It's Burns' night in successful lightweight defence

GLASGOW (AFP) –

Scotland’s Ricky Burns, pictured in 2011, thwarted Englishman Kevin Mitchell’s bid to relieve him of his WBO world lightweight title on Saturday with a convincing fourth round stoppage.

Scotland’s Ricky Burns thwarted Englishman Kevin Mitchell’s bid to relieve him of his WBO world lightweight title on Saturday with a convincing fourth round stoppage.

The 29-year-old had Mitchell on the canvas twice in the fourth round before the referee stepped in to put the English fighter out of his misery.

“The whole build-up went perfectly. I’ve been feeling so much stronger. My confidence is there too, but I felt so much stronger,” said Burns.

“I said I’ll try and suss him out in the first round. When I had him on the ropes I wanted to rough him up and it worked.”