LightWeight

Thankfully, the right man won the highly publicized WBO lightweight title bout on Saturday in Glasgow, Scotland. Hometown favorite and champion Ricky Burns was thoroughly out-boxed by the American challenger, Terence Crawford, but such things don't always shake out as they should in The Sweet Science.

On this night, justice was served. Crawford walked away with an unanimous decision victory and his first world title.

Per BoxRec.com, here are the judges' scores:

Salven Lagumbay 112-116, Alejandro Lopez Cid 111-117, Zoltan Enyedi 112-116 

It was the first time a native of the state of Nebraska had ever become world champion in the sport of boxing. BoxBet's tweet expresses the feeling of relief after an accurate decision.

Burns knew who deserved to win the title. Always a gracious competitor and class act, he said this after the fight via Boxing News:

Through the weeks leading into the bout, Crawford wasn't exactly amicable with the media in Scotland. In fact, his demeanor seemed to put the locals off. Mix in that with the built-in support expected for Burns, and it seemed the challenger would be fighting an uphill battle.

There aren't many hills in Nebraska, but Crawford negotiated the proverbial ones without a problem.

Welterweight titleholder Timothy Bradley congratulates his former sparring partner on his success:

@budcrawford402 congrats champ I told u after the first time we sparred u will be champion. Now raise to the top of boxing kid!!!

— Timothy Bradley Jr. (@Timbradleyjr) March 1, 2014

Early on, there were a few hard-to-score rounds, but the middle frames were all Crawford. He battered Burns with stiff rights and lefts, and he appeared to hurt him on several occasions, though the tough champion never went down.

The challenger seemed to slow a bit in the 10th and 11th rounds. Sensing that Crawford might be opening himself up to the type of robbery that too often leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of fans of The Sweet Science, his corner urged him to go out and get the 12th and final round.

The Omaha native did just that.

He stunned the champion with a hard right hand, bringing Burns as close to dropping as he had been all night. He continued to mount an assault until the final bell. It seemed almost impossible that the judges could find a way to award Burns the bout.

As it should have been, no judge scored the fight closer than four points, and the right man won.

Crawford now has a few options. He could try to unify the titles by taking on Miguel Vazquez or another of the lightweight world title holders. He could even look into fighting Raymundo Beltran, the man who was robbed of a victory over Burns in his last bout.

Decisions like the one we saw on Saturday are what keep fight fans motivated to follow and remain in love with boxing. There is some value to the controversial decision, but when the outcome is as clear as this one was, injustice only dims the passion of diehards and taints the opinions of casual fans.

There are only so many George Groves-Carl Froch situations a fan can stand.

Thankfully, fight fans won't have to worry about that uneasy feeling—at least not in this one.

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@BMaziqueFPBR

When Terence Crawford (22-0, 16 KO) takes the ring in the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow, Scotland on Saturday, he will almost certainly hear a chorus of boos.

Not only is the Omaha, Neb., native traveling behind enemy lines to take on Scotland's favorite son and reigning WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns (36-2-1, 11 KO), he also hasn't warmed up to the local media.

In opportunities to sell his personality to the press, Crawford has elected to take the stoic and introverted approach.

On Saturday night, it will truly feel like he and his team are up against a nation. He'll be charged with going into hostile territory and coming away with a win.

Burns hasn't looked great in his last two fights, so he's not only fighting to keep his title against a talented challenger, but he's also trying to restore the shine to his reputation.

It's a thrilling main event on a card that also features Olympic champion Anthony Joshua, in his fifth pro contest, facing Hector Avila.

Here's how you can watch the night of fights from Glasgow.

When: Saturday, March 1 at 2 p.m. EST

Where: Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow, Scotland

TV: Sky Sports

Live Stream: Sky Broadband Unlimited (Subscription Required)

The Book on Crawford

Confident, defiant and surly are the terms that best fit the demeanor Crawford has had since arriving in Scotland in preparation for the biggest fight of his career.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veNDbaJgwjE

He's all business, and if he had it his way, that business would not have included talking to the media at the press conference. 

Per Hugh Keevins of the Daily Record: "[P]utting anything into historic context, or even exhibiting simple manners, was the furthest thing from Crawford’s mind. He arrived on time for his scheduled press call but punctuality was the only virtue he had to offer."

Crawford and his team haven't shown a ton of respect for Burns or Scotland's sports accomplishments. Per David Anderson of The Mirror, Crawford said this to reporters once he opened up a bit at the presser:

Ricky has got the whole of Scotland depending on him. In the States, we’ve got lots of world champions. In Scotland there’s only one - Ricky Burns. The whole country is riding on Ricky because, without him, what is Scotland? The fans won’t like it, but I am fine, I don’t care. What can they do apart from yell and scream? I’ve fought the boos before and I’ll do it again on Saturday.

Per Jim Black of The Scotsman, Crawford's manager Brian McIntyre says Burns has the talent of a "Golden Gloves runner-up."

Can't you just feel the love?

Crawford was particularly unimpressed with Burns' last bout in September 2013. Burns deserves some credit for fighting 10 of the 12 rounds with a broken jaw. But he was fortunate to escape the bout with Raymundo Beltran with a draw. Most believed he deserved to lose the fight, and you can count Crawford in that number.

The challenger told the press, per Black:

"I watched his last fight and he didn’t win it. He lost."

On Saturday, Crawford will have to back up his talk—and silence—with a strong performance to leave Scotland as a world champion.

The Book on Burns

Burns could easily be on a two-fight losing streak. In May 2013, he was losing on every card when his opponent, Jose A. Gonzalez quit before the 10th round with an injured wrist.

Then there was the dreadful decision to award Burns a draw after he was clearly beaten by Beltran.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTMGdEwa29g

You'd think Burns was from Ireland because recently he's been blessed with the luck of the Irish.

Toughness has never been a question when it comes to the champion. At 5'10", he's long, rugged and has some of the best cardio you'll find in boxing.

Mix in a whole heap of home cooking from the Scotland faithful—and quite possibly the judges—and Burns is still a formidable champion.

His heart, pride and competitive spirit will serve as a major driving force toward redemption against Crawford. Per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael, Burns has made adjustments to his training regimen to better prepare himself for his upcoming title defense. 

Burns said:

I really think we have replicated what [Crawford] will bring. I felt as if for the last couple of fights we were doing too much sparring and circuits work, and although I was in great shape, it was getting a bit repetitive for 12 weeks before a fight.  

[...]

The 6 a.m. starts for the hill sprints haven't been great fun as I'm not a morning person, but I soon got into the routine and I've really loved this camp and I think it's going to benefit me on fight night.

Burns' promoter Eddie Hearn seems to be banking on the bright lights of a championship fight in a foreign land being too much for Crawford. He also cited Crawford's lack of world-class competition as a point of contention.

He told Tom Gray of The Ring Magazine:

Look Crawford has never fought outside of the US and on Saturday he’s stepping out in front of 10,000 Scottish fans. The guy won’t know what’s hit him but, on the flipside, he might live up to the hype and be absolutely brilliant.

I’m just not a believer because his best win is against Breidis Prescott, who was easily beaten by Kevin Mitchell among others.

The fans will certainly be a factor on fight night, but Burns and Hearn can't look for those in attendance to win the fight for the champion. When the bell rings, there will only be two fighters in the ring.

Prediction

Beating Burns will never be an easy task. The guy is too experienced, proud, competitive and his stamina is excellent. That said, Crawford's boxing skills and athleticism are superior. He has more punching power, better defense and footwork.

Some might point to his quiet demeanor and small-town upbringing as a potential negative on such a big stage, but it will be the exact opposite.

Crawford is in fight mode and he has tunnel vision toward a world title. He'll make this fight look relatively easy and stop Burns via the referee's intervention in the ninth round.

Follow me. I'm addicted to The Sweet Science.

@BMaziqueFPBR

IBF champion Miguel "Puppet" Vazquez (33-3, 13 KO) might be the best lightweight in the world, but few non-boxing purists know who he is. 

On Saturday in Macao, China, Vazquez will have an opportunity to show the world his skills on an HBO broadcast. He'll defend his 135-pound title against undefeated Russian challenger Denis "Djingis Khan" Shafikov at the Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort.

The other featured bout will feature rising local star and Olympic champion Zou Shiming in his fourth professional fight.

It may not be the most star-studded card, but there could still be fireworks. Here's how you can catch the action.

When: Saturday, Feb. 22 at 5 p.m. EST

Where: Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, Macao S.A.R., China

TV: HBO

The Book on Vazquez

Despite enjoying a 12-fight win streak and five successful title defenses, the Puppet's fights don't draw a crowd. At 5'10", he's one of the longest lightweights you'll ever see, but he has very little punching power.

He effectively uses his length and superior boxing skills to keep opponents at bay. He's also an excellent counter puncher. Vasquez is usually comfortable boxing smartly from the outside.

Some purists can appreciate his style, but unfortunately for him, not all boxing fans are purists.

Alex McClintock of Queensberry Rules isn't a fan of Vazquez's style. He wrote this in his preview of the bout:

The lightweight Mexican spoiler is taking on Russia’s Denis Shafikov (33-0-1, 18 KO) in what figures to be one of the more difficult fights of his career. Shafikov is a little pitbull, but is he prepared for Vazquez’s mauling? I hope so, because then I’d likely never have to watch 'El Titere' again.

The skills, mindset and frame Vazquez possesses make him successful—but boring to the masses. If you haven't heard of him, that's probably why. 

McClintock may not be the only one who wouldn't mind seeing Vazquez lose. Shafikov is undefeated, and he fights a more crowd-pleasing style. It would be much easier for HBO to market him than it is to sell Vazquez.

As Vasquez heads to fight far away from his home in Mexico, he is defiantly confident and ready to perform against the odds. He told Miguel Angel Cebreros of Boxing Scene: "I am aware that I am going to a strange land, where I probably will not be the favorite, but I'm used to it since I have almost always fought against all odds and I know this time will be no exception. But we are going with a positive mindset to win."

Should he sacrifice his comfort level in an effort to thrill the crowd—even though he doesn't have the power to bang with big punchers?

The smart answer is no, but the temptation is there while he continues to win in relative obscurity.

The Book on Shafikov

The 28-year-old Russian is almost the complete opposite of Vazquez. He's a pressure fighter who stands a full five inches shorter than the champion. He doesn't have huge power, but he has finished 18 of his wins by stoppage.

If you're looking for a good comparison, picture a smaller, slightly less explosive version of Ruslan Provodnikov.

Most recently, Shafikov defeated Santos Benavides via seventh-round TKO in August to earn this shot at the title. While Shafikov's style could present a challenge for Vazquez, Djingis Khan will be taking on the most skilled boxer he's ever faced.

The style and height difference could make this a memorable scrap.

Prediction

Vazquez haters are going to have to wait to see the end of his title reign. He's too long and skilled for Shafikov. Don't rule out the possibility for a questionable decision, though.

Vazquez's fights are sometimes hard to watch and score. Because Shafikov is the more marketable fighter, he could get the benefit of the doubt in close rounds.

Still, Vazquez should earn the unanimous decision victory.

Follow me. I'm addicted to the Sweet Science.

@BMaziqueFPBR

The stakes couldn't be much higher for Gavin "The Rock" Rees (37-3-1, 18 KO). By his own account, Rees' career is on the line on Saturday night when he takes on Gary "Dynamo" Buckland (27-3, 9 KO) at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales.

Rees has lost two fights in a row, and at the age of 33, he can ill afford to lose three straight. He hopes to get back in the hunt for another shot at the lightweight title, but the Dynamo is standing in his way.

Buckland is also coming off a loss in his last fight. He was stopped in the fifth round by Stephen Smith in August 2013. At 27 years old, he probably still has some tread left on his tires either way.

However, a win over an opponent as well-known as Rees would give Buckland's career a nice boost.

If nothing else, this bout is sure to be fought with a strong sense of urgency. Lee Selby will battle Rendall Munroe in the main event of the card, but on paper, that bout doesn't look to be as competitive as Rees vs. Buckland.

The two men have sparred together, they fight a similar style and both have won the British reality boxing show Prizefighter.

Phil Blanche of Wales Online talks up the potential excitement that could come from the Rees-Buckland bout.

The two former Prizefighter champions will meet at lightweight on Matchroom’s ‘Reloaded’ show on February 1, both men coming off losses and desperate to revive their careers.

Although [Selby’s] challenge for the vacant European featherweight title tops the Cardiff Motorpoint Arena card, it’s the collision between Rees and Buckland which is set to get Welsh boxing buzzing.

Here's how you can watch the entire card and a closer look at the fighters.

When: Saturday, Feb. 1 at 3 p.m. EST

Where: Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom

TV: Sky Sports

Live Stream: AWE TV

The Book on Rees

Last year was a rough one for Rees. He had to be eager to see the calendar flip over to 2014. He dealt with the two aforementioned losses to solid opponents (Adrien Broner and Anthony Crolla) and also endured some injuries.

When speaking to Boxing Scene, Rees didn't hold back when discussing the desperation surrounding Saturday's fight.

If I lose to Gary I think that would be the end of the road for my career. It’s all on the line for me, if I lose its curtains.

2013 was the worst of my career. Two fights, two losses and some injuries, things can only get better this year. I want to start off with a good win against Gary, who is a really talented fighter that likes to come forward just like I do, so it promises to be a really good fight for the fans. We've sparred lots of rounds and if that's anything to go on, it'll be a great fight.

Richar Abril (WBA), Yuriorkis Gamboa (WBA Interim), Omar Figueroa (WBC), Miguel Vazquez (IBF) and Ricky Burns (WBO) are the current title holders at 135 pounds. 

Rees could seemingly be competitive against any of them, but a bout with Burns could be really good.

First things first, Rees has to get back on the winning track with a win over a tough foe on Saturday.

The Book on Buckland

Buckland has bounced between the super featherweight and lightweight divisions throughout his career. He is the former British Boxing Board of Control champion at 130 pounds, but he lost that title in his last bout.

Moving back up to 135 was a smart move for Buckland, and taking on one of the smaller contenders may give him an advantage. Rees stands just 5'4". At 5'7", Buckland will have a noticeable and potentially pivotal height advantage.

If he's successful, this edge will likely be instrumental in the bout.

Prediction

This fight could be a poor man's version of one of the Arturo Gatti-Mickey Ward fights. There won't be a ton of dancing around, as both prefer to fight on the inside.

It would behoove Buckland to create a bit of space, but his natural instinct is to put his head down and whack away with power shots.

Because Rees is the more powerful puncher, he has the edge in this type of fight. He'll outmuscle Buckland on the inside and grind out a grueling split-decision victory.

Don't be surprised to see a rematch.

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Until recently, Kevin "The Hammer" Mitchell (35-2, 25 KO) thought he was going to take on 39-year-old Italian Brunet Zamora on Saturday, Dec. 14. However, per Matchroom Boxing, Zamora was unable to obtain clearance to leave Italy. 

Thus, 33-year-old Spaniard Karim "El Diablo" El Ouazghari (15-3-2, 4 KO) is taking his place in the lightweight clash for the IBF Inter-Continental lightweight title in London. Mitchell is looking to ascend back up the ranks to earn another world title shot. Per Nick Parkinson of The Daily Star, Mitchell is eyeing a shot at IBF champion, Miguel Vazquez.

In Sept. 2012, he was stopped in the fourth round by WBO lightweight champion, Ricky Burns. If he has any realistic hopes of earning another opportunity at substantial gold, he must defeat El Ouazghari.

If you want to see the Mitchell vs. El Ouazghari clash, here's how you can watch.

When: Saturday, Dec. 14, at 1 p.m EST

Where: ExCel Arena in London

TV: Sky Sports

The Book on Mitchell and El Ouazghari

A Must-Win Situation

Before Zamora was ruled out of the fight with Mitchell, the latter was quoted by Parkinson as saying: "If I can't get guys like him out the way, what else can I do?”

Considering El Ouazghari is even less heralded than Zamora, the theme of his quote is perhaps even more true. Mitchell's opponent isn't nearly as experienced, and his KO total would lead you to believe he won't offer much in the way of power.

If Mitchell can't beat El Ouazghari, it will be hard to find anyone who believes he's still a serious contender.

Opportunity Knocks

I can't lie, I've seen El Ouazghari fight twice. I watched those fights Thursday in preparation for this preview. He has rarely fought outside of Spain; when he has, the results haven't been favorable for him. In his last bout, he lost a bid to win the WBO European light welterweight title in the Ukraine. He was easily outboxed by Serhiy Fedchenko, but El Ouazghari was moving up five pounds in that bout.

Overall, he's 1-2 in bouts fought outside of his country.

This fight could represent an even bigger opportunity for him considering it is a fight in a weight class he's more comfortable in. Can he pull the upset and send Mitchell's career into a tailspin?

Prediction

I like El Ouazghari's short and sharp body punching. He displayed it in his bout with Armando Candel in 2010 and sparingly against Fedchenko. He seemed a bit slow to get off against Fedchenko, perhaps the extra weight slowed him down a bit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl7Gdk0yy_8

If he can get in body work early, he could make the fight interesting, but his lack of power will make it very difficult to keep an aggressive Mitchell at bay.

The Hammer needs to make a statement, and he'll come out looking to use this fight as a showcase. Ultimately, his power punching will spell the end of the night for El Ouazghari. Mitchell stays on track for a possible title bout with Miguel Vazquez. He wins by fifth-round TKO.

Follow me for news and musings on The Sweet Science.

Tommy Coyle defeated John Simpson with a seventh-round stoppage to win the previously vacant IBF International Lightweight Championship.

The bout was the main event of Sky Sports Fight Night at the Hull Arena in Coyle's hometown of Hull, Yorkshire. The 24-year-old fighter pleased the fans by starting out well with an aggressive first couple of rounds to take an early advantage.

A big moment happened late in Round 2 when a flurry of punches knocked Simpson down just before the bell, which was described by Peter Wells of Boxing Mad Magazine:

While the experienced boxer came back with a solid next few rounds, he could not inflict much damage on his opponent.

The action continued in Round 7 when Coyle earned yet another knockdown. Simpson got up but only lasted another minute before he was sent down for the third time in the match.

While Simpson was able to stand up, the referee ended the match, awarding Coyle the stoppage win.

This might have been a bit of a controversial ending, but it seemed like the outcome would have been the same regardless. 

Fraser Dainton of Sky Sports also pointed out that the finish should not take away from the effort put forth by the winner:

Coyle has proved to be one of the better young competitors in the sport as he moves to 17-2 in his career. He recently had a disappointing loss to Derry Mathews, dominating the match until he suffered a knockout blow in the 10th round.

However, he appears to have learned from the loss and is once again on top of his game.

With this convincing victory over a quality opponent, he should continue to move up the rankings in the United Kingdom as well as the rest of the world. It would not be surprising to see him in more high-profile events in the future.

As for Simpson, he appeared a little small, as he usually competes in the super featherweight division. He could not keep up with the youngster, and the overall power of Coyle seemed to doom him throughout the match.

The 30-year-old likely has many more good fights remaining in his career, but he is clearly on the decline after losing four of his last nine bouts. He falls to 25-10 as a professional, although this represents only the second time he was knocked out.

Coyle was simply the better fighter on Saturday, and he deserved to leave with a brand-new championship belt.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.

Ricky Burns produced a second unconvincing title defence in as many bouts, and was lucky to escape with a controversial draw against Raymundo Beltran.

The three judges were somehow split over what seemed a clear win for the challenger. One scored it 115-112 to Burns, another 115-113 to Beltran and the final judge had it 114-114, leaving Burns to walk away with his WBO world lightweight title intact.

In front of a truly electric Glasgow crowd, Burns started brightly, showing quick hands and initially keeping the Mexican at bay. However, his pace and ring demeanor rapidly changed after he walked into a left hook late in the second, which was later said to have dislocated his jaw, according to Michael Gannon of the Daily Record.

Although this wasn't clear until after the final bell, from then on Beltran appeared in control of the proceedings, slowing around the sixth and seventh rounds but doing enough for most to consider him well ahead.

Beltran's left hook continually stung Burns and the champion often resorted to grabbing hold of his opponent to end some painful exchanges.

Beltran emphasized his authority by flooring Burns with yet another flashing left hook in the eighth round, sending the champion to the canvas for the first time in three years.

Having counter-attacked for much of the fight, Burns rallied late but was down by a couple of rounds on most viewers' cards.

After a run of eight straight world-title wins and five years unbeaten, the champion seemed certain to be dethroned. He appeared dejected prior to the announcement of scores, then relieved—and a little sheepish—as the shocking result retained him his title.

After the fight, Gannon quoted him as saying:

The pain was unbelievable. I don’t know how I got through the fight. I dislocated my jaw in the second round and after the third and fourth I was just trying to avoid getting hit.

It was the most pain I have ever felt. He kept coming back and catching me with the left. I am really disappointed. I wanted to put on a good show for all the fans. I am not sure how the fight was a draw. We will definitely sit down and get it on again.

Credit must go to Burns for persevering with what must have been excruciating pain, but there's little doubt that the wrong man walked away with the title. Beltran was the better fighter on the night and should have left Glasgow toasting a win.

After a sloppy previous performance against Jose Gonzalez, Burns must make an impact on his return from injury.

Surely a rematch against Beltran, possibly in America, is the obvious route to take.

Despite coming into the encounter as a heavy favourite, Ricky Burns gave another uncertain performance on Saturday night.

Some thought that Raymundo Beltran would offer Burns a route back into some confidence following a very lucky win against Jose Gonzalez back in May.

In that fight, Gonzalez was forced to retire in the ninth round with what later turned out to be a broken wrist, despite the fact that he was dominating on the cards up until that point.

This weekend was just another example of Burns catching a break. The judges called the matchup a draw, even though it was clear the Mexican visitor deserved the win.

Twitter reacted to the decision in kind, too:

Having fought in Glasgow four times in a row now, the WBO lightweight champion is perhaps privileged to have kept hold of his title for as long as he has.

In November, it will be two years since Burns first won the championship.

However, the 30-year-old didn’t give the impression of a deserved victor at times, boxing with an immature stance and opening up for his opponent early.

Beltran was almost the opposite. He was conservative and efficient in the way he went about his business, reserving his energy for when it mattered.

In the end, the reaction of the SECC Arena crowd was telling enough. Upon hearing that the three judges had scored the fight 115-113 for Burns, 115-112 for Beltran and 114-114, there was no sense of home distraught or ringing boos.

The quiet that rang around the venue pointed to a sense of relief for the home fighter, if anything.

ESPN's Dan Rafael discussed the result on talkSPORT, with the controversial issue of home advantage being the main topic on show:

One impressive aspect of Burns’ fight was that he managed to hold on despite dislocating his jaw as a result of his opponent’s left hook. However, that is the nature of the beast in a sport where fighters aren’t dissuaded from doing so from their corner.

Beltran is deserving of any praise he gets from the matchup, and after knocking the Scotsman down on several occasions, he should be slightly bemused as to why he didn't walk away with a title on Saturday.

For Burns, the result signifies that he needs to go back to the drawing board in some aspects. At times, the champion’s left jab was by far his strongest weapon, but he insisted on opening up his right far too often. He exposed himself to Beltran’s big left hand despite holding the reach advantage and really not having to.

For the Mexican visitor, it’s a depressing result, to say the least. One may argue that the outcome may have been different were it in neutral territory, but the contender has some major positives to take away.