Ricky Burns takes difficult option by facing Julius Indongo

Ricky Burns has revealed he turned down easier fights for the chance to unify WBA, IBF and IBO world super-lightweight titles against Julius Indongo at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow on April 15.

The 33-year-old became a three-weight world champion when he stopped Italian Michele di Rocco in May and he successfully defended that belt against Kiryl Relikh in October.

Indongo, a 34-year-old undefeated Namibian, captured the IBF and IBO titles with a stunning first-round knockout of Russian Eduard Troyanovsky in Moscow in December.

Burns (41-5-1-14KO) accepts he had easier options on the table but said the opportunity to unify the belts against Indongo (21-0-11KO) was too good to pass up.

"There were a couple of options lined up for me and obviously I have chosen this one," Burns told Sky Sports News HQ. "It is a more difficult fight but the rewards are much better.

"The way he won the title - that could have happened to anybody. He went over to Russia and he wasn't expected to win. In the first 30 seconds of the first round he has caught the champion with a good shot.

"I can't really look too much into that but obviously he can punch a bit so I just need to make sure my hands are up."

Burns' promoter Eddie Hearn admits Indongo is not the option he wanted Burns to pursue but says there was no changing the Scot's mind once the option to unify the belts was laid in front of him.

Hearn explained: "I sort of said to him 'there are these big-name guys where the money is here or there is this guy called Julius Indongo who is a nightmare'.

"He is a tall, rangy southpaw that can really punch and the money is less so I said obviously Ricky you have got to take the easier fight for more money. He said 'no, I want the other belts'.

"That is refreshing. He is a real old-school throwback fighter and he is really about creating history and creating legacy."