Ormond wants Burns clash
2 February 2011 – Jonny Stapleton
Irish ace Stephen Ormond wants an all-Celtic clash with WBO World Super-Featherweight champion Ricky Burns – and he has warned his Scottish rival to keep a close eye on him on March 12.
He fights on Burns’ undercard for the third consecutive time, but before long he wants to be facing him in a top of the bill.
The 27-year-old from Dublin is looking for an impressive display next month as he tries to force a fight with Burns in 2011.
“I felt really good in my last fight,” said Ormond, who halted Sebastien Cornu in December to extend his winning run to eight fights. Not many people have stopped him but I did the business.
“That performance tells me that I’m heading in the right direction, and I truly believe that given a few more fights, I can beat Ricky Burns.
“He’s obviously very experienced now, but he fought Alex Arthur after just a dozen or so fights, so why can’t it be the same for me?
“Ricky better be taking notes at the Braehead Arena, because before too long I might be in the opposite corner. If he underestimates me he’ll be in for a nasty surprise. I came to Frank Warren to fight for titles, and in the next 12 months I want to be at championship level.
“I’m confident that people will start seeing the best of me when I get there. I’m one of those fighters who raises their game when they get to the top.
Burns v Laryea headlines an exciting fight card that also features Michael Jennings against Edinburgh’s Gary McMillan in an Eliminator for the British Welterweight Champion (subject to British Boxing Board of Control approval); Commonwealth Games Champion Callum Johnson, who captained the Scottish boxing team, follows up his stunning first round KO win last December in a four-round contest; Edinburgh’s Stephen Simmons, who won bronze at the Commonwealth Games, makes his professional debut in the cruiserweight division; unbeaten Dublin super-featherweight Stephen Ormond features in an eight-rounder; Edinburgh light-middleweight John Thain, Glasgow featherweights Jonathan Slowey and Michael Roberts, and Welsh super-featherweight Craig Evans complete the card.
