By James Slater: Ricky Burns retained his WBO super-featherweight title for the second time last night, as he forced Ghana’s Joseph Laryea to remain on his stool at the conclusion of the 7th-round. Citing a hand injury, Laryea was getting beaten up in the 6th and 7th-rounds, and whether he hurt his hand or not, or how serious the injury was, it was clear Burns was the better man.
Huge for the weight and with a long reach, the impeccably-conditioned Scot used his strength and aggression to take the fight right out of the man who earned his shot by upsetting Paul Appleby. Now 31-2(8), Burns looks ahead to further glory. Laryea, the younger man by two years at 25, fell to 14-5(11) and it’s not clear where he goes from here.
Speaking after last night’s win, Burns again made it clear he would love a 130-pound unification with South Africa’s Mzonke Fana, the reigning IBF champ.
“Everybody knows that I would love to fight for that Ring magazine belt,” Burns said. “In the ratings they’ve [Ring magazine] got Fana at number one and me at number two. I am sure he would love to unify the division. Any fighter would love to fight for that ’Rocky’ belt as we call it. It’s the one I want. I would love to have that wrapped around my waist.”
Fana, now aged 37 and still probably best known for his 2nd-round stoppage loss at the hands of the great Marco Antonio Barrera, has boxed in the U.K before and maybe Frank Warren will be able to persuade him to do so again. Burns is on a real roll right now, with his confidence sky-high. At the rate he’s going, the 27-year-old sure is going to take some beating. As experienced as he is, I don’t think Mzonke Fana is the man to end the success story of the man from Coatbridge.
Burns, who won the WBO crown with that ultra-exciting upset victory over Roman Martinez last September, has never been stopped as a pro and he last lost in Feb. of 2007. Fully deserving of a big unification opportunity, Burns is hoping Fana, 30-4(12) will agree to come to Scotland for the big fight this summer. “The Rose of Khayelitsha,” as Fana is known, is a two-time IBF super-featherweight champ and he has won his last three; two by stoppage.