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By Declan Warrington –

Ricky Burns believes that his last fight, against Jose Gonzalez, produced the ‘worst round’ of his career but insists that he will be fully prepared for Raymundo Beltran in the knowledge that he is unlikely to resist a brawl.

The WBO lightweight champion was in many ways fortunate to survive what was a difficult title defence against Gonzalez in May when the challenger retired after the ninth round with a wrist injury.

Burns is adamant, however, that he has learnt from that experience and will therefore not allow himself to become impatient or to repeat the same mistakes.

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Fully prepared: Ricky Burns insists he will not be slipping up against Raymundo Beltran

 

‘I think when I watched that fight back, from the second round onwards you could see I was getting picked off and I was trying to force the fight. I was lunging in,’ he told Sky Sports.

‘I was getting caught with punches I shouldn’t of, which I shouldn’t have been doing. It’s alright saying it now that I’ve watched it back, but when you are in there, that’s when I should have clicked.

‘I enjoy the occasion, especially fighting in Glasgow it’s fantastic.

article-2410111-1B99977C000005DC-618_634x492Talented: The Scot also says he will be putting the ‘worst round’ of his career behind him

 

‘(But) that last fight, the seventh round, I think that was the worst round in my whole boxing career. It’s the only time I have noticed the fans lift the roof off the place.

‘That’s the first time I paid attention to it.’

Saturday’s fight at Glasgow’s Scottish Exhibition Centre is Burns’ fourth defence of his world title, while his Mexican opponent fights at world-level for the first time. Beltran has spoken of his hunger and determination to beat the Scot but Burns is the classier fighter and says he has concentrated on the fundamentals in order to be fully prepared.

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Close relationship: Burns is fighting for the second time since teaming up with Eddie Hearn

article-2410111-1B96143E000005DC-110_634x397Determined opponent: Mexico’s Raymundo Beltran is fighting for a world title for the first time

 

‘We went back to basics a bit for this fight, we went back to boxing, but knowing me there is always a time when I’m going to be dragged into a fight,’ he said.

‘I don’t know what way I’m going to take this guy on Saturday night, one round at a time, but if it’s going to be toe-to-toe for 12 rounds, then I’m up for that.’

Over the course of 34 fights, Beltran has lost six and won 28.

Burns has suffered only two defeats in 38, the last of those against Carl Johanneson in 2007.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/boxing/article-2410111/Ricky-Burns-ready-worst-round-fights-Raymundo-Beltran.html

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WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns insists there is no chance of fatherhood turning him soft.

The 30-year-old’s wife Amanda gave birth to an as yet unnamed baby boy last week amid his preparations for the fourth defence of his title against Raymundo Beltran at the SECC in Glasgow on Saturday night.

Before Tuesday’s press conference at the Fighting Scots Gym in Mossend, Lanarkshire, promoter Eddie Hearn joked that he had warned Burns not to let the emotions of fatherhood affect his mindset against the Mexican.

When asked if that was a possibility, the Coatbridge fighter said: “No, not at all. Boxing is my job, that is the way I look at it.

“Come Saturday night I know what I need to go out and do.

“First I need to win and then put on good performance, better than the last one.

“The last two or three months has been a nightmare.

“Moving house with the baby on its way, while trying to train for this fight.

“Amanda went into labour four o’clock on the Monday morning and didn’t have the baby until the Thursday morning, so she was in a while.

“It was just a nightmare but it is all done now so all my focus is on Saturday night.”

Burns’ desire to “do better than the last one” was a reference to his fight against Jose Gonzalez in May.

The impressive Puerto Rican challenger was ahead on points at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow but retired at the end of the ninth round with a damaged left hand.

“You are not always going to get it your own way in fights,” said Burns.

“But a champion shows that he can dig in and that’s what I done and got the win, which is the most important thing.

“Gonzalez was very good. At one point I felt my leg going a bit and that’s when he pounced on me, had me on the ropes and was unloading on me.

“But I came back with own punches. It is not in me to give in.

“I have always said that if I am going out I will go out swinging and when I caught him in the seventh that’s when the crowd took the roof off.

“But you learn from those fights. With Beltran, I don’t think I will have to go looking for him.

“He hasn’t come over here for nothing and he has not been one of the chief sparring partners of Manny Pacquiao for nothing.

“I know I am going to have to bring my A-game.

“He likes to get involved in a bit of a war but that doesn’t bother me.

“There will be times when In have to dig deep and stand my ground.

“Hopefully I will keep to my boxing but we will wait and see.”

http://www.boxingscene.com/burns-prepared-dig-deep-battle-back-with-beltran–69251

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Ricky Burns will defend his WBO lightweight World title against Raymundo Beltran at the SECC in Glasgow on September 7, live on Sky Sports.

The Scotsman makes the fourth defence of his title against the highly rated Mexican after coming through a tough test against José González in May in Glasgow, with the Puerto Rican rattling the champion before Burns held onto his title after González retired ahead of the tenth round.

The 30 year old Coatbridge ace returned from an eight month absence from the ring to battle past González and is adamant he will turn on the style against Beltran.

“It’s great to be back out again in Glasgow and against another tough opponent,” said Burns. “It was a tricky night against José but I got myself through it like a true champion does and I will be looking to step up a gear against Beltran, who I know will be coming to Scotland full of confidence, so it should be another great night in Glasgow.

“Raymundo is coming over to cause an upset and take the title – and it’s a chance he has earned. But there will be no mistakes from me on the night and you’ll see the best of me in there.”

Beltran, 31, enters the fight on the back of three straight wins and is ready to grasp his first World title shot with both hands.

“I have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time,” said Beltran. “I have been on the wrong side of some close decisions but I have never quit on myself or my goal to be World champion.

“I will prepare for a long night and a hard fight. He is the champion so he won’t give it to me I have to take it from him. I am not flying across the ocean to just show up. He’s going to know that he’s in a war and he’s going to know this was no tune up or stay busy fight for him. I have never fought easy fights. Whatever it takes to win – knock out, points, it will be a definitive for me so no one can question that I deserve to be the champion. He has had his time and I respect him now but the night of the fight he will get none until it’s over. Then its two warriors who have respect again. But he’s in for 12 rounds or less with me giving my all.

“This is for my family, my kids, so I can give them a good future. I’m taking them into the ring with me in my heart. You know it’s hard to explain but I’m excited to be here and now that I am here I am not going to just take it for granted. It’s too important. It proves that of you never give up your time will come. Sooner or later it will come. Then it’s up to you.

“Ricky Burns will no longer be the champion when he wakes up on Sept 8th because I’m taking his belt the night before.”

“Ray Beltran is the Mexican buzzsaw who is always in the kind of action fight that fans like to see. Beltran will fight in a real entertaining battle against Ricky Burns. British boxing fans are in for a real treat,” said Bob Arum, CEO, Top Rank.

“This has always been a fight that stylistically makes sense,” said show promoter Eddie Hearn. “Beltran is a hugely entertaining and tough opponent who is on a hot run and ranked impressively across the governing bodies. Fans can expect a great main event and a deep card as Ricky continues his journey in the 135 pound division.”

Hearn revealed the early undercard at a press conference today in Glasgow, and said Scottish fans can expect a great night of action with John Simpson, Stephen Simmons, Scotty Cardle and David Brophy all fighting and more names to be announced soon.

http://www.boxingscene.com/ricky-burns-i-step-up-gear-with-ray-beltran–67038

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Photo:  Skysports –

Ricky Burns has entered “crabbit” territory as he awaits Friday’s weigh-in ahead of his WBO world lightweight title fight against Puerto Rican Jose Gonzalez at the Emirates Arena the following evening.

The 30-year-old champion from Coatbridge, who has not fought since beating Englishman Kevin Mitchell in September last year, is in the final stages of a typically rigorous training regime.

At the head-to-head press conference at the Glasgow venue today, Burns used the old-fashioned Scottish word for agitated to describe his emotions.

“It is always the couple of days before the fight which is the worst,” he said.

“I think every boxer will tell you the same because you need to start cutting down on what you are eating.

“You start getting crabbit, you just want to get the weigh-in over and once that is over you can concentrate fully on the fight.

“So I am playing the waiting game now. I have been training for so long. I just want to get out there and put on a show for the fans and I am really looking forward to it.”

Burns posed nose-to-nose with his 29-year-old mandatory challenger, who arrived in Scotland with 17 knockouts from an unblemished 22-fight record.

However, the Scot refrained from the body-language analysis which usually accompanies those type of picture opportunities

“I don’t really pay attention to all that stuff, you do it because you need to do it for the photos,” he said.

“What matters is when the two of us are in that ring, that’s what matters most.

“I can’t wait for Saturday night. It is going to be a great night.”

Burns’ promoter Eddie Hearn, from Matchroom Sport promotions, expects around 6,000 fans to turn up at the newly-built arena in the east end of Glasgow, all of whom, according to the champion’s trainer Billy Nelson, should be appreciative of their man.

Nelson said: “Ricky is a genuine world class fighter and that’s what we tend to forget in Scotland.

“We don’t appreciate what we have got until maybe it is not there anymore.

“We should be very proud of him.

“There is nobody in the whole world – and I sincerely mean this – who could beat Ricky Burns at lightweight just now.

“I think he is in the condition of his life to be perfectly honest.

“He is physically stronger than he was for the fight against Mitchell, he is punching stronger, his confidence is high and he has been looking great in sparring.”

http://www.boxingscene.com/ricky-burns-eager-get-jose-gonzalez-ring–65313