Figueroa vs Burns: Brave Burns in at the deep end.

The state of Texas finally get to see their local boy Omar Figueroa this weekend as he prepares to take on the once fighting pride of Scotland, ‘Rickster’ Ricky Burns at the State Farm Arena.

The state of Texas finally get to see their local boy Omar Figueroa this weekend as he prepares to take on the once fighting pride of Scotland, ‘Rickster’ Ricky Burns at the State Farm Arena.

It’ll be the first time that Figueroa has fought in his native Texas since 2013, in what looks to be a battle of the brawler against the tactician. The ‘Panther’, as he’s known, lit up the 135 pound Lightweight division, dismantling all his opponents with relative ease on his way to the World Title, boasting a devastating 72% KO ratio. However, after struggling at the weight in his last fight against Daniel Estrada, which saw him eventually come out on top after a brutal nine round tear-up, the undefeated Texan has decided to step up to the 140 pound limit, which has paved the way for this match-up with Ricky Burns. It was a dramatically different turn of events that led to ex-Lightweight World Champion Ricky Burns moving up to the 140 pound weight to face him. The Scot enjoyed vast success in the Super Featherweight and Lightweight divisions, picking up a World Title at both weights, beating esteemed fighters such as Michael Katsidis, Kevin Mitchell and Raymundo Beltran along the way. 2014, however, was the year that Burns’ career took a dramatic turn for the worse, respectably losing to American Terrence Crawford and then shockingly losing a decision to Dejan Zlaticanin in what was expected to be a routine comeback fight. The back-to-back losses prompted Burns to move up a weight in October 2014 when he boxed his way to a point’s victory over Alexandre Lepelley.

Figueroa enters the fight as an overwhelming 1/10 favourite, which perhaps underestimates Ricky Burns, however I see the power and work rate of Figueroa being the dominant force in this fight. The Texan is seven years the younger and despite conceding two and a half inches in height to Burns, he will enjoy a three inch reach advantage which could prove crucial when attempting to catch Burns, who’ll inevitably try to keep Figueroa out of range and box him on the outside.

The age difference could also prove too much for Burns. Figueroa is a non-stop pressure fighter and won’t give Burns time to rest. Figueroa will also be aware that Burns was knocked down very early in his fight against Dejan Zlaticanin by a looping right hook and therefore the American will aim to start fast, punching from angles which could prove devastating given the extra weight Figueroa brings into this fight. It’s a truly daunting task for Burns, who’s never previously fought outside of the United Kingdom. The Scot will have to stay composed and ignore the hostile Texas crowd. His greatest chance of success will be trying to catch Figueroa as he lunges in, and his right hand counter will have to be timed perfectly to discourage the powerhouse Texan.

Ultimately though, Burns is facing an opponent who is undefeated, punches extremely hard and is keen to impress at 140 pounds. For these reasons I think Figueroa will simply overwhelm Burns and win by late stoppage.