IT is generally held that you need to speculate to accumulate.
Raymundo Beltran clearly believes in the maxim, judging by the financial investment he has made in tomorrow evening's eagerly anticipated showdown with Ricky Burns at Glasgow's SECC. According to Eddie Hearn, the promoter of the contest for the WBO lightweight title, it is standard practice to supply the challenger with four flight tickets and a week's accommodation for his backroom team free-of-charge.
Hearn revealed yesterday, though, that Beltran stumped up for an additional four airline tickets and an extra six nights at a Glasgow hotel.
"The size of that additional outlay tells me that Beltran has come expecting to win," said Hearn. "So, outside a unification fight, this is as hard as it can get for Ricky who has had the toughest run of any world champion. We could have looked for an easier opponent, but Ricky's followers are so loyal we didn't want to short change them and Sky wouldn't have stood for that either.
"So, Ricky has to fight the best and from where Beltran comes from they are tough, tough people. They've all got a sad story to tell, some sadder than others, and Beltran is no exception. He's hungry and he is also coming off two very good wins. Don't read too much into the fact that he's lost six times, because some of those defeats were questionable.
"He has sparred thousands of rounds with Manny Pacquiao and he wouldn't have lasted in that camp unless he can look after himself. So, Beltran is vastly experienced and he won't be at all fazed about fighting in Ricky's backyard. We won't see a quitter in him, a [Jose] Gonzalez, because Beltran would never call it a day while he is still standing."
Hearn admits that he was as surprised any anyone at just how much 30-year-old Burns, from Coatbridge, struggled to cope with Gonzalez in his most recent defence before finally retaining his title, by dint of the Puerto Rican suddenly retiring injured after nine rounds while leading by three.
"There were mitigating circumstances," he argued. "Ricky had a lot on his mind, including his split with his former promoter and his wife being pregnant, and he was also burned out after training virtually non-stop for nine months for two fights that didn't happen.
"Ricky has to show everybody just how good he is. He is the best lightweight in the world, now [Adrien] Broner has moved up [from lightweight]. But he needs to make a statement because his last performance wasn't his best and he knows that."
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