All of the talk in the build-up to Saturday night’s clash between Coatbridge fighter Ricky Burns and hometown favourite Anthony Crolla in Manchester centred upon where either fighter could go should they lose. The answer may well have been right in front of them the entire time.

Certainly, promoter Eddie Hearn believes that a rematch between the thirty-somethings, although this time at Glasgow’s SSE Hydro, would be the obvious and logical next step for both, given the close nature of the bout in which Crolla claimed a unanimous points decision.

Burns was keen to pursue the prospect of bringing Crolla up to his own stomping ground in the aftermath of the fight at the weekend, and Crolla himself seemed open to the idea immediately following their captivating scrap, which both parties believe would have box-office appeal to the Glasgow boxing public.

The most important opinion though, may well be Hearn’s. The thoughts of the Matchroom managing director tend to hold sway in such matters, and Hearn agrees that a rematch between the pair at the Hydro would appeal to Scottish fight fans. In short, if the money is right, it will happen.

Hearn said: “The rematch is the obvious fight. Scotland would come out in big numbers.

“Both fighters will want to see the figures and we need to make sure it’s lucrative for the pair of them. But very few fighters can generate the kind of atmosphere Anthony Crolla and Ricky Burns can. There was 12,000 at the Arena and it was electric the other night.”

Time, of course, is not on the side of either the 34-year-old Burns, or Crolla, four years his junior. Both men were keen to stress that they still hold world title ambitions even at this advanced stage of their careers, with Hearn interjecting to offer his own blunt assessment of where their priorities should now lie.

“Anthony is at the stage of his career where world titles are very important - but so are big fights,” he said. “It’s the same with Ricky. No matter what he says, they don’t have 10 fights left.

“They are at the final stages of their careers and it’s about getting what they deserve - as much money as possible. That’s what it will come down to.

“If Ricky and Anthony like the money for the rematch then it will happen every day of the week.”

Another possibility put to Burns after the Crolla fight was the prospect of a Scottish super-fight with up-and-coming light-welterweight talent Josh Taylor.

While Burns was remaining open-minded about taking on the Prestonpans fighter, a sceptical Hearn seemed to pour cold water on the idea.

“It’s not about taking a fight because it sounds right or someone on Twitter says they want to see it,” he said. “It has to be on the right terms.

“For Josh Taylor, if that fight was to be made, it would be us putting the money up.”

Still, if selling tickets and television rights is the main driver behind such fights taking place, then surely a Burns versus Taylor meeting would capture the imagination of the Scottish public, particularly if future stars like Charlie Flynn and Joe Ham are on the undercard, as they were in Manchester.

Another potential stumbling block to any fight with Taylor though would be Burns’ stated preference to remain at lightweight after taking the step down in weight for the first time in two years to fight Crolla.

While he admitted before the fight that it had been a struggle to stick to the strict diet he had been on during his training camp, he feels his creditable showing and enduring stamina justified his decision to take on the challenge.

Despite the concerns of many observers prior to the fight on Saturday, Burns didn’t seem to suffer from being ‘weight-drained’, and in fact, appeared to be the man to finish the fight the stronger as it moved into the closing rounds.

“One hundred percent I’ve proved to myself that I can do it,” Burns said. “I was so strict with my diet. Tony [Sims, his trainer] wasn’t sure I could do it but I showed him and myself.

“Money talks. I’d rather stay at lightweight but we’ll see [if I fight Josh Taylor]. I’d love to do the Crolla fight back in Glasgow but you never know.

“I’m sticking at lightweight from now on.”