'There was a wee spark missing,' admits Ricky Burns

Coatbridge’s WBO super-featherweight champion Ricky Burns is nothing if not honest, and that is reflected in his own analysis of his title defence on Saturday night.

Ricky had been warned by his trainer Billy Nelson, that the Colombian-born Norwegian opponent would be an awkward opponent for his first title defence. There may be no professional boxing in Norway, but the opponent from Trondheim had fire in his belly and an unquenchable desire to be the first Norwegian world champion in the sport.

Ricky’s own performance on Saturday may not have matched that which gained him the title in the first instance, but it was still enough to retain it.

"To be honest, I wasn't 100 per cent in there," Burns is quoted as saying. "There was a wee spark missing in the fight, but I still won every round and that's the main thing and I’m still world champion.

"He just came forward for the full twelve rounds. I’ve a lot of respect for him (Evensen).

"It was just something within me," he said. "Although it was coming together sometimes, at others it wasn't.

"Sometimes that happens in a fight, and that's when you just have to grind it out and I proved I can do that."

The extremely likeable young man from Coatbridge will be back in the sports store he earns his bread and butter from by the end of this week, showing clearly that his feet are very firmly on the ground. Something the prima donnas in football could perhaps consider.