Boxing: Joy for Ricky Burns as world title is confirmed
Ricky Burns was confirmed WBO lightweight champion last night. Picture: Getty
RICKY Burns has been confirmed as the World Boxing Organisation lightweight champion after Juan Manuel Marquez moved up a weight division.
The 28-year-old from Coatbridge held the WBO interim lightweight title following his points defeat of Australian Michael Katsidis at Wembley in November.
And now that Marquez’s move up to welterweight has been confirmed, Burns has officially been installed as the champion.
Burns said: “When I beat Katsidis I felt like a world champion anyway, but this makes it all real and I’m thrilled with the news that I’m now the official full world champion.”
Former world super-featherweight champion Burns’ first defence of his new title has already been scheduled and will be against Namibian Paulus Moses at Braehead in Renfrewshire on March 10.
Burns said: “It’s a great feeling, but now it’s back to reality and training hard for what will be a tough title defence against Moses in my Scottish homecoming on March 10.
“For the last 10 years I’ve been grafting away in my career, but in the last couple of years it has really taken off with me beating Martinez and then beating a great warrior like Katsidis to put me up with the best in the world.”
The news means Britain now has two world champions, with Burns joining WBO light-heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly among the elite.
“Nathan’s a great fighter and Britain has now got two world champions to be proud of who can fly the flag on the world stage,” added Burns.
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