lpinoy
09-04-2010, 01:16 AM
C/P
By Stephen Halliday
ALMOST eight years ago, Ricky Burns stepped into the ring at an almost empty Braehead Arena. On the same canvas less than an hour before, Scott Harrison had produced a stunning performance to dethrone Julio Pablo Chacon as the WBO featherweight champion.
As the celebrations in the Harrison dressing room began in earnest and a jubilant crowd dispersed into the night, the then 19-year-old Burns marked the fifth fight of his fledgling professional career with an impressive but largely unnoticed second.
Tonight at the Kelvin Hall, as Scotland stages its first world title fight since Harrison's final ring appearance five years ago before his life hit the skids outside the boxing arena, all eyes will be firmly fixed on Burns as he bids to add his name to the pantheon of his country's world boxing champions.
Now 27, the unassuming Coatbridge man has, as those within boxing are fond of saying, paid his dues. The journey from Harrison undercards has taken him through brave but unsuccessful British and European title challenges before he claimed the Commonwealth super-featherweight belt two years ago.
Three successful defences of that title earned him number one challenger status with the WBO and tonight's potentially life-changing showdown with that organisation's formidable world champion Roman Martinez. It is the headline contest of the opening show of a new big time boxing season on Sky Sports which sees the sport return to a Saturday night prime time slot.
For Burns, the rewards for victory will be considerable, both in a monetary sense and in terms of raising his hitherto understated profile among the wider sporting public. "I remember that night when Scott won his title," said Burns. "I didn't even get to see him win it because I was back in the dressing room getting ready for my fight. When I went into the ring, there was almost no-one left in the place.
"That's the downside of boxing when you start out and it can be hard to motivate yourself sometimes when no-one is watching. But ever since I first pulled on a pair of gloves, I've always believed I could fight for a world title one day. There has been a lot of hard work and patience involved but I've now been given a great opportunity to make my dream come true."
There has been a remarkable serenity about Burns in the build-up to this defining moment of his career, and he maintained it at yesterday's weigh-in.
By Stephen Halliday
ALMOST eight years ago, Ricky Burns stepped into the ring at an almost empty Braehead Arena. On the same canvas less than an hour before, Scott Harrison had produced a stunning performance to dethrone Julio Pablo Chacon as the WBO featherweight champion.
As the celebrations in the Harrison dressing room began in earnest and a jubilant crowd dispersed into the night, the then 19-year-old Burns marked the fifth fight of his fledgling professional career with an impressive but largely unnoticed second.
Tonight at the Kelvin Hall, as Scotland stages its first world title fight since Harrison's final ring appearance five years ago before his life hit the skids outside the boxing arena, all eyes will be firmly fixed on Burns as he bids to add his name to the pantheon of his country's world boxing champions.
Now 27, the unassuming Coatbridge man has, as those within boxing are fond of saying, paid his dues. The journey from Harrison undercards has taken him through brave but unsuccessful British and European title challenges before he claimed the Commonwealth super-featherweight belt two years ago.
Three successful defences of that title earned him number one challenger status with the WBO and tonight's potentially life-changing showdown with that organisation's formidable world champion Roman Martinez. It is the headline contest of the opening show of a new big time boxing season on Sky Sports which sees the sport return to a Saturday night prime time slot.
For Burns, the rewards for victory will be considerable, both in a monetary sense and in terms of raising his hitherto understated profile among the wider sporting public. "I remember that night when Scott won his title," said Burns. "I didn't even get to see him win it because I was back in the dressing room getting ready for my fight. When I went into the ring, there was almost no-one left in the place.
"That's the downside of boxing when you start out and it can be hard to motivate yourself sometimes when no-one is watching. But ever since I first pulled on a pair of gloves, I've always believed I could fight for a world title one day. There has been a lot of hard work and patience involved but I've now been given a great opportunity to make my dream come true."
There has been a remarkable serenity about Burns in the build-up to this defining moment of his career, and he maintained it at yesterday's weigh-in.