Ricky Burns can lay claim to being Scotland’s greatest ever boxer if he defeats Mexican Raymundo Beltran over 12 rounds at Glasgow?s SECC, says promoter Eddie Hearn.
But Burns know he will need to scrap during every second of every round if he?s to emerge victorious against the challenger for his crown.
Sportsmail will bring you round-by-round coverage of the WBO lightweight title fight from Glasgow?s SECC.
Scroll down for live updates and scorecard
Taking aim: A jab from Burns catches Beltran on the nose
Ricky Burns, true to his Braveheat monikor, kept his title world title defence and volunteered a rematch to his outrageously robbed challenger Raymundo Beltran.
That’s as commendable as the courage with which Burns showed in battling on to the agonising end after dislocating his jaw as early as the second round.
Burns said: ‘I’m dispapointed and I’m willignt to do this with him again.’
That will be scant consolation to the 32-year-old who deserved to come out of the shadows of being Manny Pacquia’s sparring partner only to be disgracefully deprived of a first world title of his own.
Scandalously, the decisive 114-114 score announced after two foreign judges had split the decision, was awarded by English official Richie Davis.
controversy: Burns retains his title after drawing with Beltran
Even Burns, though in great pain, went quiet and subdued as the result was announced.
Frankly this was an embarrassment for British boxing.
Whether Beltran will want to come back to Glasgow a second time has to be doubtful. He can hardly be confident of fair treatment.
British fighters often complaun abopt being robbed abroad but rarely, if ever, does that happen when the hoem fighter has been outpointbed as comprehensively as this.
On my card, even though I gave Burns the benefit of a doubtful shared round in the 11th, Beltran was a four point winner 116-112.
Stunned: Burns was put on the canvas for only the second time
The judges allowed Burns to retain his tile by contriiving to give him the draw. It was a terrible hometown decision and a disgraceful roberry of the Mexican’s right to become champion. Even the most The decisive score of 114-114, after two foreign judges had split their decision, came from English official Richie Davis. Even Burns looked shocked by the result as were the majority of his fans as Beltran stalked away immediately to his dressing room. The scale of the injustice can be measured from my scorecard of 116-112 in favour of Beltran.
Round 12: Whatever the judges mare of it it was clear that Burns corner were making of the scoring. they sent their man out for a last jaw gripping attempt at a KO and d at one point it seemed he might have hurt Beltran for the first time. Burns grimaced at the final bell as he indicated that his jaw might be broken but also in recognition that his title might have gone.
Round 11: Although clearly in pain and suffering continually to the wounded right side of his head from left hooks, Burns kept slugging away. Twice it seemed miraculous that he managed to stay on his feet and the round ended with the pair locked in a heaving embrace on the ropes.
Round 10: Word came from the Scottish corner that Burns had damaged his jaw and the way he charged suggested a big effort from him to try and pull this out of the fire. It was heroic stuff but at times he was reeling into clinches and as the round went on he was doing his best to protect his chin from further damage.
Round 9: Beltram remained in control and the anxious audience were reduced to excessive reaction to the occasional success from Burns which interrupted the pounding he was taking on the ropes. JEFF’S SCORECARD ROUND SCORE
1 10-9 Burns
2 10-9 Burns
3 10-9 Beltran
4 10-9 Beltran
5 10-9 Beltran
6 10-9 Burns
7 10-9 Burns
8 10-8 Beltran
9 10-9 Beltran
10 10-9 Beltran
11 10-10
12 10-9 Beltran
Verdict 116-112 Beltran
Round 8: Burns was caught with a shuddering left hook at the start of the eighth and was off his feet for only the second time in his career. He rose at the count of eight, trying his damnest to retaliate. The fight had been captioned ‘Braveheart’ and the Scot lived up that title as he interspersed his holding and covering up with some wild swings to try to deter Beltran as the crowd urged him to recover.
Round 7: Once again Burns was having to gut his way through a tricky fight and he regained the ascendency, courtesy of his bravery, as he backed up Beltran in the seventh with some stinging right hooks.
Round 6: It was slower stuff as they approached the halfway mark and although Beltran continued to make the running Burns began to pick him off with some counters and took the sixth with two heavy hits just before the bell.
Round 5: Burns had ridden the storm with his usual courage but midway through the fifth he was again covering up on the ropes as he came under two-fisted pressure. The Scottish jab brought cheers from the crowd but were not enough to keep off the US-based Mexican. Burns looked to be tiring as he slipped behind on my card for first time.
Round 4: The response from Burns was to increase his ratio of body shots but Beltran seemed unconcerned by this, not feeling any troublesome power by the champion. Then when the challenger unleasehed some heavy left hooks he had Burns staggering back into the ropes.
Round 3: In the third, the Burns charge was met by a Mexican counter offensive and the Scot was warned to keep his punches up after landing a low left. Burns was more effective when he went back to boxing but was being outpunched at the end as Beltran enjoyed his first success.
Round 2: Burns was growing in confidence, beginning the second on the attack, and he might have even be thinking an early night as he landed some heavy rights. Beltran rallied with a late flurry of his own to make it closer.
Round 1: The faithful roared as Burns began brightly. Beltran did not appear to be as smooth an operator as Gonzalez and the Scot took the first round with some stinging rights to the head and brisk body punches.
9.50pm: Ricky Burns came to the fifth defence of his lightweight title buoyed by the arrival of his first-born son but burdened by the brash assessment that he would become Scotland’s greatest ever boxer if he defeated Manny Pacquia’s long-term sparring partner. While Eddie Hearns’ over enthusiastic outburst deserves to make Ken Buchanan among several consider suing, Burns was obliged to restore momentum to his career by dealing impressively with Raymundo Beltran – Mexico’s Californina-based challenger.
Although Beltran, a scrapper with a punch, is better know as the Pacman’s regular spa mate rather than for his own exploits in the ring, he has vowed to make a firm fist of his first world title chance at the age of 32.
His all action style was expected to suit Burns better than the slippery and slick Jose Gonzalez, who outclassed the brave Scot in his preceding fight before quitting at the start of the ninth.
The Glasgow crowd were out in vocal support of their very local hero but there was a frisson of anxiety taking the edge of rapture before Burns entered the ring.
Burns was also aware of the slightly growing criticism within the game about him fighting almost exclusively at home rather than seeking proper fights and wider recognition abroad. At 30 despite his convincing record, he found himself with something to prove.
8.30pm: Welcome to Sportsmail’s coverage of the WBO lightweight title fight from Glasgow?s SECC.
