Ricky Burns targets Josh Taylor’s Glasgow fight card as he prepares ring return

Scotland’s ego-free former world champion finally getting the chance to shake off Lee Selby defeat after more than two years out, and is ready to make his return to the ring

Ricky Burns has no issues playing second fiddle to the king of Scottish boxing Josh Taylor.

Because even when he was the country’s only world champion fighter, whether he was topping a bill or helping to fill the undercard, it never used to bother him.

Burns returns to the ring for the first time since his defeat by Lee Selby in October 2019 when he takes on Emiliano Rodriguez of Argentina in Sunderland in December.

And the former WBA World light-welterweight and WBO World lightweight champion said of the undisputed light-welterweight champ: “What Josh has done is superb and not a lot of people can say they have got in and done that.

“He’s going from strength to strength and if I can get the job done in December then hopefully I can get on the undercard of his fight in Glasgow in February.

“Even when I was a world champion, I didn’t used to bother about topping the bill.

“I was always of the opinion, ‘When am I fighting? Who is it? Right, let’s get ready’.

“I never made much of a fuss and I’d love to get another big night in on that show in Glasgow.”

Burns was due to make his ring return in May but decided against a short-notice fight and will instead take on Rodriguez next month.

He added: “Last year, there were a few things spoken about that fell through and I was meant to fight in May this year but I wasn’t given enough time to prepare.

“I hadn’t been sparring or anything like that and I wasn’t going to take a fight on short notice.

“Although I’ve been training through Covid, there’s being fit and there’s ring fit.

“It’ll be over two years since my last fight so we’ll shake that rust off and see where we go.

“I’m treating this fight the same as any other.

“He’s been keeping busy so he’s going to come all guns blazing and I’m expecting a tough fight.”

Burns has been working with Scotland’s amateur team in recent months and has loved passing on his vast experience to the nation’s hottest young talent.

He said: “I phoned Boxing Scotland and spoke to Craig McEvoy, the performance director, about the qualifications I’d need to set up my own gym and then my wife noticed they were looking for an apprentice coach.

“Big Stephen Simmons got that position but I said to Craig that I’d book in to start my courses and if anything came up on the off chance in the future I’d be interested.

“He said to come in and see him the next day, and I went in and I’ve been in there helping out for around five months.

“I hadn’t even thought about coaching with Scotland but being in their part-time, the experience I’m getting, I feel like I’m part of the team.

“I’ve been on a couple of trips away with them, we’ve been out in Russia and Serbia, and it felt a bit weird to start with but since then it has been going well and I’m really enjoying it.”