll be hoping to look good for the home fans but you know I don’t ever like to talk myself up and put added pressure on myself. Getting the win is the be all and end all, for me. I understand there’s under 400 tickets left so we’re expecting a sell out. What I can say is that if I perform as well as I have been in sparring, I guarantee the fans will have a good night.

The South African is a former WBA champion who has only lost once in 29 pro fights and has 19 knockout wins on his slate. Yet you’ve accepted him as a voluntary challenger. Weren’t you tempted to take something a little less taxing?

No, I’ve always said since I started boxing at 12 that I’ll fight anyone at all. The only way to be the best, and to be considered the best by others, is to fight and beat the best around. This is a proper world title fight.

How has your preparation gone?

I’ll have had 10 or 11 weeks and six of that will have been hard sparring. There’s been a really good vibe in the gym. I’ve done a lot of rounds with Paul Appleby who’s got a big fight himself the same night (against Ireland’s Stephen Ormond) and I’ve also had Tommy Coyle, Tyrone Nurse, Patrick Liam Walsh up here before finishing off with Bradley Saunders last week. You get to a stage were you’re just fed up with training and waiting. You just want to get the fight on. That’s where I’m at.

What do you know of the 33 year old challenger?

I’m never one for studying tapes of my opponent. What happens on the night, happens. A fight’s a fight and I’ve always been good at sussing things out once we get started.

But Paulus’s record speaks for itself so I know he’s likely to give me a very good fight. He’s a former world champion, proven at very top class for quite a while and his only defeat (a sixth round knockout in the second defence of his WBA crown) was to Venezuela’s Miguel Acosta who is also a great fighter.

I’ve heard Moses is a good boxer who has a good jab but so have I. Obviously, from his record, he can bang – we’ve heard with the right hand – but I’ve been in with bangers before. Martinez and Katsidis were said to be bangers but I’ve always shown I can take a shot.

I think the first few rounds could be the key but I’m ready for anything and I’ll take each round as it comes.

Your very best performances have come as an underdog against Martinez and Katsidis yet you enter this as a 5-1 on favourite. Any chance you could be overlooking Moses in favour of the mooted mandatory summer showdown with Kevin Mitchell?

None at all. If I don’t win here, the Kevin Mitchell fight definitely isn’t going to happen. I’ve trained extremely hard for 12 rounds and I’m expecting a very tough fight. I have to get this one out of the way.

People need to realise, I just love fighting and the better the opponent, the more I love it. Most true, diehard boxing fans are aware exactly how big a challenge Paulus Moses represents. I’ve always maintained that only the very top opponents will bring out the very best in me and this is a perfect fight for me to prove that.

Prediction?

Ricky Burns wins a great fight; points if need be, knockout’s a bonus!

This is your first fight of 2012. What do you hope to have achieved by the end of the year?

I’m looking no further than this fight but obviously if I do get through it, the Kevin Mitchell fight should be straightforward to make as we’re both with Frank Warren. Kevin boxed very well last month so that could be a very tough fight in the summer. We’re the two best lightweights in the country and it’s the one most want to see.

You’ve been world champion for 18 months now. How are you growing into that status? You’re naturally shy. Are the commitments a bonus or a distraction?

I’m still doing my shift at the local sports store on the weekend. It breaks up my training nicely and all the staff and customers are ‘brand new’. That keeps me grounded.

I do whatever’s needed publicity wise then, a fortnight before a fight I completely lock myself away and I think people appreciate the need for that.

Otherwise, I try to go to as many functions and charity bashes as I can. It’s no big deal to me but often means a lot to others. My attitude’s the same it always was. I sort of enjoy the attention but I get embarrassed, really don’t see what all the fuss is about. After a fight, I do try to lock myself away for a couple of weeks to let the commotion die down.

You’re still only 28 but have been a pro for nearly 11 years now. How long do you intend continuing for and what are your remaining ambitions? Breaking America? Unification?

A boxing ring is a boxing ring and, if I keep winning, sure, I’d go to the States, particularly for unification. That would be exciting, an adventure.

I really, really love fighting so much. I’ve a good defence and, as long as I’m not getting hurt, I tell (trainer) Billy Nelson I’m going to continue until I’ve had 100 fights! Others think I’m nuts but, really, it’s all I want to do.

THE WBO LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WORLD

RICKY BURNS v PAULUS MOSES

SATURDAY 10th MARCH, 2012

BRAEHEAD ARENA, GLASGOW

***LIVE ON BOXNATION (SKY CH. 456/VIRGIN CH. 546)***

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=31008&more=1

Billy Nelson, the trainer for WBO lightweight interim champion Ricky Burns (33-2, 9 KO’s), sees Burns stopping former WBA World lightweight champion Paulus Moses (28-1, 19 KO’s) in their big fight on March 10th at the Braehead Arena in Glascow, Scotland.

Nelson told the heraldscotland.com “Moses is a very good fighter. His style is completely different to [Michael] Katsidis, but world class fighters have the ability to adapt and I expect Ricky to stop him.”

So the light hitting Burns is going to stop a hard hitter like Moses, eh?

Is Nelson serious about that or what? Burns hasn’t had what you’d call genuine knockout since he stopped Michael Gomez in the 7th round in March 2009. I know Burns got a 1st round knockout credit for his fight with Nicky Cook last year in July when Cook’s back seized up on him in the first seconds of the fight in what turned out to be one of the funniest and worst match-ups I’ve ever seen before.

But Burns is hardly a knockout puncher and if he tries to punch with Moses, he’s going to be playing directly into his hands and will be making it too easy for him to stop Burns and take his precision interim strap. I figure Moses will win anyway by knockout but Burns will make it all the easier if he tries to follow Nelson’s instructions by shooting for a knockout over Moses.

I think Burns and Nelson haven’t see Moses fight and don’t realize what a great left hook and jab this guy has got. Moses can really punch and has got excellent hand speed and size. Moses, 5’8”, isn’t as tall as the 5’10” Burns but he’s got a 2 ½” reach advantage over the Scottish Burns, so he might as well be the taller man.

By Scott Gilfoid:

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2012/01/burnss-trainer-expects-knockout-victory-for-burns-over-moses-on-310/

Ricky Burns is enjoying his last week of regular living before he gets down to preparing seriously for his interim WBO lightweight battle against Paulus Moses at the Braehead Arena on March 10.

The 28-year-old champion from Coatbridge is already in training for the visit of the Namibian, who has lost only once in 29 fights.

However, he will move into overdrive next week when he starts looking at the scales with the nine stone nine pounds limit in mind, although he admits it will not be quite as difficult as it used to be when he was a super-featherweight.

“The hard dieting will start next week,” said Burns.

“At the moment I have a wee bit of leeway and if I want something I can have it.

“But I start pushing it seven weeks before the fight.

“I started training just after the New Year so we are in full training, two and three times a day.

“But the countdown is on to the weigh-in and then it’s time to get on with the job.

“No matter what weight you have to make it is always hard. But again, making nine stone nine is a lot easier than having to boil down to nine stone four.

“I am much happier now that I have moved up a weight.”

While not taking victory for granted, Burns wants to take on Essex fighter Kevin Mitchell in the summer.

Mitchell’s only defeat in 33 fights to date was to Michael Katsidis at Upton Park, London, in May 2010, whom the Scotsman beat at Wembley in November last year to take the title from the Australian.

“Obviously I have to get past Paulus Moses first or that (Mitchell) fight is not going to happen,” said Burns.

“I know Kevin is fighting in February and as long as the two of us come through then we can sit down and talk about it.

“Both of us are promoted by Frank Warren so it is an easy fight for us to make.

“I would say the two of us are the best lightweights in Britain just now so it is a fight that I would really want.

“When I beat Michael Katsidis he (Mitchell) was saying he would love the chance to fight me.

“I would prefer it to be up here.

“Hopefully we can show them that we can get Braehead sold out and get the fans behind me.

“But for now, I just need to concentrate on my next fight.”

The 5th of November saw Scotland’s Ricky Burns beat the hard hitting Australian Michael Katsidis via a unanimous decision to become the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Interim Lightweight champion in what was a good performance.

Ricky used his jab well and covered up during Katsidis’s attack which was pretty relentless for twelve rounds. A lot of fans and experts were expecting Burns to lose.

The question a lot of people have asked me is. Who does Ricky fight next? There are a few options out there for Ricky he could face either IBF Champion Miguel Vazquez or WBC Champion Antonio Demarco and go for a second world title.
My choice would be for him to face Kevin Mitchell in a fight which would be a great domestic fight. It is a fight that is easily able to put together as both fighters are promoted by Frank Warren. The venue is a tricky choice in my opinion it would most likely be held in London at the o2 Arena or Wembley Arena.

This has the potential to be a great fight would do nice to top a bill with a strong undercard. Who do I think would win? Personally I think it depends on Mitchell’s mental state if his head is in it then for me he wins the fight. I like Ricky Burns a lot I’m proud for the contribution he has made to British boxing and it was a shame he didn’t win the British boxer of year award.

For me the Mitchell fight should be made it is the best option in my opinion. Maybe the winner of this fight could end up facing the winner of the Murray Vs Rios fight.

By Dan Henderson

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2011/11/ricky-burns-where-next/

New interim WBO world lightweight champion Ricky Burns is eyeing big fights both domestically and internationally in the 135lb division following his win over Michael Katsidis to become Scotland’s first two-weight world champion in nearly twenty years.

“The lightweight division is a really hot here and abroad at the moment,” said Burns. “Kevin Mitchell beat John Murray in a great fight back in July, while Murray has got a tough fight against WBA world champion Brandon Rios coming up. If Murray wins – and I’m hoping he does the job – then that opens up a unification fight between us. If he doesn’t then I’d love a shot at Rios. On the world scene Juan Manuel Marquez is there and so is Robert Guerrero plus Miguel Vazquez so I’m looking at some big fights ahead.”

Juan Manuel Marquez’s defeat to Manny Pacquiao on Saturday keeps alive the possibility of a fight with WBO interim lightweight champion Ricky Burns.

Marquez is the holder of the full WBO title at Burns’s weight but had moved up to welterweight to take on the legendary Filipino in Las Vegas.

His controversial loss makes it less likely he will vacate his lightweight belt but could mean a date with Burns.

The Scot beat Michael Katsidis on November 5 in his first lightweight bout.

He had relinquished his WBO super-featherweight title to move up a weight class to the 9st 9lb mark.

On Sunday Burns’s trainer Billy Nelson told BBC Scotland: “We would love to fight Marquez but it all depends on what he wants to do.

“He might go for a re-match with Pacquiao, he might retire or he might decide to drop back down to lightweight and defend his title.

“If he does defend his belt, then he has to fight Ricky because he has the interim title and is the mandatory challenger.”

Nelson is still buoyed by Burns’s impressive win over the Australian Katsidis at Wembley eight days ago, satisfied that “the game plan worked to a T” and particularly pleased by the way his boxer controlled the centre of the ring when he opted to.

And Burns’s maturity and quiet confidence at the elite level of the sport means he and trainer Nelson would face Marquez with a belief they could take the full title, with any bout likely to be staged in the United States.

Nelson, who runs The Fighting Scots gym, added: “We wouldn’t be thinking we’d made it just by getting a bout with Marquez; we’d be there to win it.

“We are very positive about the whole thing.”

Nelson will have four boxers on the undercard when Glasgow’s Willie Limond takes on Anthony Crolla for the Manchester fighter’s British lightweight title in Motherwell on 25 November.

However, he did not think it likely that Burns and Limond would go toe to toe in the ring.

“That would be more of a domestic bout. We want Ricky to be fighting for world titles,” said the coach.

“Willie would need to get himself up there in the WBO rankings to fight Ricky. He would need to beat Anthony Crolla and that will be no easy task.”

At the MGM Grand arena, challenger Marquez, now 38, lost out to Pacquiao on a controversial majority decision, with two judges voting in favour of the reigning champion and the third scoring a tie.

Pacquiao, 32, has now won his last 15 bouts, but for Mexico’s Marquez the decision was painfully reminiscent of his defeat to the same fighter in 2008. The pair also drew a contest in May 2004.

Marquez said after the bout: “This was the second robbery and this one was the worst. We won with clearer punches.

“It’s hard when you’re fighting your rival and the three judges too.”

Marquez has won world titles at three weight divisions.

Last year he complained that progression to welterweight was accompanied by a loss of speed.

The coming weeks will reveal whether the ageing star opts to drop from his 142lb for the Pacquiao fight to extend his legacy in the 135lb lightweight category where a hungry Scot awaits.

By Keir Murray
BBC Scotland

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/boxing/15712008.stm

By Jake Donovan, photos by Alan ‘Big Al’ Stevenson

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=45762