Ricky Burns v Joseph Laryea: Passion for glory

ALTHOUGH he is universally acknowledged as one of the must humble and genuine gentlemen in Scottish sport, world super-featherweight champion Ricky Burns has "a guid conceit" of himself. He doesn't brag or boast, but he knows his strengths, and is well aware that to maintain his hold on his title, the nice guy image will have to be set aside and he will have to do serious damage to Joseph Laryea of Ghana when they meet at the Braehead Arena next Saturday night.

After the breathtaking nature of his championship victory over Roman Martinez at the Kelvin Hall last September, his first defence against Norway's Andreas Evensen at the Braehead Arena in early December was rather more pedestrian but, if it comes to a choice between showy boxing and just belting out a result, there's no doubt which Burns would choose, especially with the prospect of more lucrative battles ahead.

"Although there has been talk of unification fights," said Burns, "I have just put all that to the back of my mind because, if I do not go out there and do the business on 12 March, the big fights are not going to happen for me.

"I don't go into the ring to look good. As long as I get the win, that's all that counts.

"As long as I go in there and come out with the victory, that is all that really matters."

Yet Burns admits he would like the anticipated 5,000 crowd to witness something special.

He added: "I've been looking good in the gym so hopefully I can go out there and put on a show for the fans. I always train to go 12 rounds and, if I get a knockout, that's a bonus and that will be my attitude for this fight."

Laryea stunned former British featherweight champion Paul Appleby of South Queensferry when they met on the undercard of the Burns-Evensen fight. Tall and gangly, the African jabbed his way to a convincing points victory, and thus won the right to meet Burns for the WBO world belt.

"As he showed against Paul, he is not to be underestimated," said Burns.

"I know what Joseph will bring to the table, and I can't afford to make the same mistakes that Paul did.

"This is one of the few times that I am going to box somebody who is taller and has a longer reach and I just can't afford to let him set the pace and dictate the whole fight with that big long jab in the way that he did against Paul.

"Maybe the first couple of rounds will be awkward but, in the first couple of rounds of their fight, Paul did hurt him with body shots so, from the word go, if I get the chance to bang in the body shots, then I'll be doing it. I'm going to stamp my authority on him and, once he knows that I'm not going to take a step backward, the fight will be over and I'll get him out of there as soon as possible."

Burns' trainer Billy Nelson has secured some top-notch sparring for his charge. Unbeaten light-welterweight Tyrone Nurse from Huddersfield is a tall, rangy type just like Laryea, while former WBU featherweight champion Derry Mathews from Liverpool is considerably above the standard of your average sparring partner.

"The training camp and the sparring has been going really well," said Burns. "We've had Derry up for the last two weeks, so I really couldn't have asked for better sparring. Paul Appleby was also sparring with me a few weeks ago and, after watching how the training camp was going, Paul said to me he thinks I will get the guy out of there."

Burns will be going for a fourth victory over Ghanaian opposition, having beaten Osumanu Akaba on points in London and stopped Yakubu Amidu inside seven rounds at the Kelvin Hall, both fights back in 2008. They followed a points win over Ben Odamattey in Glasgow the previous year.

Perhaps significantly, Laryea lost on points to both Akaba and Amidu but Burns say he will give a much-improved Laryea all due respect, not least because of what he did against Appleby.

If he wins, Burns would like to fight for the vacant Ring Magazine belt against South Africa's Mzonke Fana but the Coatbridge man insists that he he is not getting carried away with the hype and needs to beat Laryea first.

When this newspaper christened Burns as new poster boy of Scottish boxing in the wake of his memorable win over Martinez, little did we realise how apt that description would become. For, across central Scotland, there are now giant billboards in the style of the old Rocky movie, only this time there is an ‘i' where the ‘o' used to be. RICKY the star has arrived in capital letters, and the champion from Coatbridge isn't quite sure what to make of it all.

He said: "We were driving through Glasgow the other night and saw all the posters up there. I struggle to take it all in sometimes, but it is just about trying to get used to it, because I am a normal down-to-earth person.

"I still work part-time in the sports shop in Coatbridge, and I know most of the people who come in. People ask me why I still work there but it keeps me grounded. My pals are there and I do it to try to break up my week. I've always been a quiet guy who has said that I like to do my talking in the ring. At press conferences and weigh-ins, people have tried to get under my skin but I always laugh it off because I know that, when I get into the ring, that's when it really matters."

Expect Ricky Burns to do plenty of talking - with his fists - on Saturday. Laryea will be tough, as he was against Appleby, but everything points to a Burns victory, probably late on.

The underdog eventually won in the Rocky movies, but Ricky writes his own scripts and they do not include defeat for Scotland's world champion.