By Elliot Foster
Ricky Burns still has designs on returning to former glories and has outlined a potential route on which he could go to get there.
The Coatbridge former two-weight world champion, 32, clinched the WBO International lightweight title in his last fight and believes that he can get back up to world level with the right guidance and the right fights.
Burns (39-5-1, 13 KOs) has won world titles at both lightweight and super featherweight with the Boxing Organisation and is ready to make another assault on the global stage of the nine-stone nine division.
Having watched fellow lightweight Luke Campbell, who won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics in London, lose his undefeated record and WBC International title at the hands of Yvan Mendy at the O2 Arena last Saturday, live on Sky Sports Box Office, Burns has earmarked the French national champion as a possible foe for the future.
“Yvan Mendy,” Burns tweeted, “there’s a fight to get my name back in the mix.”
And should Burns get Mendy in his next fight, as he wishes, and beat the 30-year-old (33-4-1, 16 KOs), it must call into question the future of one of Britain’s most decorated amateur protégées in the shape of Campbell.
‘Rickster’ stopped Josh King at the ECHO Arena in Liverpool last month, on the undercard of Callum Smith’s one-round British super middleweight title victory over fellow Scouser Rocky Fielding, and has yet to be informed of the details of his next outing.
Elliot Foster is part of Boxing Scene's UK team. Follow him on Twitter @FreelanceFoz
