BURNS night is historically celebrated at the end of January but at the SSE Hydro yesterday another authentic Scottish hero was being toasted. When he stylishly stopped Italy's Michele di Rocco in the ninth round at the SSE Hydro last night, Ricky Burns took ownership of a unique piece of real estate in this little nation's proud sporting heritage. This modest product of Coatbridge, who has borne no shortage of financial hardship in the last two years, became our first-ever three weight boxing World Champion, adding the Vacant WBA World Super-Lightweight title to his WBO super-featherweight and lightweight belts. Even when you consider the British context, only Bob Fitzsimmons and Duke McKenzie have delivered world titles in three different divisions.

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A fan of heavy metal music, Burns' only previous visits to this venue have been for concerts by rocks acts such as Def Leppard and Whitesnake. Even they could not have replicated the decibel level here yesterday. This was the first time Burns had fought in Glasgow since losing to Dejan Zlaticanin in June 2014 and the Hydro was rocking.

The Italian was something of an oddity, the older man by a year yet having only fought twice outside his homeland. This was his first world title shot and perhaps he was caught cold. Burns grasped the early momentum by landing a couple of clean left hands during that first round. The Di Rocco camp complained of a push when their man was subjected to an eight-count in the second round, then two huge right hand shots in the sixth did further damage. By the ninth Di Rocco was trapped on the ropes, unable to stop punishing blows raining down on him.

If the Hydro was already in a ferment when Burns arrived on stage, it was thanks mainly to a stirring final chapter of the Willie Limond story. If he was going down, it was a fair bet that the Glaswegian was going to go down fighting. The 37-year-old appeared to finally call time on his 17-year professional boxing career last night, but not until he had relished one last tilt at glory. It wasn't until the ninth round that he succumbed, bloodied but unbowed, to Huddersfield's Tyrone Nurse in their British Super Lightweight title clash and even then he had to be forcibly removed from the ring by referee Victor Loughlin. "I felt okay but I was taking a lot of shots," he said. "It's looking like it," was his answer on the subject of retirement.

During a riotous fourth round, when the Glaswegian was raining shots down on his taller, rangier opponent, he was rolling back the years but the surge was illusory. Nurse drew blood from his nose and cheeks with a fusillade of his own in the fifth round, and did particular damage with body shots. Even in defeat, though, this game wee Glaswegian may just have fought his way into folklore.

READ MORE: Ricky Burns deserves to be recognised as a boxing great, says Eddie Hearn

Earlier on a packed bill, Joe Ham had climbed out of the ring at the SSE Hydro with a puffy left eye. This would have been more worrying for the 24-year-old from the Gorbals and his supporters if he hadn't gone in with one. The Commonwealth bronze medallist survived a late slip - an eight count in the sixth and final round after he lost his footing - to move his perfect record as a professional to eight wins, even if his hopes of recording a sixth knockout were to be disappointed. It wasn't bad, considering as recently as ten days ago he was unable to open the troublesome eye and required a dash to Gartnavel for a serious course of anti-biotics. At the pre-show press conference on Tuesday he had hidden the problem behind a pair of shades.

READ MORE: Ricky Burns deserves to be recognised as a boxing great, says Eddie Hearn

There were other Scottish success stories besides. It is now 21 undefeated for Scott Cardle, the reigning British lightweight champion, and a neat half dozen for Sam Ball and Ryan Smith. England's Anthony Ogogo, lately of Strictly Come Dancing, showed nifty footwork to take care of Gary Cooper, Belfast's Tommy McCarthy won a unanimous points decision against Jon Lewis Dickinson, while Conor Benn, with his father Nigel in attendance, recorded an impressive points victory against Luke Kelleher. But it is only Burns who has a fresh piece of history this morning.