Ricky Burns targets Battle of Britain against Kevin Mitchell

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/boxing/9025742/Ricky-Burns-targets-Battle-of-Britain-against-Kevin-Mitchell-after-Paulus-Moses-bout.html

Ricky Burns has targeted Kevin Mitchell for a summertime all-British battle - and he wants it to be in Scotland.

The interim WBO lightweight champion will face Namibia's Paulus Moses at the Braehead Arena on March 10.
Burns, from Coatbridge, is hoping fight fans pack out the venue on the outskirts of Glasgow to encourage promoter Frank Warren to bring Essex boy Mitchell north of the border for what would be a classic Scotland versus England encounter.
Mitchell's only defeat in 33 fights to date was to Michael Katsidis at Upton Park, London, in May 2010, whom Burns beat at Wembley in November last year to take the title from the Australian.
Burns, 28, speaking at the Braehead Arena today, said: "Obviously I have to get past Paulus Moses first or that (Mitchell) fight is not going to happen.

"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.
"They are talking about the venue being down in London or up here.
"I was on the same bill when Michael Katsidis beat him down at West Ham's football ground.
"I know that was the venue that was mentioned if I was to fight him in the summer. 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."

Burns will enjoy one last week of regular living before the hard work starts - albeit it will not be quite as difficult to make the weight now that he has moved up to the nine stone nine pounds division.
"The hard dieting will start next week," he said. "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."

Burns will not watch any DVDs of Moses, preferring to let the challenger worry about him.
"I can only go with his record which makes him dangerous," he said. "One loss in 29 fights and 19 knockouts, that shows he is a big puncher.
"But I have always said whatever happens on the night is going to happen.
"I can adapt to people's styles so I'm sure when I get in the ring, I will know what to do to win. If I get the chance to knock him out I will do it."

Burns, though, will be informed by trainer Billy Nelson as to what to expect on the night.
"I have been studying DVDs every night and Moses is a very good fighter," said Nelson.
"He has a different style to Katsidis but world class fighters have the ability to adapt to different styles. I expect Ricky to stop this guy.
"Once that fight is done, there is the blockbuster with Kevin Mitchell and then he will get it as well."


Regards

Steffan (A Cardiff City FC who are off to Wembley yet again fan)

Would be a cracking fight, can't wait. Hope the Scots would show up for it though, never too sure how well supported he is up there (less so than I think Mitchell would be for a London fight for example).

How many does the Braehead hold? Mitchell got what, 12k to Upton Park that night? That said, it was pony there that evening. They really weren't set up well behind the scenes. Not enough bars, beer, food etc. If they could do the O2 that would be perfect.

Got to agree KM, was at Upton Park for the Kats fight and the set up was a joke, queue for the bar was ridiculous, ended up having a bottle of coke instead.

Our bar actually ran out of beer! And it's not as though people were staggering around drunk either. Shoulder to shoulder you could get maybe six blokes at it at any one time, compare that to any decent venue and it's just laughable. I could see it coming a mile off though seeing as I have a season ticket there, I was just hoping they'd make arrangements.

This fight would be wasted up here in Glasgow. Burns can't fill Braehead arena which holds just over 5,000 so it would be better off at the 02 Mitchell can pull a crowd. Burns wouldn't have many travelling down.

SugarRayRussell (PBK) wrote:This fight would be wasted up here in Glasgow. Burns can't fill Braehead arena which holds just over 5,000 so it would be better off at the 02 Mitchell can pull a crowd. Burns wouldn't have many travelling down.

That's such a pity, not sure why the Scots haven't taken to him. I'd normally mark them as a patriotic bunch that'd get right behind one of their boys doing well and Ricky's a world champ, surely something to celebrate? Any idea why the lack of popularity PBK?

TopHat24/7 wrote:

SugarRayRussell (PBK) wrote:This fight would be wasted up here in Glasgow. Burns can't fill Braehead arena which holds just over 5,000 so it would be better off at the 02 Mitchell can pull a crowd. Burns wouldn't have many travelling down.

That's such a pity, not sure why the Scots haven't taken to him. I'd normally mark them as a patriotic bunch that'd get right behind one of their boys doing well and Ricky's a world champ, surely something to celebrate? Any idea why the lack of popularity PBK?

Not entirely sure and don't want to open a huge sectarian can of worms, but the fact that he's an openly practicing catholic (sporting rosary beads in the ring) from Coatbridge (the only town in Lanarkshire where catholics are not heavily outnumbered) might have something to do with it.

Lanarkshire should be a stronghold for him in drumming up fans (much like the East End will be for Mitchell) but it's a fairly backward place and resentment on religious grounds runs pretty deep. A lot of people from the area may struggle to bring themselves to support him due to his religious affiliation.

superflyweight wrote:
Lanarkshire should be a stronghold for him in drumming up fans (much like the East End will be for Mitchell) but it's a fairly backward place and resentment on religious grounds runs pretty deep. A lot of people from the area may struggle to bring themselves to support him due to his religious affiliation.

Superfly, did you see the incident with the kids throwing bottles at him when he was out running in Coatbridge? Would that have anything to do with his faith or just kids being idiots?

I did, Tina. It was probably just kids (neds) being idiots - they probably didn't even know it was Burns.

If it was Harthill or Airdrie my answer would be different and I'd be questioning why Burns was doing anything but sprint work in those places and why he wasn't accompanied by Delta Force!

Burns has been named the new WBO world lightweight champion after JMM vacated so if he beats Moses I think a fight with Mitchell will definately happen on a Warren card. Definately a fight I would like to see. LWW/WW could get interesting now as JMM and Rios look set to move up with Guerrero possibly going to follow them.