WBO World Lightweight Champion Ricky Burns
heads straight into another Battle of Britain when he defends his title
against unbeaten challenger Liam Walsh on Saturday 15th December at
London's ExCeL.
The fight headlines promoter Frank
Warren's end of year multi-title show that also features Commonwealth
Super-Middleweight Champion George Groves against Glen Johnson and Billy
Joe Saunders defending his Commonwealth Middleweight title against Nick
Blackwell.
BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546) will televise the show live and exclusive.
Scottish
star Burns, 28, a two-time and two-weight world champion, is hot off a
stunning performance against Kevin Mitchell last month when he destroyed
his English rival inside four rounds and heads into another big Auld
rivalry clash.
Cromer based Walsh, 26, has stopped 10 of out 13
early and comes from a fighting family with brothers Ryan and Michael
both unbeaten professionals.
Earlier this year Walsh won the WBO
European Lightweight title in real style on the big David Haye-Dereck
Chisora card at Upton Park after stepping up from super-featherweight
where he held the Commonwealth title, making two defences.
His
brutal and dramatic fight against Burns’ fellow countryman Paul Appleby
in September last year was hailed as a small hall classic and named one
of the fights of the year. Appleby cut Walsh in the second round and
dropped him in the seventh. Walsh fought back and their were some
action-packed exchanges in the eighth and ninth rounds before Appleby
was dropped twice and then retired on his stool before the start of the
tenth.
The winner of Burns and Walsh will also have the added
bonus of then going into a unification fight against American star
Adrien Broner who holds the WBC title.
Burns said, “Nothing stirs
the sports fans like a good English-Scottish showdown just like my
fight against Mitchell did and the fans are in for a real treat before
Christmas with this one. Walsh is a good strong fighter, he’s unbeaten
and this is his big chance to win the world title. I was ringside when
he fought Appleby and he showed tremendous heart and strength to come
through when he was deep in trouble. I’ll be in the best shape possible
and will leave nothing to chance for this one. The big motivator is a
showdown with Broner, who I was accused of avoiding last year. Since
moving up to lightweight and winning the world title my stock and
profile has increased and now that it’s a unification fight it’s a much
bigger fight than before.”
Walsh said, “To fight for the world
title is my dream and I’m going to cause a big upset on December 15 at
the Excel when I take the crown from Burns. It’s always been on my mind
that I would fight him one day and it’s now here. He’s a great
champion, I’ve studied and watched him throughout his career and I know
I’ve got the tools to beat him. He’s looked great in the last few years
and he did a stunning job on Mitchell. He’s in the prime of his career
now so when I beat him people will know that I’ve beaten the best.
I’ll have massive support from my ‘Farmy Army’ fans who will be coming
to the Excel creating an electric atmosphere.”
Warren added,
“Burns, as I’ve said, is Britain’s most improved fighter and he did a
real job on Mitchell last month. Even before Mitchell, he’d beaten two
of the best in Roman Martinez and Michael Katsidis. Now he’s facing a
young, tough and unbeaten challenger in Walsh who’s stepping up to the
plate and really fancies the job. You’ve just got to watch his epic
fight against Appleby that was named one of the best of the year to see
that he loves to fight and he’s got plenty of heart for a battle. It’s a
cracking fight to top the bill with at the Excel and one that the fans
will enjoy along with Groves’ title defence against Johnson plus
Saunders is in title action as well. For the winner of Burns and Walsh,
the new golden boy of American boxing, Adrien Broner, will be waiting
and he’ll put his WBC title on the line in a big unification showdown.”
Tickets, priced at £40, £50, £75, £100, £150 and £200, are available from Eventim at
www.eventim.co.uk or 0844 249 1000.
The show will be televised live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546). Join at
www.boxnation.com