There are still more glory nights ahead for Ross Burkinshaw, if he boxes rather than brawls – that’s the message from Dennis Hobson after the Sheffield fighter was beaten by Klaas Mboyane on Saturday night (May 30).
Burkinshaw and Mboyane clashed for the WBO Inter-Continental bantamweight title at Rotherham’s Magna Centre, and the pair went to war from the opening bell. Mboyane – short, squat and southpaw – threw in powerful hooks, while ‘The Boss’ matched him with his own spiteful replies.
With Spike TV showing the action live, the contest was shaping up to be a small-hall classic. The crowd were on their feet as the pair walloped each other from corner-to-corner but, just as Mboyane looked to be getting the upper hand, the fight was called off after four completed rounds with an elbow injury ending Burkinshaw’s night.
A hospital visit the following day thankfully confirmed that Burkinshaw hadn’t suffered any bone damage, and Hobson now believes that once he is injury-free Burkinshaw should get back in the saddle.
“Ross didn’t stick to the game plan,” stated Hobson. “Mboyane was short, southpaw, and a hooker and Ross should have boxed at range and kept him on the end of his jab. As soon as he gets clipped though he wants to get into a scrap, which is what makes him an exciting fighter. But he needs to listen to Ryan Rhodes and the team around him in future. He was getting shooting pains, like electric shots up his arm, but he’s been to hospital and it’s not bone-related so hopefully it will settle down.
“He has to get himself injury-free, then there are still fights out there for him. There’s Ryan Farrag for the British title, which is a fight he can win. Ryan has been a bit disrespectful on Twitter, but I think he’s just trying to make a name for himself, and it would be a good fight. There’s also a potential rematch with Jason Cunningham for the Commonwealth belt because their first fight was great, it was close and lots of people would like to see it again. Or we could also keep on moving down the WBO route. Either way, Ross has really come on since being with us and Ryan Rhodes, but he needs to stick to instructions in future.”
