Ricky Burns and Adrien Broner: The Polar Opposites Who Need to Get Together

The final scores made it look convincing, but Ricky Burns' unanimous points win over Kiryl Relikh was anything but comfortable.

The Scotsman did just about enough to retain his WBA super lightweight title on home soil in Glasgow on Friday, paving the way for him to finally fight the man who previously held the belt, Adrien Broner.

While Raul Caiz Sr. and Terry O'Connor judged the bout 116-112 in favour of the champion, the other official, Jesus Cova, somehow scored it 118-110. Despite Burns' failure to manage a knockdown, the Venezuelan official had the champion winning by a landslide.

That final score does not tally with what happened in the ring.

Relikh justified his position as mandatory challenger with an impressive display in defeat. He had entered the ring as something of an unknown quantity yet made sure Burns wouldn't forget his name in a hurry.

Having produced a fast start and a big finish, the Belarusian didn't deserve to lose by as wide a margin as 118-110. His trainer and manager, Ricky Hatton, said as much to Sky Sports' Andy Scott:

"

Interviewed Ricky Hatton afterwards. No issues with the result only the cards. "We'd have more luck with Ray Charles scoring."

— Andy Scott (@mr_andyscott) October 7, 2016"

Relikh had never previously gone beyond eight rounds, yet he was the one who looked the more likely to force a stoppage during the closing stages. Burns was down on the canvas during Round 12, only for referee Howard Foster to rightly rule the knockdown was caused by a pull rather than a punch.

Burns finished the fight with a perforated eardrum too, per First Class Boxing, yet he was able to hear his name called out when the verdict was announced.

Rickster claimed the vacant strap in May by breaking down Italian Michele Di Rocco, but stoppage victories have been few and far between on a CV that is littered with gruelling battles.

After 361 rounds and at the age of 33, Burns needs to make hay while he's still holding a major title.

That's why a bout with Broner would be perfect.

The Problem—who held the WBA title before losing it on the scales—was expected to be ringside at the SSE Hydro to watch the action. Although the American never made the trip in the end, that doesn't mean he's suddenly going down a different career path.

It is not the first time the duo have been linked. There was speculation of fights happening when they were campaigning at both super feather and lightweight, but nothing ever materialised.

However, this time, it could be different. Promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports (h/t Matt Horan of SkySports.com) that negotiations between the two camps have, so far, gone well:

"

Scotland has had some great nights with Ricky Burns, but now I think it's time to go on the road. The fans here would love [Las] Vegas.

Adrien Broner is 100 per cent the fight he wants, the fight he's been searching for for many years. The terms are virtually there for that fight.

We're going to push and try to get it in December if we can. We want to make that Broner fight and then look for the unification fights for Ricky Burns. It's time to go to that next level and roll the dice every time.

"

So it seems singer Paula Abdul and her animated cat friend were right—opposites do attract.

Burns and Broner couldn't be at any further ends of the boxing spectrum, both in terms of personality and profile. While one is a soft-spoken fighter fully dedicated to his career, the other is, well, Broner.

They are also differ greatly in their methods, and that's what would make their fight intriguing to watch.

With the ever-willing Burns, it's no-frills stuff.

At 5′10″, his stiff jab is a major weapon. Yet he's also happy to bully his way inside, often doing so blindly by tucking his chin into his chest and leaning, forehead first, into his rival. The technique has fallen foul of referees in the past, leading to points being deducted.

But without carrying enough power to do too much damage from a distance, he is willing to walk a tightrope with officials to get up close and let combinations go.

His drip-drip method of punishment relies two things: a chin capable of taking punishment and a reliable motor that can get through the rounds. Burns is fortunate to have both.

Even when a two-time world champion, Burns continued to work weekend shifts in a sports shop, as Hearn told Phil Goodlad of BBC Scotland when announcing the fighter had joined his Matchroom stable in 2013.

That disposition to do the hard yards has reaped dividends in the ring. His methods are not pretty, but they are mighty effective.

Broner is technically superior, without a doubt, yet Burns is a seriously tough man to shift—Raymundo Beltran broke his jaw in Round 2 and still only ended up getting a draw in their lightweight contest in 2013, albeit the scoring was, just like the Relikh fight, highly debatable.

The American's problems with making the 140-pound limit for his last fight, against Ashley Theophane in April, also raises a red flag. Is he struggling with the weight, or did he just take his eye off the ball?

However, there are doubts about Burns too. As journalist Niall Doran pointed out on Twitter, it has been a while since the Brit has fired on all cylinders against a respectable opponent:

That win over Mitchell referenced by Doran was over four years ago. Since then, Burns has won just six of his next 10 outings—and his successes against Alexandre Lepelley and Prince Ofotsu last year were nothing more than glorified sparring.

Although fortunate to escape defeat to Beltran, he was outclassed by Terence Crawford before falling short against Dejan Zlaticanin.

He has battled back to make history, becoming Scotland's first three-weight world champion, but Di Rocco was not a particularly tough hurdle to clear. The Italian arrived with a padded record and was badly exposed under pressure.

So can Burns roll back the years and find some of that old magic? Recent history, plus his age and the many miles already on his body clock, would suggest it's unlikely.

However, he won't go down without a fight. Broner may be the classier operator out of the two, but he struggled to cope with the swarming style of Marcos Maidana when suffering his maiden pro loss in 2013.

If he's not physically and mentally ready for the challenge, Burns will make him pay.

We know exactly what we're going to get from the holder of the WBA belt—it's the former champion who has to prove himself again after fighting just once in the last 12 months.

The reputations of both men have suffered major setbacks in recent years, but a December meeting featuring two vastly contrasting characters could well make for a pre-Christmas cracker.