Rear View Mirror – A look back on the career of triple champ Ricky Burns
Scotland does not do sports as well in reality as in our heads. As we start the process of preparing for the 2026 World Cup, we are, of course, beginning to dream of getting out the group stages, causing a shock for the ages and finding ourselves in an unlikely last 16 tie. Likelihood is that none of that comes true, but we Scots love a plucky, hard luck story.
In the recent past we have been challenged to accept we might also have sporting icons, the like of which we have never had; nor believe we have the infrastructure to create them. How did Andy Murray get to the top of the tennis world? We Scots shake our head in puzzlement at how someone who hits balls very fast in the sunshine for a living would come from a country that is far too cold for such frivolity.
Of course, Murray’s success is complex and mainly down to the fact that his mother, Judy, took him to Spain to become a superstar: the facilities in the UK were shockingly poor by comparison. But to him, we can add the Stoltman brothers or any one of the footballers currently plying their trade in Italy – Scott McTominay, for example…
Boxing goes back in time to pull out the likes of Benny Lynch or Dick McTaggart, Jim Watt or Ken Buchanan but one who deserves to be added in is The Rickster, Ricky Burns, 45-8-1, 17 KOs.
Of course, Ricky Burns did not get to train in the sunshine like Murray did and only occasionally did the bright lights mark him out as a skilful boxer. In fact, Burns has never been less than honest about his prowess and abilities. Declaring to Boxing News in an interview that he was, “technically, not the best boxer,” what he always gave, however, was, “100 per cent, no matter what. I knew when I walked into that ring, I was fit for a hard 12 rounds, and I could stand and fight it out if I needed to. My best attribute when I’m fighting is my stubbornness because I’ve boxed people who are so much better than me. I’ve got that wee bit in me where I refuse to back down.”
That wee bit in him brought him world titles at three weights – WBO super featherweight, WBO lightweight and WBA light welterweight titles.
From making his debut in 2001, at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, against Woody Greenway, winning on points over 4 rounds, we went on something of a rollercoaster with The Rickster. The highs have included beating the much-fancied Graham Earl in 2005 in his first fight in England – Burns was a significant underdog for that fight.
Then came the low of losing to fellow Scott, Alex Arthur, in enemy territory for the British, Commonwealth and EBU European super featherweight title on the 18th of February 2006. At the tender age of 22 Burns learnt more in that fight than in any contest before and was tipped by Arthur, after the final bell, as a future world champion.
Burns also lost a British title fight a year later to Carl Johanneson in Leeds, once more by quite wide margins on the scorecards. Was Arthur tripping when he suggested that Burns could conquer the world?
2008 saw the upward trend back and a fondness for a Commonwealth belt. At the tail end of that year, at the Kelvin Hall Burns stopped Ghanaian Yakuba Amidu in the 7th round to win the super featherweight Commonwealth crown. In March, June and September of the following year he defended it three times – former British champion Michael Gomez was stopped in the 7th round in March in Bellahouston, then in the same venue a tough points victory against Northern Ireland’s Kevin O’Hara in June was followed by a visit to York Hall in September, when Osumanu Akaba was beaten on points.
2010 brought the chance for world glory. Alongside trainer Billy Nelson, Burns climbed into the ring against Roman Martinez on home soil – the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow – on the 4th of September. The unbeaten Martinez, who had taken the title from Nicky Cook, knocked Burns to the floor in the first round, but up he got and won the world title on points.
Glasgow celebrated Scotland’s latest boxing world champion. Promoter, Frank Warren, spoke of it being the best night he had ever had in Scotland. Burns was the 12th world champion in boxing Scotland had provided for the world. Now the WBO super featherweight champion, Burns was in need of defences. Glasgow celebrates across every sport it can claim, and for the game Scotland gave the world we rank the best golf betting sites UK punters have to choose from.
A short time later, in December 2010, at the Braehead Arena, Andreas Evenson was first and got up off the canvass in the 1st round to stay the distance and hear the final bell – but was very convincingly beaten by Burns on points. Joseph Laryea was then beaten at the Braehead Arena on the 12th of March 2011, Burns winning when his opponent retired after the 7th round. In July, Nicky Cook was faced in the Echo Arena, Liverpool, with Burns defending successfully by stopping Cook in the 1st round. Burns rounded off 2011 in November when at the Wembley Arena, the tough Michael Katsidis was beaten on points. Burns fulfilled and bettered Alex Arthur’s prophecy – Burns had moved up to lightweight in the Katsidis fight and was now a two-weight world champion for the WBO.
His first defence at his new weight came against Moses Paulus at the Braehead Arena – Scotland were getting used to Burns’ nights throughout the year – with a unanimous points decision in Burns’ favour. Kevin Mitchell came next and the tough Englishman was stopped in the 4th round at the Scottish Exhibition Centre before 2013 arrived and in May of that year, in the Emirates Arena, built for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Jose Gonzalez Ramos, an undefeated opponent was retired after the 9th round.
But the Ramos fight was not straightforward and perhaps we saw what was ahead of Burns. Ramos outboxed Ricky for 6 rounds, hurt him in the 7th and then Burns rallied before forcing him to retire: it was a lucky escape.
Then came to 7th of September 2013 and Raymondo Beltran. I remember this and I do remember writing about it. Ricky was beaten by the better boxer on the night. But like, Josh Taylor, years later in the same city, the judges came up with a strange decision. Given as a draw, those of us who were Burns fans, began to have doubts. Not over the effect The Rickster had had, but over how long left there was to luxuriate in him. It was little comfort that it was reported, Ricky had broken his jaw in the second round but had kept on fighting.
Don’t get me wrong, we still loved the guy, but we were struggling to believe he still had world titles to collect.
His next fight, against Dejan Zlaticanin, he lost, which happened after surgery on his jaw, at the Braehead Arena on the 27th of June 2014. It was a WBC lightweight title eliminator. Having got the lucky draw with Beltran, Burns suffered a split decision loss after being floored in the 1st round. Burns was so distraught he would not face the press afterwards.
Eddie Hearn, now Burns’ promoter, moved the whole Burns circus to Leeds and Ricky won a make or break encounter with Frenchman Alexandre Lepelley. Had he lost it probably would have been all over, but The Rickster was ready for his next rollercoaster ride.
The WBO stepped in with his next fight – Terence Crawford. Crawford won on points in his home of Glasgow. It was heartbreak for Ricky – a loss in front of a very loyal home crowd. What we know now about Crawford, makes this a curious point in the story of Ricky Burns. As he himself said, in his interview with Boxing News, “After that fight I was getting grief off everybody. People telling me I should retire, and I was finished. When you see what he’s done, he’s more or less knocked out everyone. When people are looking back now, I think they are starting to realise how good he actually was. But I got some grief for that.”
Along the way, Burns had changed trainers a few times, and had a high-profile court case with Frank Warren, which, alongside bankruptcy focussed Burns’ mind. At this point he was making a heart-rending decision to end his association with Billy Nelson; the guy who guided Burns to world titles. Burns had previously left the Barn Boxing Club after 14 years to go to the Dalmarnock Gym where he trained alongside Willie Limond, before ending up in Stepps with Nelson. Now he was off again and joined up with Tony Sims: like many birds from the Northern Hemisphere, Burns flew south.
Then came 2015 and a further loss in Texas under his new training team on points to Omar Figueroa Jr. it was Burns first fight at super lightweight and proved a learning curve for Burns who reflected, “when we got into the ring, I couldn’t believe the size difference. Our tactics going into that fight were try and stick to the boxing and move. When you face someone that big and they have that presence you’ve got no option but to stand and fight. The next day we flew home, and I can remember being in that airport and on that plane, I was in a bad way.” It was a curious thing, though a loss, it propelled Ricky Burns back into contention.
Burns then tucked a couple of fights under his belt as wins including beating Josh King at the Echo Arena for the WBO international lightweight belt – before elevating beyond anything that a Scottish boxer had ever done – he came home to Glasgow and won a third weight world title at the SSE Hydro on the 28th of May, 2016, stopping Michele Di Rocco in the 8th round.
Burns was now a unique Scottish boxer – the first 3 weight world champion we have ever produced. He had been the WBO super featherweight champion, the WBO lightweight champ and now was the WBA super lightweight King; Burns reigned supreme – at least in Scotland.
His first defence, once more in Glasgow, was against Ricky Hatton-trained Kiryl Relikh. A points win for Burns led to a defence against Julius Indongo, the tough IBF and IBO champion. Unknown to Scottish fight fans until he was mentioned as a possible opponent for Burns, Indongo came with a reputation as he took only 40 seconds to win those 2 belts. That he did so whilst away from home, in Russia, caused hearts to flutter even more. A win for Burns would mean his WBA belt could have special company on his mantelpiece. It led Burns to refuse easier contests – including against Paulie Malignaggi – to focus and concentrate on a fight many of us hoped he would successfully come through. And so, in Glasgow on the 15th of April 2017, we came close to tears when Burns lost widely on points.
Hindsight often brings clarity and we can see the demise of people is often easier to see when you are seeing bigger pictures. Ricky Burns was a relentless force of nature. Nobody could quite believe he was in decline: but he was. His next fight, described as a must win, saw Burns take on fellow Brit, Anthony Crolla in Manchester. On the 7th of October Burns lost once more – after another hard 12 rounds – and it was beginning to take is toll.
Domestic dust ups were being mentioned much more than leaps towards a world title, though it could always happen – a decent run and then contention for Burns. In 2018, Burns came back to Manchester to face Scott Cardle. Burns had stepped in as a replacement for Joe Cordina, so there were a few who expected Cardle to triumph – Burns stopped him in the 3rd round and then talked of big fights in 2019.
Instead of world level fights, the fight he got was Lee Selby at the 02. Selby got a majority decision in a fight that hardly caught anyone’s imagination and by now people were openly thinking it was time for Burns to retire. In fact, quite a lot of people were missing his name out when talking of potential fights.
What nobody could imagine is what hit us in 2020 and 2021. Clearly for a fighter not likely to draw eyes to an event, whose best days are behind them, things became tricky. Burns had over two years out the ring. In late 2021 he returned, got a points win over Emiliano Dominguez before taking his final bow – an 8th round stoppage of old mate Willie Limond, billed as ‘Battle of the Legends’.
It was a tough watch as Limond began brightly but Burns took control and the gap between them widened as the rounds went on. It was Burns’ last professional fight and tragically also Limond’s last hurrah.
There are to be no more Burns nights in Glasgow, well not as a fighter. He now puts in a shift as a coach for Boxing Scotland. A legendary figure for not watching boxing as a fighter, he must surely now watch fights to coach? Whatever the answer to the question may be, Ricky ‘The Rickster’ Burns is one of the best to have come out of Scotland, and we can debate if he, Ken Buchanan, or Josh Taylor are the greatest of the modern era. But in that debate this icon truly belongs.
More articles by Donald C Stewart
