RICKY BURNS, the former two-weight world champion from Coatbridge, may be close to reaching the end of the road, according to Australian ring rival Josh King.
The 30-year-old, from Queensland, believes he will force Burns to contemplate retirement once he has done with him this weekend.
Burns will attempt a last throw of the dice on Saturday evening when he challenges King for the vacant WBO Inter-Continental lightweight title at Liverpool’s Echo Arena.
Burns still has his sights set on eventually becoming the first-ever Scot to achieve the status of a three-time world champion at the age of 32.
But King says he will put paid to Burns’ renewed world title aspirations once and for all after claiming: “My style of fighting is all wrong for Ricky and I will give him loads of problems. I will out-work him; show him some angles and then move on him.
“I see the fight going the distance, but my mind set will be too strong in the end. I have got a great plan to beat him and I am feeling very confident.
“Ricky has pedigree and he has achieved some great things in the ring, so it is not going to be easy. But I have done lots of things differently for this fight, including changing trainer, and I am more than ready to win.”
King revealed that he had made a detailed study of Burns over the past few years and is well versed in his opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.
He said: “I always hoped this night would come and when the opportunity arose to fight Ricky I jumped at it. In the new ratings I am ranked eighth by the WBO and a victory will give me the opportunity to fight for a world title, having beaten a two-division champion.”
King says that once he has taken care of Burns he will return to the UK to take on Terry Flanagan, the 26-year-old WBO lightweight champion from Manchester, adding: “I’m ready to fight any lightweight champion anywhere, anytime.”
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