Boxing: Paul Appleby backs Ricky Burns for knockout

FOR Ricky Burns, it is a case of forewarned is forearmed at the Braehead Arena tonight. The World Boxing Organisation super-featherweight champion was not supposed to make the second defence of his title against Joseph Laryea, the un- heralded Ghanaian who arrived in Glasgow last December as little more than a bit-part player in the strategy being mapped out for Burns by his promoter Frank Warren.

Even the astute Warren, however, can see his best-laid plans go astray. Laryea upset the odds on the undercard of Burns' successful first defence against Andreas Evensen, securing an impressive victory over Paul Appleby to win the WBO's minor intercontinental belt. With that, Warren's hopes of an unprecedented and lucrative all-Scottish world title fight between Burns and Appleby were dashed.

Instead, it is the wiry African who stands in Burns' way as the man from Coatbridge seeks to keep himself on course for bigger and more defining contests over the next couple of years.

With the Scot priced as low as 1-20 by some bookmakers, while Laryea is available at generous odds of 15-2 which his own entourage revealed they have invested in, it is clear no-one seriously anticipates a new champion being crowned tonight.

The form lines of the two boxers explain the conclusion reached by the turf accountants. There are two common opponents on the records of champion and challenger. While Burns convincingly defeated both Osumanu Akaba and Yakubu Amidu in Commonwealth title fights back in 2008, Laryea earlier lost to both of his compatriots in non-title contests. They are two of four defeats Laryea has suffered in an 18-fight professional career which, until his victory over Appleby, had produced nothing to promote credentials as a potentially world-class operator.

There is little chance of Burns being complacent about the threat posed by Laryea, a fault freely admitted by Appleby. The former British featherweight champion, who will try to start rebuilding his career on the undercard tonight, has no doubts Burns will succeed where he failed. "Ricky is better than Laryea at everything," says the South Queensferry man. "The guy's got nothing to worry him. Ricky has a better jab and is stronger. I just can't see the guy being able to do anything to hurt Ricky at all. Laryea has a wee bit of power, but I was unfit when he boxed me and he still couldn't stop me.

"My prediction is a knockout win for Ricky between rounds six and eight. All Ricky needs to do is get the centre of the ring and push Laryea back, because the guy can't fight on the back foot. As soon as Ricky can push him back, it's over. I was on the back foot for the whole fight. It was a terrible night, nothing went right for me. My right hand was damaged before the fight, so I shouldn't even have taken it.Every time I got inside, I could only throw my left hand. I couldn't throw the right.

"I didn't train properly for the fight. I was doing things I shouldn't have been doing. I was out drinking a few weeks before the fight, which was just absolutely stupid. I underestimated the guy but I'll learn from that mistake. I'll never do that again."

Burns, whose level of professionalism in and out of the ring is exemplary, provides all of the inspiration Appleby should require. "Ricky is a brilliant role model for me," he added. "He had a couple of defeats but still came back to become a world champion. No-one deserves the success he has more than him.He's brilliant for the sport and brilliant for Scotland." Burns will not be distracted from the task in hand against Laryea and it is an assignment he should be able to complete inside the distance. Both men were inside the 9st 4lbs limit at the first attempt at yesterday's weigh-in, Laryea again trying to provoke Burns with cut-throat gestures which the champion simply laughed off.

In the chief supporting contest, British super-middleweight champion and 2008 Olympic gold medallist James DeGale should make light work of French veteran Alpay Kobal, while Scotland's 2010 Commonwealth light-heavyweight gold medallist Callum Johnson is expected to record his second win as a professional against Scunthorpe's Jody Meikle. The bill, for which live coverage on Sky Sports 1 begins at 8pm, also features the professional debut of Edinburgh cruiserweight Stephen Simmons.