By Alexey Sukachev

Scottish Exhibition Centre, Glasgow, Scotland - Ricky Burns (35-2, 10KOs) retained his WBO lightweight title with a very impressive fourth round stoppage of Kevin Mitchell (33-2, 24KOs).

It was a boxing match until the final thirty seconds of the first round, when both boxers started trading punches. Burns started landing hard right hands in the second. During the fourth, a crushing left hand sent Mitchell down hard on his back. Mitchell made it up but Burns quickly dropped him again with a barrage of shots. After Mitchell beat the count, Burns pinned him against the ropes and continued to blast away with both hands until the referee stopped the fight.

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Scott Harrison, once a two-time super featherweight champion of the world, but had alcohol problems and served his jail time in the United Kingdom and in Spain, and then once again became a local hero, continued his incredible comeback with a convincing six-round decision over relatively unknown Joe Elfidh (7-2). Harrison, only 35 despite almost seven years in retirement, dominated the fight with his aggressiveness and experience. Elfidh was also down early into the opening stanza after a hard left hook to the temple by Harrison, who improved his record to 27-2-2, with 15 KOs.

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John Simpson (24-9, 11 KOs), a well-known featherweight and super featherweight multi-time domestic titleholder, retained his BBBofC Celtic 130lb belt for the first time in style by destroying upset-minded journeyman Dai Davies in two rounds. Davies (9-19-2, 1 KO), a fighter with a losing record but some quality wins, was battered in the first by the hard left hooks of Simpson, 29. Early into the second, Simpson landed a short powerful left hook. Davies didn't go down instantly but on a delayed effect after a light right hand to his head. He was ubanle to beat the count and was thus counted out at 0:36.

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John Thain (8-0, 1 KO), a Scottish junior middleweight of partially Filipino origin, was pressed hard but inconsistently for six rounds by the sport's veteran Lee Noble (15-23-3, 3 KOs). Thain was elusive and sharp but ate his share of leather as well. After all, referee Phil Edwards raised the arm of Thain, and the sole scorecard reads as follows: 60-55.

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In a very dull cruiserweight scrap, Stephen Simmons (6-0, 2 KOs) showed no poise and no desire against little-skilled but durable Bulgarian Tayar Mehmed (5-21-2, 1 KO), getting a totally forgettable points victory over six rounds: 60-54. It's to be noted though, that Mehmed lost inside the distance just once in his career.

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Scottish super featherweight Michael Roberts (10-0,2  KOs) got his second career stoppage after he had knocked out Gavin Reid (6-16-1, 3 KOs) in four. Reid increased his losing streak to thirteen fights.

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Former amateur standout and 2007 WC bronze medalist Bradley Saunders (4-0, 3 KOs) dropped tough but badly overmatched Slovakian opponent Ivan Godor (9-24-4, 4 KOs) three times in round three, before a mercy from the referee Richie Davis was issued at 1:25. Godor was down every time after hard straight right hands by the Briton.

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