LightWeight

Luke Campbell and Tommy Coyle both emerged with great credit after their fight in Hull, England, on Saturday night.

While Coyle—the underdog who had promised to bite back in the build-up—was lauded for his bravery in defeat, Campbell further enhanced his reputation with the biggest win of his career to date.

The gold medalist at the 2012 Olympics produced another demonstration of his boxing abilities at the KC Lightstream Stadium in Hull, stopping his old gym-mate in the 10th round to gain local bragging rights.

That the bout lasted so long was down to the perseverance of Coyle (21-3, 10 KOs), not to mention his high pain threshold. His ability to absorb punishment meant he left the ring with plenty of plaudits. 

However, what he had really wanted was a win over an opponent he had known since they both attended the St Paul's club in their youth.

Coyle and his trainer, Jamie Moore, had both talked before the bout about the timing being all wrong for Campbell, suggesting he was taking on too much too soon in his career. 

As it turned out, Cool Hand Luke was prepared for anything his opponent could launch at him, which was often his head.

Coyle lunged forward with his chin tucked into his chest throughout the contest. His method was crude but clear—he wanted to get up close and drag his rival into a scrap, knowing he couldn't hope to out-box him from long range.

The plan of attack drew the ire of referee Victor Loughlin on several occasions, and Coyle was fortunate to avoid being deducted a point at times. It also failed to have the desired effect on Campbell, too.

Rather than get drawn in, Campbell just about coped with Coyle’s roughhousing tactics. He complained at times, but he found the best way to deal with his opponent's method was to launch counter measures.

The left hand to the body was a particularly productive shot. One such punch to the midsection saw Boom Boom crumple in a heap during the second round. Desperately sucking in air, Coyle did well to rise up in time to beat the count.

He was knocked down three more times in the 10th, but on each occasion, he picked himself up.

It needed Loughlin to step in and eventually save Coyle, who ended up slumped into a corner after coming under heavy punishment. His disappointment in defeat was obvious when he shed tears in the immediate aftermath.

He told Sky Sports (h/t Bad Left Hook): "I was confident I could upset the odds and even knock him out, but he's too smart. I'm a domestic fighter at best and that's it. He's a great fighter."

The question now is: How quickly should Campbell be moved along?

His 12th successive victory as a professional saw him secure the WBC international title, as well as put him next in line for a shot at the reigning WBC champion, Jorge Linares.

The Venezuelan, now based in the Far East, was last seen defeating another Englishman, Kevin Mitchell. He would be a huge risk at this stage for Campbell, who has only taken on seven fighters boasting winning records.

However, promoter Eddie Hearn doesn’t seem keen to hold one of his prized assets back, per Sky Sports:

In two years I want him fighting for a world title here. In the meantime, it's a red-hot division domestically.

Kevin Mitchell is here, Anthony Crolla is here and there's Terry Flanagan, Derry Mathews and Ricky Burns.

He's going to be a world champion. It's a wonderful time for British boxing and in the lightweight division and this kid is going to be right in the mix.

Campbell isn’t quite a kid, as Hearn called him. Despite his boyish looks, he will turn 28 next month.

He may yet want to win a British title. Scott Cardle claimed the vacant Lonsdale belt with a victory over Craig Evans in May, and he is due to make a first defence on September 5 in Leeds, England.

Becoming national champion is seen as the first step towards bigger and better things, normally followed by tilts at European and Commonwealth glory before a world-title shot.

Still, Campbell should not put the brakes on his career just to focus on domestic matters.

There is no need for him to follow the traditional path to the top—he has already been a pro for two years and has an Olympic medal in his possession. Getting hold of the British strap should not be a major priority. 

Vasyl Lomachenko won two Olympic golds in his amateur career, then fought for a world title in just his second fight in the paid ranks.

Although the Ukrainian lost on that occasion in controversial fashion to Orlando Salido, he bounced right back to beat Gary Russell Jr. in his next outing, in the process claiming the vacant WBO featherweight strap.

While comparing Campbell to Lomachenko may be a little unfair on the Englishman, there are some similarities: Both were outstanding amateurs for their country, and both were southpaws who had to prove their skill set would translate smoothly to the pro game.

If Hearn wants to seriously test Campbell, he should look no further than another fighter in his Matchroom stable.

Ricky Burns (38-5-1, 12 KOs) fought on the undercard in Hull, recording a fifth-round stoppage over Ghanaian Prince Ofotsu.

The Scotsman is a former lightweight world champion who has the stomach for a scrap, as shown when he fought the majority of his bout against Raymundo Beltran in 2013 with a broken jaw, per BoxRec.

Burns would be a considerable step up in class for Campbell, but his experience and lack of power—he has a 27 percent knockout percentage—would make him the perfect foe.

As Gareth A. Davies noted in his fight report for the Telegraph: “Campbell, a world-class amateur, showed he is developing into a world-class professional.”

Campbell is at the stage now where he needs to be pushed rather than protected. He is the pride for Hull after beating Coyle, but his sights are set on dominating much further afield.

The city of Hull, England, will be divided on Saturday night when local lads Luke Campbell and Tommy Coyle feature in the main event at the "Rumble on the Humber" card.

The two lightweights have known each other since they attended the same amateur club—St. Pauls—as youngsters.

Now they meet in the ring as professionals, with Campbell (11-0, 9 KOs) looking to continue his unbeaten start to life in the paid ranks.

Coyle, meanwhile, has a 21-2 (10 KOs) record that includes a victory over former interim world champion Michael Katsidis.

When: Saturday, August 1 at 10 p.m. BST

Where: KC Lightstream Stadium, Hull, England

TV: Sky Sports (UK)

Live stream: SkyGo (UK, subscription required)

Gold rush

Campbell has made serene progress since turning pro in 2013. 

He has dealt with any challenge put in front of him by his promoter, Eddie Hearn, and has stopped his last five opponents in a row.

However, Coyle will be his toughest test to date.

Regardless of the history between the pair, and putting aside the size of the crowd that will be watching on at the KC Lightstream Stadium, this is a bout that will reveal where Campbell is at in his development.

Per Sky Sports, the 27-year-old seems unfazed by the challenge he faces:

I’m confident I’ll go out there and get the win. Tommy’s a good fighter, he’s experienced, he knows his way around the ring.

My intention is to look good, to perform and get the win whether that’s by KO or on points.

I want to go to the top in this game, that’s what it’s about. Saturday night will be a showcase of my skills then I can move upwards and onwards.

Before he can get to the top, though, Campbell must first take care of business in his own back yard.

The pressure of the occasion should not bother him—he held his nerve to win a gold medal on home soil at the 2012 Olympics.

Campbell also made his professional debut at the same venue where he will fight on Saturday night, so he is used to being in the spotlight.

But, facing Coyle—particularly at this stage of his career—will lead to a different type of pressure than he has experienced so far. 

His opponent is not going to stand back and let the stylish southpaw go to work, so Cool Hand Luke will have to remain calm. He sees this bout as a stepping stone, but it could easily become a banana skin.

The confident underdog

Coyle has been brutally honest ahead of the bout.

He knows the size of the task at hand, telling Sky Sports News HQ (h/t Sporting Life): "Luke is a better fighter than me, I am a realist and I am going to be truthful. He is a better technician than me, but I don’t think he possesses what I possess inside."

Even Coyle's trainer, Jamie Moore, believes Campbell is going to become a world champion eventually.

All the praise for his opponent makes you wonder why Boom Boom even agreed to the fight, apart from it being the biggest payday of his career.

Yet the 28-year-old is confident he can cause an upset—and that is all down to timing.

While Campbell has coasted to 11 successive wins, Coyle has toughed it out since he turned professional at the age of 20.

He looked set to become the Commonwealth champion in 2013 until Derry Mathews dramatically stopped him in the 10th round, while he had to climb off the canvas on four occasions before eventually getting the better of Daniel Eduardo Brizuela last February.

In contrast, Campbell took South American Brizeula out in five rounds eight months later.

Even in his most recent outing Coyle was dropped by Martin Gethin, who had to pull out after five rounds of the contest due to a damaged eardrum.

Those experiences, however, are the foundation that Coyle believes will see him come out on top against his old gym-mate.

He told Matchroom Boxing: "I really believe I am too much for Luke Campbell at this stage of his career, I really do, and I am going to go in there and knock him out. I’ll prove all the critics wrong on Saturday." 

Coyle knows this could be the biggest night of his career. For that reason, expect him to leave it all in the ring.

Prediction

Coyle cannot hope to triumph by fighting from long range. He needs to take Campbell out of his comfort zone, drag him into a battle rather than a boxing match.

Expect a fast start from Coyle—he will realise that if it goes the distance, it will be tough for him to win on the scorecards.

Campbell has to weather the early storm that comes his way and find a way to get his punches off. He can afford to surrender the first round or two, provided he comes through them relatively unscathed.

Coyle is not going to be a tough target to locate though, and eventually an accumulation process will see him wilt. Campbell will get the victory by stoppage between Rounds 6 and 8. 

Luke Campbell and Tommy Coyle will clash on Saturday night in a bout that has been a long time in the making.

The two lightweights from Hull, England, will divide their home city when they clash at the KC Lightstream Stadium, with the duo topping the bill on a card dubbed the "Rumble on the Humber."

It will not be the first time they have been in the same ring—they crossed paths as youngsters when attending the same amateur club, St. Pauls.

However, they have taken different routes since those early days.

Campbell had a stellar amateur career that climaxed with him winning a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics in London. He turned pro to tremendous fanfare and has since coasted to an 11-0 record.

Coyle was also successful as an amateur, though he opted to turn pro at the age of 20.

The son of a man who owns a fruit and vegetable stall, he has hardly cherry-picked his way through the field to set him up for the biggest payday of his career to date.

He has had 23 fights so far, winning all bar two of them. Since being given the chance to perform on televised shows as part of the Matchroom stable, Coyle has rarely failed to entertain.

He snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against Derry Mathews in 2013, missing out on the Commonwealth belt as he was stopped when ahead on the scorecards. He then got involved in a street brawl with Daniel Brizuela last year, eventually winning in the final round.

Even in his most recent outing, he nearly came a cropper, having to climb off the canvas to register a win over Martin Gethin.

In contrast, Campbell has clinically taken his opponents apart. He didn't brawl when he faced Brizuela last October, instead systematically breaking down the Argentinean brawler before stopping him in the fifth.

Now the former gym-mates will battle it out for the WBC International title. The belt doesn't really matter—this is all about local pride.

“We’ve left no stone unturned,” Coyle's trainer, Jamie Moore, said.

“He’s followed every single thing I’ve told him to do, both in sparring and training.

"He hasn’t made any mistakes, which I’m surprised about. I thought he would make mistakes early on, allowing us to fix them.

“If he loses the fight, we can honestly say we’ve lost to the better man. There will be no excuses. We know we’ve done everything right.”

Campbell is a tall order for Coyle, and not just because he’s a skilful southpaw who stands at 5’9”.

Even Moore acknowledges Cool Hand Luke “has not put a foot wrong as a professional.”

However, timing is crucial in boxing, and not just in terms of throwing punches. Moore—a former fighter who now finds himself giving out the orders in the corner—feels Campbell is making a big mistake in agreeing to take on Coyle at such a relatively early stage of his career.

“I’ve said many times, I believe he (Campbell) will be a world champion,” the former British and European super welterweight champion stated.

“But, I feel he’s taken on this fight too soon.

“I can honestly say that I believe Tommy will win, and win in good fashion.

“The big thing I’ve drummed into Tommy is that when someone doesn’t make mistakes, you have to force them into mistakes. He has to make Campbell make mistakes.”

Coyle is a heavy underdog—Odds Shark has him priced up at 5-1 for victory.

However, the odds do not really concern him. He has only been focused on beating Campbell since the moment he defeated Gethin back in March.

The best-laid plans were nearly torn up when Coyle was dropped to the canvas in the second round. He recovered and benefited from his opponent having to pull out after the fifth due to a burst eardrum.

“It was difficult to watch because I knew he was making massive mistakes. I knew that something like that could happen,” Moore said of Coyle's performance against Gethin.

"Tommy wanted to get the Gethin fight over with as soon as possible, so that it allowed him to look forward to fighting Luke Campbell.

“But from the day after the Gethin fight, he was back in the gym going through what I’d talked to him about the Campbell fight.

“I just wanted him to work on stuff that will become second nature by the time the fight comes around.

“By the time sparring started, he already had everything off to a tee. He’s done everything I’ve asked of him.

“I just hope we’ve got it right. I feel we have, the sparring tells us we have. He’s just got to put it all into practice now.”

Moore can be certain of one thing—the ever-willing Coyle will give it everything he has to step out of Campbell's shadow and be crowned Hull's No. 1.

Rob Lancaster is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes used in the story were obtained firsthand, unless otherwise stated.

Anthony Crolla will make an emotional return to the ring on Saturday when he takes on WBA lightweight champion Darleys Perez in Manchester.

Crolla had been due to fight former title holder Richar Abril for the same belt at the start of the year, only to suffer serious injuries when trying to prevent a burglary at his neighbour's house.

Now ready to make his comeback, the Mancunian (29-4-2, 11 KOs) finally gets the opportunity to be crowned in his own back yard.

However, Perez (32-1, 20 KOs) is not interested in being part of the supporting cast in a fairytale story. He has only just assumed the role of full champion, with this being his first defence.

When: Saturday, July 18, 9 p.m. BST

Where: Manchester Arena, Manchester, England

TV: Sky Sports (UK)

Live Stream: Sky Sports (UK, regional restrictions apply)

Million Dollar jackpot

When he found himself in a hospital bed after being hit over the head by a concrete slab, Crolla must have feared for his boxing future, never mind his chances of becoming a world champion.

Thankfully, the 28-year-old has made a full recovery and, judging from promoter Eddie Hearn's recent tweet, is in outstanding shape for the bout at Manchester Arena:

Crolla is no stranger to rebuilding after setbacks.

In 2012, he lost twice, including surrendering the British lightweight belt to Derry Mathews, and it seemed the Manchester United fan was destined to remain stuck at the domestic and European level.

However, Million Dollar has not lost since being beaten by longtime rival Gary Sykes in the Prizefighter tournament. He has recorded wins over the respected duo of Gavin Rees and John Murray, though this is a step up again in class.

His trainer, Joe Gallagher, told Sky Sports that his man must keep his cool in what will be an emotional atmosphere:

"We've spoken about discipline because he knows he's in against a quality opponent and he can't afford to get 'giddy' as I call it.

"He can't take that risk because Perez only needs one shot—he's got a dangerous left hook in him. Anthony can't slip up by being reckless."

Perez out to spoil the party

With Abril stripped of the belt after pulling out of two straight defences, Perez has been promoted to full champion. 

The Colombian has won four fights in a row since being out-pointed by Yuriorkis Gamboa in June 2013. That defeat is the only blemish on a professional record that boasts 20 wins by knockout.

His power makes him a serious threat to any opponent. He's not lacking in confidence, either, having agreed to travel to England for the fight.

Perez, per Matchroom Boxing, knows he will not just be up against Crolla but also the entire crowd: 

It’s going to be very loud and the crowd will be pro Crolla.

I believe that I don’t need a knock out to win the fight. I just need to get in the ring and start doing my work.

He’ll have everyone in the arena rooting for him. He’ll have the full support of the crowd, but none of that bothers me.

I know what I have to do to win and there’s no way I’m going back to Colombia without my world title.

The 31-year-old, who competed at the 2008 Olympics, seems determined to spoil the party in Manchester. 

Prediction

If you're the sentimental type, Crolla is the clear choice to win.

However, the boxing ring is no place for sentimentality. Perez is a dangerous opponent, particularly for a challenger whose last outing, in November 2014, was a routine six-round contest.

The South American has the power to trouble Crolla, who is jumping straight back in at the deep end.

Expect the local boy to be the busier of the two in the first half of the bout, but at some stage, he will end up getting caught. Perez will come out on top via a late stoppage. 

A decade on from witnessing fellow Mancunian Ricky Hatton defeat Kostya Tszyu, Terry Flanagan enjoyed his own coronation on home turf on Saturday.

Flanagan claimed the vacant WBO lightweight title at the Velodrome in Manchester. It wasn’t quite in the style he would have wanted, though, as opponent Jose Zepeda was forced to stay on his stool after the second round because of injury.

Despite the best efforts of his corner to pop it back in, a dislocated shoulder forced the Californian to pull out.

It was a disappointing finish to an intriguing fight, and because of the problem occurring when the visiting fighter was attempting to throw a punch, Flanagan was handed the win.

Turbo became the first Englishman to hold a full world title at 135 pounds, per James Robson of the Manchester Evening News, though Derry Mathews is the interim WBA champion.

In a division where Britain is blessed with so many good fighters, Flanagan emerged out of the shadows to make history. And in his own backyard, too.

He also followed in the footsteps of his hero Hatton, who became world champion at the MEN Arena by beating Tszyu back in June 2005.

A teenager at the time, Flanagan was there to see the drama unfold that night, even though he didn’t have a ticket. He explained to Gareth A Davies of the Telegraph how he managed to get up close to see his hero in action: 

It’s a lot of luck getting in somewhere free of charge. I just ran past security and ended up going round the other side and down the stairs pretending I had a ticket.

I then jumped over the railings and on to the floor. I watched a few rounds there, walked further, watched some there and ended up getting ringside for the last two rounds.

I still remember it now, shaking Kostya Tszyu’s hand after the fight.

Now, Flanagan finds himself with a major belt around his waist.

In his post-fight interview, he admitted he would be willing to give Zepeda a rematch, as BoxNation tweeted:

However, Scott Gilfoid of BoxingNews24 made the point that any possibility of a second meeting between the pair would depend on Zepeda’s recovery time: “If it needs surgery, then it’s going to take a while for him to come back from it.”

Flanagan will not want to wait around too long.

He has built up a reputation without the same fanfare as some of his domestic rivals. Now, though, he has the chance to cash in on the opportunities that will come his way.

He said, per BoxingScene: “After all the years of hard work, blood, sweat and tears I’m finally here, and now I can start looking at some big fights and big money.”

The undefeated southpaw will have to carefully consider his next move—holding the WBO title suddenly makes him a much more attractive proposition.

He may not have to look too far, however. Britain is fortunate to have a plethora of intriguing lightweights.

Anthony Crolla, who, like Flanagan, hails from Manchester, returns from injury against Darleys Perez on July 18, while Londoner Kevin Mitchell fell short in his bid to take the WBC title from Jorge Linares in May.

Scotsman Ricky Burns is a former world champion at the limit and will be in action on the undercard in Hull on August 1 when city rivals Luke Campbell and Tommy Coyle go toe-to-toe in the same division.

Liverpudlian Mathews is firmly in the mix, and a bout with Flanagan would be lucrative for both men.

It would pit Manchester against Liverpool; the sporting rivalry between the two cities would make sure of a bumper crowd, wherever the bout was to be staged.

They have met before too, in the Prizefighter series, back in 2012. That, though, was a three-round contest in a knockout tournament. Things are different now, even if Mathews is the interim champion.

Liam Walsh is another name in the frame—the 29-year-old was in action on the undercard at the Velodrome, picking up the WBO intercontinental lightweight title with a win over Isaias Santos Sampaio.

He has secured British and Commonwealth belts at super featherweight but has flip-flopped between that division and lightweight. 

Flanagan certainly has options if he cannot sort out another date with Zepeda. The 26-year-old has quietly risen to the top and is now in a position to make some noise. 

Terry Flanagan gets the chance to become Britain's latest world champion when he faces fellow unbeaten fighter Jose Zepeda at the Velodrome in Manchester, England.

The vacant WBO lightweight title will be on the line in the main event of a card that also includes the return of Paul Butler, who will be back in action for the first time since losing to Zolani Tete in March.

Also on the bill, Liam Walsh will be looking to protect his unbeaten record when he takes on Brazilian Isaias Santos Sampaio.

When: Saturday, July 11, 10 p.m. BST

Where: Velodrome, Manchester, England

TV: BoxNation (UK)

Live Stream: BoxNation (UK, regional restrictions apply)

City united

Flanagan—who has a 27-0 (10 KOs) record—has won the British and European titles at lightweight, but this next fight is a step up to a new level.

He is hoping to follow in some famous footsteps when he goes up against the heavy-handed Zepeda.

The 26-year-old is aiming to match the efforts of another Mancunian boxer, Ricky Hatton, in becoming a world champion—and the Hitman sees a few similarities in the duo, per David Anderson of the Mirror:

I see a bit of myself in him. He's a Manchester lad, no airs and graces. He's a big Manchester City fan, too.

We're very proud of where we come from, Mancunians, as I'm sure everyone is from all over the country.

He's just a local lad done well, no different to me. If he wins the world title, he's one of those people who won't let it go to his head.

Hatton was crowned in his home city back in 2005, beating Kostya Tszyu to claim the IBF light welterweight belt.

Flanagan will want the Manchester crowd to roar him to victory, too.

He is ranked by BoxRec as the top lightweight in the United Kingdom, and has the chance to show just why he's above Anthony Crolla, Kevin Mitchell, Ricky Burns and Derry Mathews in the standings.

Going the distance

Zepeda's record shows he is a fighter that doesn't like to hang around for too long in the ring.

The Californian—nicknamed Chon—has won 20 of his 23 fights by knockout, with eight of his last nine victories coming inside three rounds.

However, the 26-year-old has never been beyond eight rounds as a pro. While they are the same age, Flanagan has boxed twice as many rounds (130 v 64) as his next opponent.

Zepeda, though, told BoxNation that his trainer, Robert Alcazar—who used to work with Oscar De La Hoya—has prepared him to go the full 12 rounds, if necessary:

Since starting together in four rounds fights, Robert really knows his game, he's been in the big league and we're always ready for twelve rounds. Knockout or distance we're prepared to win the fight.

Robert and I have been together for five years and we've got a good relationship. He's showing me a lot and he's been in with the big league, not just with Oscar, but with Edwin Valero and many more.

We started together and now five years on we're unbeaten. He made me the fighter I am now

Alcazar's knowledge and experience could be crucial for Zepeda, who is dropping down from 140 pounds for the fight in England.

Prediction 

This is an intriguing bout—Flanagan has a better pedigree, but Zepeda has demonstrated the power he possesses.

The key to the outcome could be home advantage, particularly as Zepeda has never fought outside of Mexico or the United States before.

The crowd at the Velodrome can make a real difference in the outcome and, if he can avoid being dropped in the early stages, Flanagan can take the title in the closing rounds.

It has become a sporting cliche to take positives from a defeat. It is a throwaway phrase, often used by football managers, that helps in some way to placate those who were on the wrong end of the result. For Ricky Burns, however, that line sums up his performance in Texas on Saturday.

Losing to local boy Omar Figueroa on points means Burns—a two-weight world champion—has now triumphed in just one of his last five fights.

The scorecards said he had been beaten comfortably in the end, with two of the judges making it 116-110 in Figueroa’s favour, while the other had the margin even bigger, at 117-109.

What those numbers don’t tell you, however, is that the performance from the beaten Scot was better than what we had seen from him in some time—much, much better.

Jim Watt, who commentated on the fight, went so far as to describe the performance by his compatriot as “the best show we’ve had from him in the last three years,” per Sky Sports.

Praise is always nice, but what Burns (37-5-1, 11 KOs) wanted at the end of his first fight on American soil was another win on his record.

He battled bravely against Figueroa in what was a real brawl. As Bleacher Report’s own Briggs Seekins wrote in his post-fight summary, it was “fought in the proverbial phone booth, chest-to-chest.”

The home favourite failed to make the light welterweight limit of 140 pounds at Friday’s weigh-in, yet he had no problems going the full 12 rounds.

The former WBC lightweight champion barrelled forward at every opportunity, looking to negate Burns’ jab and get to work in close. The tactic paid off, for the most part, as his opponent was too often a stationary target, stuck with his back against the ropes with nowhere to go.

Had Burns fought the rest of the bout like he did the first round, though, things may have worked out differently.

Using his jab to good effect, he kept Figueroa at a distance while landing shots of his own. The problem was that he did not utilise the tactic nearly enough during the remainder of the bout, particularly after it had worked so well for him in the opening three minutes.

Yet picking holes in the 32-year-old’s valiant effort is to forget how low he had sunk in recent times.

The last time we had seen Burns in action was against Alexandre Lepelley in Leeds last October, when he laboured to a points triumph against an inferior fighter.

But in the State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, he looked a little more like his old self. He was in better shape and seemingly ready for a scrap. There was a sharpness in his punches that had been so obviously lacking of late, perhaps since he disposed of Kevin Mitchell inside four rounds back in 2012.

He was hampered against Figueroa by the deduction of two points, one each in the eighth and 11th rounds, by referee Laurence Cole, whose performance was one of the main talking points on the night.

The Times journalist Ron Lewis, former Ring Magazine editor-in-chief Nigel Collins and Saturday Night Boxing blogger Adam Abramowitz clearly weren’t impressed by the efforts of the ref, judging by their tweets:

Burns was seen having a conversation with Cole—who too often placed his hands on the fighters while they were still looking to throw punches up close—just before the verdict was announced. Considering the margin of the defeat, he had every right to feel aggrieved with all the officials who had been on duty.

So what now lies ahead for the man from Coatbridge?

To move on up, he is going to head on down, revealing on Twitter that he would be dropping in weight:

The decision makes sense, considering that he has won a world title at lightweight. He may never have left the division had he not been so disappointing in his loss to Dejan Zlaticanin last June.

It has been a tough time of late for Burns, both in and out of the ring. He was declared bankrupt earlier this year, per Riath Al-Samarrai of the Daily Mail, after a costly court battle with his former promoter, Frank Warren.

He also suffered a broken jaw in the early stages of his clash with Raymundo Beltran in 2013 yet managed to box on to secure a highly debatable draw. Gareth A. Davies of the Telegraph described the judging as "incompetent at best, utterly disgraceful at worst."

Burns was not so fortunate when he came up against Terence Crawford, with the American outclassing him over 12 rounds in Glasgow to take the WBO strap.

However, there is no reason to suggest that the Scotsman cannot rise again.

It was not Burns’ night against Figueroa, but you sense there’s still another chapter to be written in Rickster’s story yet.

Derry Mathews will face late replacement Tony Luis for the interim WBA world lightweight title on Saturday night in Liverpool.

The local lad had been due to take on Richar Abril for the WBA strap at the Echo Arena, only for the champion to twice pull out of scheduled fights

The Cuban's second withdrawal resulted in him being stripped of the title, and initially, Mathews was set to face Ismael Barroso to decide who would hold the title on an interim basis.

However, per Sporting Life, the Venezuelan was unable to obtain a visa in time to travel. Luis has stepped in to fill the void, having initially been due to fight in Minnesota on the same night.

When: Saturday, April 18 at 10 p.m. BST

Where: Echo Arena, Liverpool, England 

TV: BoxNation 

Live Stream: BoxNation (regional restrictions apply)

Changing faces

Despite the changes of opponent, Mathews (37-9-2, 20 KO) is determined to seize his chance on the world stage.

The 31-year-old has been British and Commonwealth champion in an eventful 48-fight career that has seen him have to take the long road to the top.

He has suffered setbacks along the way, but he always seems to entertain the audience.

In the end, the opportunity to fight Abril came his way after Manchester's Anthony Crolla was badly hurt when attempting to stop a burglary last December, suffering a fractured skull and a broken ankle.

Mathews may not quite be a fully fledged world champion with a win at the weekend, but he understands the importance of the bout, even if it is now against a stand-in.

Per Nick Parkinson of ESPN, he said: "I've got a good boxing brain, and I will show that in this fight. A lot of people are going to be surprised. I've got to be smart and clever at this level, and I think I can outbox him."

Changing places

Luis (19-2, 7 KO) was all set to defend his WBC Continental Americas lightweight crown on American soil on April 18.

Now, though, the 27-year-old from Ontario has travelled across to England with the aim of grabbing the unexpected opportunity that has come his way.

Mathews believes that the latest boxer booked to face him might actually make for the most entertaining fight of the lot, per the Liverpool Echo:

There have been so many ups and downs over the last couple of days, but as the professional that I am, I have stayed focused on my job.

It's a tough test on Saturday and I think Tony brings a lot more to the table than Barroso but I have trained for one of the best in the world in Richar Abril so I am more than ready.

I think he is made for me. I am fighting a come-forward fighter and I love those type of boxers. It brings excitement and fireworks and the crowd are in for a treat.

Prediction

Looking at Luis' record makes it tough to judge if he can make the step up required to match the sheer determination Mathews will bring to the ring.

The home favourite is a tough nut to crack, as he proved against Tommy Coyle in 2013 when he rallied in dramatic fashion, stopping his rival in the 10th round in Hull.

He will hope that, this time, he does not have to turn things around quite so drastically, and to that extent, he has at least had plenty of time to prepare for action, even if he had been planning to take on Abril.

Expect Luis to be willing and able, but Mathews will get his moment in the spotlight with a stoppage success in the middle rounds.