Ricky Burns, the commonwealth super-featherweight champion, is threatening to bypass the WBO Inter-Continental crown and aim for the full blown version of the world title instead.

Ricky Burns, the commonwealth super-featherweight champion, is threatening to bypass the WBO Inter-Continental crown and aim for the full blown version of the world title instead.

The 26-year-old has expressed a desire to challenge Puerto Rican Roman Martinez for the WBO title because of Kevin Mitchell's apparent reluctance to fight the Scot.

The self-styled "Dagenham Destroyer" is holder of both the British and Inter-Continental belts, but Mitchell, who boasts a perfect record from 28 contests, has not divulged his long-term plans.

Burns, who makes the third defence of his title against Ulsterman Kevin O'Hara at Glasgow's Bellahouston Leisure Centre on Friday evening, hopes that a win will be sufficient to earn him a straight shot at Martinez.

He said: "I want Mitchell, but if he is not up for it, Martinez would do nicely. I am ranked No.4 by the WBO at the moment and a win over O'Hara will strengthen my case for a crack at Martinez without having to go through Mitchell first.

"Martinez took the title from Nicky Cook, but Cook was winning until he got caught with a powerful left hook. I wouldn't make the same kind of mistake and I would love to get Martinez over to Scotland and box his head off. In fact, I'm confident that I would run rings round him.

"We had a Scottish WBO super-featherweight champion in Alex Arthur, and I can bring that title back here if I am given my opportunity.

I have two defeats on my record, but people forget that when I lost to Arthur and Carl Johanneson I was young and inexperienced. In the last couple of years I have really come on and I have improved so much in my last six or seven fights."

Mitchell had held the Commonwealth belt before relinquishing the title which Burns subsequently took against Osumana Akaba last September.

He followed up with a successful first defence against anther Ghanaian, Yakuba Amidu two months later before effectively sending Michael Gomez into retirement when he stopped the former world champion in March.