RICKY BURNS says sparring with Andreas Evensen will be the perfect preparation for his two-title unification showdown with IBF Word champion Miguel Vazquez at Wembley Arena on March 16.
Burns will put his WBO lightweight crown on the line against the tough Mexican in a fight that will be screened live on BoxNation.
And the Scot has no doubt his week-long training camp in Norway with Evensen, whom he beat in 2010 to make the first defence of his WBO World Super-Featherweight title, has set him up well.
Burns said: "Although he's dropped down to featherweight and I've moved to lightweight, his power has improved and he's got faster and more clever.
"Some of the locals were shocked at the intensity of the sparring, it was like a real fight, the only difference was head guards and big gloves.
"But Vazquez is a different style and size to Evensen and we'll be bringing in sparring partners more similar to Vazquez over the next few weeks.
"I'll also be working with John Simpson, which will be hard work, but I wouldn't have it any other way."
Burns was accompanied to Norway by Simpson, the Celtic Super-Featherweight champion, unbeaten middleweight prospect David Brophy and trainer Billy Nelson.
He has no doubt about the value of Burns' re-match with Evensen.
The trainer said: We had fantastic hospitality during our stay in Norway and the facilities were second to none.
"Despite the treacherous, snowy conditions, which coming from Scotland is saying something, Ricky managed to get in a few tough mountain runs."
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