Thursday, 26 January 2012

Ricky Burns 'thrilled' as he is confirmed WBO lightweight champion

? Scottish fighter is world champion once more
? Juan Manuel M�rquez's division switch sees title change hands

Ricky Burns has been confirmed as the World Boxing Organisation lightweight champion after Juan Manuel M�rquez moved up a division.

The 28-year-old Scot held the interim title following a defeat of Michael Katsidis at Wembley in November and, now M�rquez's move up to welterweight has been confirmed, Burns has officially been installed as champion.

He said: "When I beat Katsidis I felt like a world champion anyway, but this makes it all real and I'm thrilled with the news that I'm now the official full world champion."

Burns, a former world super-featherweight champion, will make his first defence of his new title against Namibia's Paulus Moses in Glasgow on 10 March.

Burns said: "It's a great feeling, but now it's back to reality and training hard for what will be a tough title defence against Moses in my Scottish homecoming on 10 March.

"For the last 10 years I've been grafting away in my career, but in the last couple of years it has really taken off with me beating [Rom�n] Mart�nez and then beating a great warrior like Katsidis to put me up with the best in the world."

The news means Britain now has two world champions, with Burns joining the WBO light-heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly among the elite.

"Nathan's a great fighter and Britain has now got two world champions to be proud of who can fly the flag on the world stage." added Burns.


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Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jan/26/ricky-burns-wbo-lightweight-champion

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