Last night we saw the return of boxing for another pulsating season, but we could have done without the controversy that ensued in Scotland, as Ricky Burns defended his WBO lightweight title against tough Mexican opponent Raymundo Beltran.
Beltran arrived in Scotland twelve days before the bout, showing that he wasn’t over for the payday at 32 years of age. He was here for one thing and one thing only; Burns’ belt. And he should be returning to Hollywood, where he is based, as the new WBO champion.
A long term sparring partner for superstar Manny Pacquaio, Beltran was dubbed dangerous, but incompetent in the latter rounds by the British media, but that assessment could not have been more wrong.
A very good pro, who knew all the tricks in the book, Beltran made the night in Glasgow very difficult for the defending champion, who in truth, never looked 100%.
Burns, who became a father not long before the fight, and helped his partner Amanda through her pregnancy while still in training camp, looked too hyped up, as if he had somewhere better to be and wanted to blast the plucky challenger out in the first few rounds. Burns looked like a jack in the box, which played straight into the hands of Beltran, who inflicted major damage on Burns, dislocating the Scots jaw in just the second round.
Burns, who prides himself on his toughness and heart, fought the next ten rounds with the damaged jaw, but he never looked capable of hurting Beltran.
The Mexican even had Burns down in the fight, and as we entered the final round, I had Beltran winning the fight clearly, even if Burns did steal the final two rounds on my card. But perhaps, at home, winning those final two rounds made the judges minds up.
Beltran wants an immediate rematch, but it is unlikely he will get his wish, as he wants to take Burns to the United States, where promoter Eddie Hearn admitted to IFilmLondon after the event that there just is no market for that fight across the pond.
After the fight, fans took to Twitter to air their dismay at the result, with most calling the outcome a robbery, but for me, that word is a tad too harsh. Beltran clearly won the fight, yes, but away from home, challenging for a world title, you really need to leave everything in the ring, and I had the impression that Beltran didn’t do that.
Hopefully Beltran gets another shot, this time at a fully focused Burns, who can box much better than he did last night. Burns was lucky to hold on to his world crown, and looking at his last two contests, you would wonder how long he can reign as the WBO king.
