By Michael Collins: WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns (35-2, 10 KO’s) has had two opportunities to face unbeaten Adrien Broner (25-0, 21 KO’s) and on both occasions he chose not to face him. The first time was last year when Burns held the WBO super featherweight title and Broner was in line to face him as his mandatory challenger.
Burns then complained about having difficulties making weight and then moved up to 140 and was given the WBO lightweight title. Next, Burns, after beating Kevin Mitchell and Paulus Moses, he was given another chance to fight Broner on February 16th. Burns instead decided not to take the fight and instead he’ll likely be defending his WBO 135 lb strap in late January.
In the meantime, Broner will be facing British contender Gavin Rees on February 16th in what pretty much amounts to being a sick mismatch at the Boardwalk Hall, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. If Broner comes through that fight without a scratch, he could be fighting on the Floyd Mayweather Jr. undercard on May 4th. Right now, he’s still penciled in due to his February 16th fight being so close to that date. Unless he massacres Rees like many boxing fans think he will, it’ll be kind of risky to have him fighting only three months later.
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