ALEX MORRISON has made a well earned rest the top priority for Ricky Burns.

The 30-year-old's two-year reign as WBO lightweight champion came to an end on Saturday at the SECC as a gun-shy performance against American hotshot Terence Crawford saw the Scot comprehensively outpointed.

In the immediate aftermath the newly ex-champion had talked of his desire for an immediate rematch with the Nebraskan, but that was never going to happen such was the emphatic nature of Crawford's victory and the flatness of Burns' performance.

In SportTimes yesterday, Burns was offered a way back to the big time by meeting Manchester's WBO rated No.6 lightweight Anthony Crolla in an all-Brit summer bust-up in Glasgow and Big Alex admits that is a real possibility.

But first the fight godfather has revealed he has ordered Burns to put his mits up.

Morrison said: "Ricky needs a rest right now and that is all he needs. He has had three very tough fights with Jose Gonzalez, Raymundo Beltran and now Crawford in the last 10 months. I have been in this sport for over 50 years and I know what that level of intensity can do to your body. Ricky was not himself on Saturday night.

"So I think that mentally and physically the best thing for him to do is to take a complete break from boxing for a while, enjoy his family and get some perspective on Saturday night. Then we can look at the best way back for him."

Clearly worried at the punishment his charge shipped for the third successive fight, Morrison's concern over Burns' welfare is to be commended.

Since he beat Puerto Rico's big-punching Roman Martinez on September 4, 2010, the Coatbridge boxer has averaged a minimum of two word title fights a year.

Compare footage of outstanding victories over Paulus Moses or Kevin Mitchell with either of Burns' performances against Gonzalez or Crawford and the evidence suggests the Coatbridge man is not the fighter he once was.

It now seems certain that the insertion of a titanium plate in his jaw after his battle with Beltran has had a mental and physical impact.

With the exception of a first round stoppage of Nicky Cook and the early disposal of Mitchell, each one of the other eight global level fights Burns has had has been a war in which the courageous Scot has had to come through heavy fire to win, draw or lose.

Those years of action appear to have taken their toll and Morrison believes it maybe time to adjust his fighter's training arrangements.

He said: "I think we have to look at a lot of things in terms of Ricky's training camps. I think that he may well have over-sparred, as from the sixth round he just did not seem to have the energy left to kick-on.

"Crolla is definitely an option for the summer but first we need to put the Crawford fight to bed."