The decision might have been controversial, but you can’t fault Ricky Burns for bravery.
As boxing injuries go, breaking your jaw is right up there with the worst possible. A cracking left hook by challenger Raymundo Beltran in the second round broke WBO lightweight champ Ricky Burns’ jaw in Glasgow on Saturday night.
Incredibly, the Scot boxed on and survived all the way to the end of the 12th round, even though he was knocked down in the eighth round too.
Despite most observers agreeing that the challenger won the fight, the judges scored the bout a draw, meaning Burns kept his title, though a rematch is already being talked of.
Anyway, here’s the picture that Burns’ manager Eddie Hearn tweeted, showing quite clearly Burns’ broken jaw.
With Ricky in hospital -it’s not good-clean break to jaw from 2nd round – staying in hospital and operation tomorrow pic.twitter.com/Dz85PivvRd
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) September 8, 2013
The boxer underwent an operation to have a titanium plate inserted over the weekend, but he faces a long road back to full fitness, and that probable rematch with the unlucky Mexican.
