IRELAND’S RYAN BURNETT has dismissed any issues regarding the promotional poster for his World Boxing Super Series semi-final with Nonito Donaire.
With the SSE Odyssey Arena in his native Belfast booked out until late winter, it was confirmed on Friday that WBA World bantamweight champion Burnett will face the four-weight world champion in Glasgow as part of a WBSS double-header on 3 November.
There were eyebrows raised in some quarters, however, when the World Boxing Super Series unveiled a promo image depicting Burnett stood in front of the Union Jack.
The 26-year-old hails from the predominantly Nationalist area of Newington and has in the past sported an Irish tricolour on a handful of occasions, but has built a burgeoning career almost entirely void of political or nationalistic debate, instead wearing his own colours and representing all corners of Ireland north and south.
Burnett issued a statement on Instagram this evening in which he called for people to disregard the promo image in question and instead treat him — and everybody else — as equals irrespective of nationality or creed.
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENT: @JoshTaylorBoxer vs @BlueChipBoxer & @ryanburnett01 vs @filipinoflash!! 🔥
— World Boxing Super Series (@WBSuperSeries) September 7, 2018
📅 Saturday, 3 November
📍 @TheSSEHydro, Glasgow 🏴
🎟️ Tickets on sale 9am BST Tues (11 Sept)! ⏰ Ticket Alerts: https://t.co/4I1UiafHfv #WBSS2 🏆 #AliTrophy pic.twitter.com/mlOPNBt4wz
“Been getting controversy over the post that WBSS put up, plus it’s been going on a while anyway,” Burnett said.
It had the Great British flag behind me for the photo. To me this means nothing! I treat everyone as an equal, we are all the same no matter what religion you may choose to be. Treat me well and I’ll treat you even better regardless of your background — that’s who I am.
“So I ask everyone, treat me how I treat you, not for what you think my background is.”
Burnett’s fellow Belfast man, former amateur rival and current gym-mate Michael Conlan found himself at the centre of a similar mild controversy during his homecoming bout at the SSE Odyssey Arena in June.
Conlan’s name was flanked by a Union Jack on a BT Sport graphic during the live broadcast, but this was replaced by an Irish tricolour during later repeats of the bout.
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