McGuigan: Time's up now, Ricky

[Mofo2]

The former two-weight world champion suffered a disastrous split points defeat at the hands of unheralded Montenegrin Dejan Zlaticanin at the Braehead Arena on Friday night.But McGuigan says that the deterioration in Burns' performances in his last four fights point to a decline in his fistic powers that indicate the Coatbridge boxer's best days are firmly behind him.

 

The man once known as the Clones Cyclone suffered a similar gut-wrenching defeat when he attempted to reclaim his WBA featherweight title back in 1989 to Jim McDonnell and McGuigan immediately announced the end of his ring career. Now he said: "I have the utmost respect for everything that Ricky Burns has achieved. He is a perfect example to every young kid out there that if you work hard and remain dedicated there are rewards there for you.

 

"But the signs have been clear over the last 18 months that Ricky is no longer able to perform at the levels he would expect from himself. The fight with Zlaticanin was a close one but Ricky should not have been in the type of trouble he was against a guy of that level. "If it were me, and I was once in a similar position, I would be saying that was enough."

 

"I remember that one of the all-time greats, Alexis Arguello, once said that 'They always say a fighter is the last to know when to quit, well I want to be first'. "I would say in your heart there comes a time as a fighter that you know it has gone and Ricky has probably had that moment."