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Ryan Burnett rules out Mick Conlan clash


Ryan Burnett [19(11)-1(1)] has talked down the possibility of an all-Belfast clash between himself and Michael Conlan [11(6)-0].

Considering both are gym mates and trained by Adam Boot,h a meeting of the pair never really looked on the cards, but with both moving to super bantamweight, chatter with regard to a derby duel has increased.

Burnett has also recently become a amanagerial stablemate of Conlan and will now work closely with ESPN and Top Rank thus making a clash easy to make.

However, Burnett, who returns to the ring at the Ulster Hall on May 17th, can’t see a North v West Belfast battle happening.

“Me and Michael fighting? I wouldn’t think so,” he said when asked by the Irish News.

“I’m a comfortable bantamweight and the opportunity came for this fight [v Jelbirt Gomera] at super bantam so we decided to take it but I couldn’t see me and Michael happening to be honest.”

“When I get over this one I’ll sit down with my team and see what’s next.”

The pair boxed once in the amateurs in a sliding doors moment for both.

Conlan would defeat Burnett 4-3 in the National Elite Senior Championships flyweight quarter finals and go on to establish himself as a dominant force in Irish boxing.

Burnett, who had won Youth Olympic gold a year previous, elected to turn pro, embarking on a rocky journey and linling up with Booth in 2013, with Conlan joining him in 2018.

Conlan began life in the pros at super bantam only to quickly move up to featherweight. However, with a potential WBO title opportunity at 122lbs, likely the winner of the Emanuel Navarette v Isaac Dogboe rematch, Conlan has moved back down.

Should Burnett choose to stay at super bantam, it would look like the WBC and champion Rey Vargas is his likeliest path as the WBC International rankings title will be on the line versus Jelbirt Gomera.

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Jonny Stapleton

Irish-boxing.com contributor for 15 years and editor for the past decade. Have been covering boxing for over 16 years and writing about sports for a living for over 20 years. Former Assistant Sports editor for the Gazette News Paper Group and former Tallaght Voice Sports Editor. Have had work published in publications around the world when working as a freelance journalist. Also co-founder of Junior Sports Media and Leinster Rugby PRO of the Year winner. email: editoririshboxing@gmail.com

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