Ricky Burns on sparring Ohara Davies and Conor Benn

By Isaac Robinson

Thursday 16 June 2016 16:52, UK

Ohara Davies and Conor Benn are uncompromising and fearsome even in sparring, says world champion Ricky Burns.

Burns (40-5-1-KO14) recently created Scottish boxing history by winning a world title in a third weight division; stopping Michele di Rocco in Glasgow for the WBA world super-lightweight crown.

In the lead up to the memorable night at The SSE Hydro, 'Rickster' racked up countless rounds with unbeaten gym-mates Davies (11-0-KO9) and Benn (2-0-KO1); 24 and 19 respectively.

With English lightweight champion Davies to fight Zoltan Szabo (9-0-KO3) at Tuesday's Anthony Joshua v Dominic Breazeale media workout at York Hall and Benn preparing to fight on the Sky Sports Box Office event itself, Burns has lifted the lid on their sparring wars.

The 33-year-old told Sky Sports: "The way they are in sparring is the way I've always been. People used to come up to spar and they couldn't believe the way it was because I treat it like a fight. It's the closest thing you'll get so whenever I'm sparring, I'm on it all the time.

"Ohara and Conor are exactly the same and preparing for the Di Rocco fight, it was even worse because one would get out after four rounds and the other would get in. They'd rotate. The two of them are a nightmare.

"When you've got people like that in your gym, it spurs you on because I'm going in there knowing I can't have those two set about me!"

Benn was last in action on the undercard of Burns v Di Rocco and having blasted aside his debut opponent at The O2, was taken the four-round distance by Luke Keleher. Burns, though, is adamant that improvement in 'The Destroyer' is inevitable.

He said: "Conor goes at 100mph and is in your face. He wants to get dragged into a fight.

"He's got a good jab and doesn't use it. At the end of the spars I tell him he needs to get back on that jab because it's strong and a jab is the most annoying punch in the world. You can get hurt with it all night and it can throw you right off your game.

"Conor knows he can do better than he did last time out. He probably got carried away with the occasion but I think he'll learn from it.

"He can box and he's young - at the moment he just wants to go out there and put on a show for everybody. He's only 19 and is going into his third fight."

Watch Davies and Benn fight as part of the Anthony Joshua v Dominic Breazeale IBF world heavyweight title Sky Sports Box Office event. Davies fights after June 21's media workout with the main event on June 25. Book here.