By Shaun Brown
Craven Park Stadium, Hull - Ricky Burns (38-5-1, 12 KOs) returned to winning ways with a bizarre fifth round stoppage after a one-sided workout against Ghana’s Prince Ofotsu (15-5, 11 KOs).
Burns, who dropped a controversial loss back in May to Omar Figueroa Jr, began working off the jab and punching from range. The Scot had little to no trouble against Ofotsu who was sluggish and unorthodox.The former two-weight world champion targeted the body early and often. However, some of Burns’ shots at times were wide and predictable and an opponent of quicker feet and movement could well have done significant damage on the counter.
Ofotsu’s sluggishness continued at the end of the second as his heavy feet dragged him back to his stool after being on the receiving end of more work from Burns to the body.
Ofotsu’s corner then threw the towel in during the fifth round when the fighter was still in a position to continue. At the end of the fourth, Ofotsu’s trainer had angrily told his man to get back into the fight and while Burns was controlling the contest there seemed no reason to throw in the towel.
Burns said of the ending: “We were happy at the end of every round. It was about going out there and enjoying it. He was taking a lot of clean shots and I was started to get on top of him so maybe the corner done him a favour!”
Burns, part of a buzzing British lightweight scene, said: “We’ll speak to [promoter] Eddie [Hearn], I will fight anybody. It’s just my attitude, any name at all. Whoever they want me to fight I’ll fight.”