Boxing: Alex Arthur denies that he made cut-throat gestures at Ricky Burns

ALEX ARTHUR today strenuously denied allegations from Ricky Burns' camp that he supported Nicky Cook, Burns' opponent in Saturday night's WBO super-featherweight bout in Liverpool, and made cut-throat gestures.

Burns said after the fight: "I know Alex was signalling to Cook to beat me and I don't understand why he was so disrespectful." Billy Nelson, Cook's trainer, was also furious and alleged that Arthur was making cut-throat gestures. He added after the fight, which Burns won in just 93 seconds: "Alex Arthur couldn't win the world title in the ring. He had to be given it and never defended it. There's a good trivia question for you - who got the world title but never won it in the ring?"

However, former WBO champion Arthur expressed his surprise at Burns' and Nelson's comments, saying his respect for Burns goes back to 2006, when Arthur beat him on points at Meadowbank, while also denying reported allegations that he made cut-throat gestures and supported Cook.

The Capital man said: "Ricky Burns and his team should go back and read the Evening News report on Ricky Burns' challenge in February 2006, when Burns challenged me at Meadowbank for my European British and Commonwealth titles."

Back then, Arthur said: "Ricky Burns gave me my hardest fight ever - apart from Michael Gomez - amongst the domestic British boxers that I've fought.''

Arthur also told this paper on that occasion: "When the final bell rang I told Ricky that he would become a world champion one day as he had given me problems early on before I sapped him with my body punches.'' Arthur, on the claims he was behind Englishman Cook rather than Burns, said: "Ricky should note that despite claims by other people around him, I still have that same level of admiration for him that I had back in 2006, so why would I act as has now been alleged that I did in Liverpool?"

Meanwhile, former world lightweight champion and current media boxing pundit, Jim Watt, rubbished claims that Edinburgh's Arthur supported Cook.

Watt, who was also at the Liverpool Arena ringside on commentating duties, opined: "I've known both Ricky Burns and Alex Arthur for ages and both these guys have expressed their admiration for each other many times to me.

"Although I was busy concentrating on my TV ringside work, I still can't and won't believe Arthur would rubbish Burns which is why I question the accuracy of these claims about Arthur supporting Cook in any way.

"The only time that I heard Alex Arthur slagging off an opponent pre-fight was against Michael Gomez - and that was only because Gomez started the slanging match. Publicly abusing fellow pro boxers is totally out of character for Alex Arthur, so I don't believe that he did it with Burns."