By Edward Chaykovsky

Promoter Frank Warren says WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns has received some very bad career advice. The boxer recently broke ties with Warren and signed a promotional contract with Eddie Hearn. Warren is claiming to still have a valid contract with Burns and plans to legally fight the move. Warren says he offered Burns several opportunities, which the boxer turned down, including a lightweight unification with WBC champion Adrien Broner.

“I like Ricky, he’s a nice kid, but I think he’s been badly advised. The fact of the matter is he would never even have won a world title if it wasn’t for me. I’m not saying that in terms of ability, but nobody would have put the money up. I put the money up more than once and delivered him a world title challenge in his own town. He’s had fights in Scotland and won and defended the world title there. Not only that, he did it at super-featherweight and then again at lightweight,” Warren told Gavin Glicksman of The Sun.

“It’s not my fault his opponent pulled out — that happens in boxing. He was offered a 10-round fight which he declined and he was offered the Adrien Broner fight, in writing, and he didn’t want that. But that’s his choice and no one can force you to do these things. He says he has no contract but the claim form I’ve submitted encloses a copy of the agreement. As I say, he’s been badly advised but we move on from there.”

Tags: Frank Warren , Ricky Burns