Boxing: Ricky Burns title on line against Kevin Mitchell

RICKY Burns will face Londoner Kevin Mitchell in a defence of his WBO lightweight title in Glasgow on Saturday, 22 September.

Talks have been going on over the clash since Burns stepped up to lightweight in impressive style with victory over Australian Michael Katsidis, who had previously beaten Mitchell.

Former world super-featherweight champion Burns, who defended his lightweight title against Paulus Moses in March, said: “The fight’s been on the boil for the last couple of years and the fans and press have been desperate for it to happen, it’s fantastic that it’s on at last.”

Meanwhile, Scott Harrison faces a late change of opponent in his comeback at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow on Friday night after the sudden withdrawal of Frenchman Brahim Bariz yesterday. Former WBO featherweight champion Harrison, making his return to the ring after an absence of almost seven years, will now take on unbeaten Hungarian Gyorgy Mizsei Jr for the minor International Masters lightweight belt.

Mizsei Jr, the 18-year-old son of the 1992 Olympic Games light-middleweight bronze medallist of the same name, has won all seven of his contests so far, triumphing in a super-featherweight prizefighter tournament just 17 days ago.