By Edward Chaykovsky
Former champion Barry McGuigan has urged ex-two division beltholder Ricky Burns (34-4-1, 11KOs) to return to the lightweight limit of 135-pounds. Last Saturday night in Leeds, Burns made his junior welterweight debut.
After a strong first round where he scored a knockdown of French boxer Alexandre Lepelley, Burns struggled at time sand he looked very ordinary. He snapped a two fight losing streak with an eight round unanimous decision. After the fight, Burns admitted that it might best for is career to return to 135.
McGuigan says Burns is too small for the weight and he's better suited for the lightweight ranks.
"If Ricky can make it back down to 135-pounds I would urge him to put everything into doing that," advised the boxing great. "Ricky simply isn't big enough for 140-pounds. What you have to remember is that by the time guys at light-welterweight get in the ring they are near enough 154-pounds in some instances and that is just too big for Ricky," Burns told the Evening Times.
"In terms of his power translating up to light-welter then Ricky has never been the biggest puncher and moving up five pounds in weight is not going to help that. If, as Ricky said after the Lepelley fight, he believes with the aid of his dietician he can get back down to lightweight, then it is definitely the best option."
