PRESTONPANS boxing star Josh Taylor believes the chances of a fight with Ricky Burns are now “very slim”.

A fight between Taylor and the former three-weight world champion from Coatbridge has long been rumoured, especially after Taylor’s demolition of Burns’ stablemate Ohara Davies at the Braehead Arena in July.

Burns was back in the ring in Manchester on Saturday but lost a unanimous points decision to Anthony Crolla in the pair’s lightweight bout.

A rematch has already been discussed and Taylor said he feels that the prospect of a meeting between himself and Burns (pictured below throwing a punch against Crolla by Peter Byrne/PA Wire) is now unlikely to materialise.

East Lothian Courier:

This week, he told Courier Sport: “I can’t see it happening now – the chances are very slim.

“After that fight [against Crolla] he’s said he wants to stay at lightweight so I think that’s probably the end of it.

“I’ve got [Miguel] Vazquez coming up and I’m 100 per cent focused on that.

“It will be a tough fight, probably tougher than Ricky, but it is a shame.”

Commonwealth super lightweight champion Taylor, who turned professional in 2015, said it was a missed opportunity for Scottish boxing.

“It would have been a good fight for Scotland. We could have sold out any arena,” he said.

“It is a shame – not necessarily for me or for him, but just for Scottish boxing, which has now missed the chance to have two guys at the top of the game... or one who’s been there for a long time and me who is trying to get there.”

Meanwhile, the county star was quick to quash any rumours that he may follow friend and ex-world champion Carl Frampton, as well as European middleweight champion Conrad Cummings, in leaving Barry McGuigan’s Cyclone Promotions stable.

“It is all just rubbish,” he told Courier Sport from his training camp in London,

“I could not have had a better start to my career or be in a better place to get to where I want to be. It is just people talking nonsense.”

Taylor’s sole focus remains retaining the WBC Silver super lightweight belt he won against Davies when he fights former world champion Vazquez at the Royal Highland Centre on November 11.