Adding a little glitz to the graft

Sports Writer

Wednesday 4 July 2012

RICKY BURNS will head to Las Vegas for a training camp as part of his preparations for the first defence of his World Boxing Organisation Lightweight title against Kevin Mitchell, with Floyd Mayweather's gym understood to be an option.

Ricky Burns, left, got the better of Kevin Mitchell during a previous sparring match but is expecting a more taxing contest when he defends his WBO lightweight title. Picture: SNS

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Bert Mitchell

The bout will take place at the SECC on September 22, although the lead up to the fight may well prove interesting given that Burns and Mitchell have enjoyed only a prickly relationship in the past despite yesterday's show of mutual respect at the Hilton in Glasgow.

"The plan is to have two weeks sparring in Scotland at the Fighting Scots Gym and then head out to Vegas for four weeks. I have always wanted to spar over there and what we will do is make sure that the best guys out there are available," said Burns."There are four possibilities when it comes to gyms we are considering and one of those is Floyd Mayweather's. But it is the sparring that will decide where we go."Billy Nelson, my trainer ,will come out with me and I guess it will be a learning experience for both of us. But it is about making sure I am the best possible condition I can be."The pair sparred in the past with Burns, by Mitchell's own admission, coming out on top. The Scot expects a stern test when they step back into the ring together for the real thing, though."I am preparing for 12 gruelling rounds," said the champion. "When you look at Kevin's record then he has 23 knock-outs on it so no one can say he is not a big puncher but I will need to deal with that."I am coming off back-to-back world title wins and at a stage in my career where there is no such thing as an easy fight. But with Kevin, we have known each other so long and there is the whole domestic rivalry bit as well, that I expect this to be the toughest of the lot."One of the most eagerly awaited fights in British boxing in recent years had originally been for scheduled on the under card of the David Haye versus Dereck Chisora heavyweight grudge fight at Upton Park a week on Saturday. However, Burns wedding and subsequent honeymoon forced a rethink, and afforded the champion home advantage."It is fantastic to have another fight in Glasgow and great that it is at the bigger venue of the SECC," said Burns. "The demand for tickets at the last fight at Braehead was unbelievable and a sell-out so it is great we have the bigger venue."It would have been great to have had it on at Upton Park in front of 40,000 fans but it is even better that it is going ahead in Glasgow in front of my fans. Hopefully it will be a fight to remember."For his part Mitchell was respectful of the champion but dismissive that sparring session would have any significance come September 22 while. He was, though, acutely aware of the significance of suffering defeat."Basically this is win or bust for me. I don't want to go back to square one and I am determined not to do that," he said. "Ricky was too strong for me [in sparring]. I had just come back and I wasn't fit or strong enough. I don't have any problems with that and we both know that will have no bearing on our world title fight."I think this will be a long distance fight and I think there could be spells in it when we are toe-to-toe and when we are boxing at distance."BOXING Scot not gambling on fitness as he heads to Vegas, writes Bert Mitchell

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Adding a little glitz to the graft

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