By Alexey Sukachev
Scottish Exhibition Centre, Glasgow, Scotland - Ricky Burns (35-2, 10KOs) retained his WBO lightweight title with a very impressive fourth round stoppage of Kevin Mitchell (33-2, 24KOs).
It was a boxing match until the final thirty seconds of the first round, when both boxers started trading punches. Burns started landing hard right hands in the second. During the fourth, a crushing left hand sent Mitchell down hard on his back. Mitchell made it up but Burns quickly dropped him again with a barrage of shots. After Mitchell beat the count, Burns pinned him against the ropes and continued to blast away with both hands until the referee stopped the fight.
Scott Harrison, once a two-time super featherweight champion of the world, but had alcohol problems and served his jail time in the United Kingdom and in Spain, and then once again became a local hero, continued his incredible comeback with a convincing six-round decision over relatively unknown Joe Elfidh (7-2). Harrison, only 35 despite almost seven years in retirement, dominated the fight with his aggressiveness and experience. Elfidh was also down early into the opening stanza after a hard left hook to the temple by Harrison, who improved his record to 27-2-2, with 15 KOs.
John Simpson (24-9, 11 KOs), a well-known featherweight and super featherweight multi-time domestic titleholder, retained his BBBofC Celtic 130lb belt for the first time in style by destroying upset-minded journeyman Dai Davies in two rounds. Davies (9-19-2, 1 KO), a fighter with a losing record but some quality wins, was battered in the first by the hard left hooks of Simpson, 29. Early into the second, Simpson landed a short powerful left hook. Davies didn't go down instantly but on a delayed effect after a light right hand to his head. He was ubanle to beat the count and was thus counted out at 0:36.
John Thain (8-0, 1 KO), a Scottish junior middleweight of partially Filipino origin, was pressed hard but inconsistently for six rounds by the sport's veteran Lee Noble (15-23-3, 3 KOs). Thain was elusive and sharp but ate his share of leather as well. After all, referee Phil Edwards raised the arm of Thain, and the sole scorecard reads as follows: 60-55.
In a very dull cruiserweight scrap, Stephen Simmons (6-0, 2 KOs) showed no poise and no desire against little-skilled but durable Bulgarian Tayar Mehmed (5-21-2, 1 KO), getting a totally forgettable points victory over six rounds: 60-54. It's to be noted though, that Mehmed lost inside the distance just once in his career.
Scottish super featherweight Michael Roberts (10-0,2 KOs) got his second career stoppage after he had knocked out Gavin Reid (6-16-1, 3 KOs) in four. Reid increased his losing streak to thirteen fights.
Former amateur standout and 2007 WC bronze medalist Bradley Saunders (4-0, 3 KOs) dropped tough but badly overmatched Slovakian opponent Ivan Godor (9-24-4, 4 KOs) three times in round three, before a mercy from the referee Richie Davis was issued at 1:25. Godor was down every time after hard straight right hands by the Briton.
-----------------Tags: Ricky Burns , Kevin Mitchell , John Simpson , Scott Harrison , Burns-Mitchell , Burns vs Mitchell