RICKY BURNS can look back on his American ring debut with some pride ...

despite a points defeat against Omar Figueroa at the State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas.

And, against an opponent who had never lost previously in 25 contests, it was as much as 32-year-old Burns could have expected, given the direction his career has gone in over the past two years since he switched promoters from Frank Warren to Eddie Hearn.

Not that the former two-weight world champion from Coatbridge was in any way disgraced by Figueroa. Indeed, he has emerged from his 43rd paid bout with great credit, having acquitted himself with distinction.

All three ringside judges sided with the American by identical margins, 116-110, suggesting that Figueroa won fairly comfortable. But the scoring does not tell the complete story, for Burns was penalised somewhat unfairly by the referee, Laurence Cole, to the extent that he had two points deducted.

The referee, who repeatedly attempted to create space between the fighters by holding their arms as they fought at close quarters, deemed Burns to have been holding excessively in the eighth and 11th rounds.

Even with that added disadvantage, Burns' promoter opined that the contest had been very much closer than the scoring suggested and Hearn even went as far as to claim the Scot might even have merited a win.

Certainly, Figueroa tired noticeably in the closing stages of a brutal, physically demanding tear-up, and Burns looked capable of ending his opponent's undefeated streak as the pre-fight hot favourite slowed down.

"The scores were much too wide and the referee did Ricky no favours whatsoever," said Hearn. "Generally, there was nothing in the fight and a lot of people thought Burns had won but for the deductions, so therefore he has shown he can still mix it at the top level."

However, but the fact remains Burns has won only one of his last five contests, against Frenchman Alexandre Lepelley.

A controversial draw with the Mexican Raymundo Beltran was followed by defeats at the hands of Terence Crawford and Dejan Zlaticanin which cost him, firstly, his WBO lightweight crown and, secondly, the chance to land the vacant WBC International title.

However, there is renewed hope that Burns may have turned the corner, albeit Hearn's claim that his client has been reborn in the USA may be a tad premature.

What is not up for debate is the fact that Burns faced an opponent who enjoyed a significant weight advantage.

"Figueroa was just too big for him and weight was the main factor, really," said Hearn. "That was always going to be the danger in taking the fight in the first place.

"I dread to think what Figueroa weighed going into the ring. He was probably something like 160 pounds, whereas Ricky would have been around 142 or 143, so not only was Burns competing against one of the best fighters in the world, he was also fighting six or seven pounds too heavy, in my opinion.

"But I think he enjoyed the experience. Obviously it was a big pay-day for him, but I think he also liked being there, and, in a strange sort of way, I feel it was the rebirth of Ricky Burns in defeat.

"He boxed well against a guy who was the WBC lightweight champion and a very good fighter and yet I felt it could have gone either way, so he has shown that he can still mix it at the top level."

He said: "I have just spoken to the team who promoted the fight and they absolutely loved Ricky, and when you perform well on network TV over there it does a lot for your career.

"I have already had offers of two more fights. But I told them to hang on until Ricky is back here and we reconvene next week and see where we are at.

"But when I spoke with Ricky, all he said was that he wants someone smaller and lighter next time. So I think he will probably move back down to lightweight. But whatever weight he fights at, he has shown that there is plenty left in the tank."

Hearn says he would like to see Burns' next fight on home soil, adding that he thinks he deserves that much after back-to-back bouts in Leeds and the States.

But he pointed out: "There is big money and big opportunities in America as well, so it's difficult to say with any certainty what will happen. The preference is for Scotland, but if we bring him back in Glasgow it has got to be in a big-money fight."