There were no titles up for grabs this time. No incentive of bigger fights down the line or even a life-changing payday. And then it clicked. Ricky Burns just simply enjoys what he does.
A man who has won world titles in three different weight categories has nothing left to prove. A coach with Boxing Scotland and trainer to a growing stable of aspiring professionals, this motorbike obsessive and family man has plenty else going on in his life.
And yet there is something about boxing – the training, the sparring, the circus-like razzamatazz of the ringwalk, the adulation of the crowd, even the pain of the punches – that remains integral to Burns’ soul.
Friday night’s Battle of the Legends bout with fellow veteran Willie Limond was meant to be his farewell to all of that. The pair went eight rounds in a competitive contest before Limond was, mercifully, spared any more punishment, the blood having started streaming down the 44-year-old’s nose from as early as the second round. None of the 3000-strong crowd could complain about being shortchanged as they filed for the exits.
Burns, though, looked sharp, far spritelier than any 40 year-old in semi-retirement really ought to. And speaking to him immediately afterwards, deep within the bowels of the Braehead Arena with his close entourage around him, it was possible to detect a shift in perspective, like an addict reluctant to accept that that had to be the final hit.
The Coatbridge fighter wanted one more contest to prove to himself that he couldn’t hack it any more. Instead, the experience and his performance in the ring caused him to start to wonder whether he actually could.
Maybe it was just the adrenaline still coursing through his body, the natural high from realising a six-year dream to perform in front of a home crowd one more time. Perhaps in the cold light of day, his body aching and face pounding from the times Limond broke through, Burns will realise he will struggle to find a better way to hang up the gloves after 54 fights over a remarkable 22-year professional career.
Maybe he will come to appreciate that he would be better devoting his attention to helping the likes of Tyler Jolly and Charlie Doig – both victorious on the undercard – to scale the heights that he once did. For now, however, the door to fighting on remains slightly ajar, although Burns did concede that wife Amanda may be the one to finally slam it shut for good.
“I always said when I bow out I want to do it on my terms so if that was the last one I’m happy,” he said. “But there’s always a ‘but’. You speak to other boxers who retire and there’s always that bit that wants to keep fighting, especially as I always keep myself in the gym.
“I don’t do loads of sparring but I’d spar with my pros if they needed a hand. That’s why I knew I could still shift a wee bit. I said to my missus I’m not going to go chasing [another fight] but you never know. We’ll see what she says. I don’t think she’ll let me but you never know.
“She wasn’t happy about me doing this one. I’m 40 and that’s 54 fights. I’ve got nothing to prove but I just want to do it because I enjoy fighting.”
Burns looked in terrific shape, perhaps not a surprise for someone whose dedication to his craft helped him conquer the world when few expected it.
Never one to engage in trash talking or the hype that tends to help sell fights – especially in the social media age – he was as relaxed before this fight as he appeared after it, still looking fresh despite an eight-round workout.
“I’m the calmest guy,” he revealed. “I just sit here [before a fight]. I had everything timed to a tee so I was chilling out. When I get fights the first thing is pick my ring song and my fight kit.
“For me fight night is the best bit, it’s what you’re training for. I don’t really get nervous. I’m not scared to get beat. That’s the bit all boxers miss when they retire. No matter what happens or when I do retire there’s always that part of me that will want another one.”
