Burns' Trainer: Crawford Won't Be in His Comfort Zone

By Edward Chaykovsky

Trainer Billy Nelson is tipping his fighter, WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns (36-2-1, 11KOs), to used his experience and superior skill to overcome Terence Crawford (22-0, 16KOs) on March 1 at the Scottish Exhibition Centre in Glasgow, Scotland. Nelson expects both of the fighters to have a very tough time in the contest, but views Crawford's lack of experience against world class opposition as being the determining factor against the undefeated challenger.

"Terence Crawford is an excellent fighter. He has a great jab and is a very sharp counter-puncher. He is also a fine switch-hitter although he tends to go orthodox over slipping into the southpaw. What I am expecting is the toughest fight that either boxer has had so far in their career and for me that is where Ricky's experience could prove crucial. Crawford has not fought at world title level and he has never been out of his comfort zone. That is the place we are looking to take him on March 1," Nelson told Evening Times.

"Ricky is in great shape and has benefited from us adding a strength and conditioning coach to the camp. The jaw has been tested on plenty of occasions and there are no problems with it. We have just come back from a week's high-quality sparring down south with the likes of Ashley Theophane and with less than a fortnight to go, we are exactly where we want to be in terms of preparation."