Ricky Burns v Andreas Evensen: Burns out to land another blow for Scottish boxing

HAVING waited nine years to become an overnight sensation in professional boxing, Ricky Burns has no intention of his reign as a world champion lasting just three months.

• Burns became WBO super-featherweight champion with an epic 12-round triumph over Roman Martinez at the Kelvin Hall in September Picture: SNS

First defences of hard won titles - and few have been harder won than Burns' stunning triumph over Roman Martinez at the Kelvin Hall in September - can prove both anti-climactic and desperately disappointing.

The history of British boxing is littered with examples of heroes such as Randolph Turpin, Walter McGowan and Frank Bruno who, having scaled the summit of their sport, were knocked off their perch by the first challenger they faced. As Burns prepares for his maiden outing as the WBO super-featherweight champion against unheralded Norwegian visitor Andreas Evensen at the Braehead Arena tonight, he needs only look to one of the men on the undercard for a reminder of the pitfalls he is determined to avoid.

Alex Arthur, who continues his comeback in the lightweight division on the bill, lost the title Burns now holds when he made his first defence against Nicky Cook in Manchester two years ago.

If the bookmakers have got it right, then it is a fate Burns will not experience. He is priced as short as 1-20 to hold onto his belt with Evensen rated as long as 11-1 to cause an upset. On first examination of Evensen's record, the odds may seem unduly generous, given that the 24-year-old has lost just once in his previous 14 contests.

But Frank Warren has not attained his status as Britain's pre-eminent promoter over the past 30 years by matching his champions unwisely in voluntary defences of their titles.

Colombian-born Evensen, whose paid contests have all taken place outside of his adoptive native land where professional boxing is banned, earned his challenger status by dint of being the WBO's Intercontinental title holder in the featherweight division.

In stepping up to super-feather, Evensen is accepting a challenge which will see him concede height, weight and reach advantages to a champion capable of utilising them all to telling effect.

Burns, arguably at the peak of his powers at the age of 27, has displayed a consistently level-headed and focused demeanour in the build-up to this fight which suggests complacency is not going to undermine his work. And while the Coatbridge man can afford only to think of his own ambitions when he is inside the ring, there is also an element of altruism within his motivation as he seeks to sustain the presence of world class boxing in Scotland.

"When Scott Harrison was world champion, he had several defences of his title and I was able to fight on several of his undercards," reflected Burns. "That was important for me in making my own way in the sport. So if I can keep winning and hold onto my title, then hopefully it will keep the big shows happening in Scotland on a regular basis and give all of the up and coming fighters some inspiration."

Burns, the 12th Scot to win a credible version of the world title, has set himself a target of becoming the undisputed No 1 in the super-featherweight division before seeking fresh achievements at lightweight.

"So long as I keep winning, I know my management team will get me the right fights at the right time," he said.

"I want to fight the biggest names out there. Once I've done everything I can do at super-feather, then the plan will be to move up to lightweight and become a two-weight world champion."

If Burns can perform to anything close to the standard he produced in his epic 12-round triumph over Martinez, then it is difficult to imagine him being anything less than a class above Evensen.

The challenger's sole defeat so far was an eight-round points loss three years ago to Benoit Gaudet, a well-regarded Canadian who went on to fall short in a world featherweight title challenge to the excellent Humberto Soto.

Gaudet remains the most notable name on Evensen's record, although he did impress ringside observers on his only previous appearance in Britain when he stopped Gianpiero Contestabile of Italy in five rounds on a Manchester undercard last year.

Evensen has won his last four fights inside the distance, indicating a level of power which Burns has noted and will respect.

"From what I can tell, Andreas likes to come forward all the time and throws a lot of wild hooks," said the Scot. "But as long as I follow the gameplan by trainer Billy Nelson has been working on with me in the gym, I know I can cope with whatever Andreas brings to the table."

Burns should be able to forge an early lead by working behind his precise jab and is capable of wearing down the challenger to secure a stoppage win in the middle-to-late rounds of the fight.

The chief supporting contest at Braehead could confirm the identity of Burns' next opponent. Paul Appleby, the former British featherweight champion from South Queensferry, takes on Ghana's Joseph Laryea for the vacant WBO Intercontinental super-featherweight title.

If the 23-year-old Scot prevails, then promoter Warren is likely to press ahead with plans for a mouth-watering clash against Burns in the early part of 2011.

Arthur, meanwhile, will seek to underline his credentials as a force in the lightweight division when he takes on Isle of Wight journeyman Jay Morris over eight rounds. The 32-year-old Edinburgh boxer should be capable of making short work of the current British Masters title holder.

The Braehead bill, which is televised live by Sky Sports, also features the professional debut of one of Scotland's Commonwealth Games gold medal heroes from Delhi. Callum Johnson, the Lincolnshire-based light-heavyweight, is likely to enjoy a winning start to life in the paid ranks as he faces Belfast's Phillip Townley over four rounds.