By Rick Reeno

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer is doing his best to reach an agreement with Frank Warren to stage an HBO televised lightweight unification between champions Adrien Broner (25-0, 21KOs) and Ricky Burns (35-2, 10KOs). Broner is scheduled to return on February 16th at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

The finalization of the fight will depend on whether or not Burns will lower his monetary demands. Burns is asking for a significant sum of money to fight Broner in the United States, and some reports indicate the Scottish boxer would like to get his purse without having to pay United States taxes.

"I am having conversations with Frank Warren, including today. We are working on that and I hopeful that this fight is going to happen. Sometimes, some of these fighters have unrealistic expectations. I read some stories where Ricky Burns wanted to get paid tax free......well, don't we all. Unfortunately I am not Uncle Sam and I can not make tax free deals. Everybody has to pay their taxes. And if there is somewhere where you don't have to pay taxes, please let me know where to stand in line," Schaefer told krikya360.com.

"I think that sometimes there are some unrealistic expectations and that has to be explained. Yes, if a foreign fighter fights in the United States there are tax withholdings. At the end of the day, everybody has to pay their taxes. I'm sure in England he doesn't get paid tax free either. Last I checked the Brits have to pay their taxes too. These are some of the discussions that Frank Warren is having with Ricky Burns and I'm hopeful that the fight gets done."

If a deal with Burns is not finalized, Schaefer indicates that Richard Abril is not standing in the wings to replace Burns. The HBO televised co-feature is a heavyweight rematch between Seth Mitchell and Johnathan Banks.