Ricky Burns is on the brink of realising his lifelong ambition of boxing in Las Vegas in a battle with unbeaten IBF super-featherweight champion Rances Barthelemy, which could resurrect his world title hopes.
The bout has been lined up for the undercard of the Carl Froch versus Julio Cesar Chavez jnr super-fight, which is expected to be confirmed in the next 24 hours for March 28, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The unbeaten 28-year-old Cuban is poised to step up to lightweight after compiling an unbeaten 22-fight record which includes 12 knock-outs at 130lbs.
Burns suffered a disastrous 2014 in which he lost his WBO lightweight title to Terence Crawford and was then beaten in a final eliminator for the IBF lightweight crown by unheralded Montenegrin Dejan Zlaticanin, in June at Braehead.
That prompted the Scot to experiment with a move up to light-welterweight, where he beat Frenchman Alexandre Lepelley over eight rounds in Leeds, in October in a performance that received mixed reviews. The 31-year-old has since resolved to continue his career back down at 135lb, but following the trials and tribulations of last year Burns is not ranked in the top 15 by any of the main sanctioning organisations.
Thus, victory over the unbeaten Cuban on such a high profile card as Froch's projected Las Vegas punch up - which is also likely to include Kell Brook's first defence of the IBF welterweight title - would almost certainly carry with it a top-10 ranking and take Burns to within one fight of a renewed assault on what could be a third world title.
Intriguingly one route back to a world title challenge could come through Burns' former tormentor Terence Crawford, who is set to vacate the WBO lightweight title the Scot held until last March.
Burns' fellow Matchroom stablemate Anthony Crolla is now installed at No.2 in the WBO lightweight rankings and although he is recovering from a fractured skull sustained in an attempt to apprehend a burglar in his native Manchester, Crolla is already talking about a summer outing.
Should Burns prevail against Barthelemy, Crawford move up to light-welterweight as expected and Crolla recover fully, an all-domestic world title bust-up against an opponent the Scot was originally touted to meet back in 2013, could take place later this year.
The 31-year-old has kept himself in top shape in readiness for an opportunity that has been bubbling under the surface for some time.
Burns attended a Portuguese training camp before returning to Airdrie to enjoy a family Christmas. But the former two-weight world champion headed south yesterday to start serious training at trainer Tony Sims' Hainault gym in Ilford, which will allow him a full two months of quality sparring with the likes of fellow lightweight title contender and former victim Kevin Mitchell.
The opportunity to fight on a Las Vegas card is something Burns has long been desperate to achieve.
Although the strategy, given the recent downturn in his form, may appear high risk, it offers a shot at redemption and the chance to reclaim a lofty world ranking that would stop the former two-weight world champion's career fizzling out into that of a faded former world champion who is seen as no more than a name for up and coming fighters to add to their record.
Burns' big night out in Vegas is expected to be announced after Froch-Chavez jnr is confirmed.
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