Adam Booth believes Ryan Burnett is already World class

Adam Booth believes that his Belfast bantamweight Ryan Burnett will be a World champion in less than a year.

Burnett fights Cesar Ramirez on Saturday night in Leeds in the first of three bouts planned by Eddie Hearn that will prepare him for a World title challenge in early 2017. The match-up will be streamed live on the Sky Sports website.

Booth, who also trains former WBO middleweight champion Andy Lee, is on board with this plan, and told Sky Sports that “I am completely happy with Ryan.”

“I know how he is developing as a young man and as a fighter and I genuinely will be surprised if in 10 months we are not having a conversation about Ryan and his upcoming world title fight.

“Eddie Hearn’s plan is for him to fight on Saturday and then twice more this year and then at the end of year, really take stock at where he is as a young man and fighter who is coming into the peak of his physical capabilities.

“And if we get it right we should be considering everything in the first half of the year.

Booth is aiming for a European 118lbs title for Burnett, which itself would be proof of his World class talents, reasoning that “he is British champion and the next logical step is European and when you are in there, you are essentially in the World title level and you should be.”

The Dark Lord believes that, presently, 24 year old Burnett can mix it with anyone in a division that includes the likes of Shinsuke Yamanaka, Zolani Tete, and Jamie McDonnell.

Booth explained that “I look at anyone in the bantamweight division and I can see Ryan giving them all hell. With another 10 months or so of maturing, understanding and repeating he should be able to give them even more problems.”