Ricky Burns refusing to take challenger Kiryl Relikh lightly

— -- Ricky Burns is not dismissing the lack of big names on challenger Kiryl Relikh's record ahead of Friday's title defence.

Burns (40-5-1, 14 KOs) makes a first defence of his WBA world light-welterweight title against Relikh at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow with the possibility that victory will set up a money-spinning fight with American Adrien Broner, who may be ringside.

The 33-year-old became Scotland's first three-weight world champion when he stopped Michele Di Rocco in May to revive his career following three defeats in his previous six bouts.

Belarusian Relikh, who is trained by Britain's former two-weight world champion Ricky Hatton, has compiled an impressive unbeaten record of 21 wins, 19 by stoppage.

"My trainer Tony Sims and I have watched a few rounds of Relikh and he's got a lot of KOs on his record so he can obviously punch a bit, but it's the level of opposition that he's been knocking out," said Burns.

"He can dig a bit but we're not treating this any differently to any other fight I've had. I've had a good long camp for this one so there's no fears for me.

"This is my 48th fight now and I've been in with big punchers before, I always wind Tony up and say that it's a good job I don't mind being hit in the face, but my chin has always coped OK.

"We're expecting a tough fight, but we're confident of getting the job done. There were some big fights offered to me. They fell through for this one but now we've got the mandatory to get out of the way.

That's not to disrespect to Relikh -- he's got our full attention -- but there's some massive fights out there. I boxed Di Rocco for the vacant belt [after Broner was stripped of it for failing to make the weight in April] so I've had to do this mandatory straight away. We get this win and it leads to massive fights.

"You have to take notice of the record he brings. They might not be top names that he's been facing, but he's been knocking them out regardless."

Burns has put all thought of fighting Broner (32-2, 24 KOs) to the back of his mind until after the fight.

But if the brash 27-year-old from Cincinnati, who was last in action in April when he stopped Londoner Ashley Theophane, is ringside in Glasgow he is sure to let Burns know about his presence.

"Everybody seems to be looking past Kiryl but he has my full attention and if I don't come through this then these big fights are not going to happen," said Burns.

Burns' promoter Eddie Hearn says a future fight is possible with four-weight world champion Broner.

"Adrien contacted me and said he is coming to Glasgow on October 7 to watch the fight and if Ricky defeats Relikh I expect that fight to get made without any problems," said Hearn.

All money made from remaining ticket sales for the Burns-Relikh show will be donated to the family of boxer Mike Towell.

Scotsman Towell, 25, died in hospital with severe bleeding and swelling to his brain caused by injuries in a fight against Dale Evans in Glasgow on Thursday night.

"One week from Mike Towell's final fight, we will be donating 100 per cent of all ticket sales from midnight tonight to midnight on Thursday to the family of Mike Towell," said Hearn.

Hatton also started an online fundraising appeal for father-of-one Towell and the former champion donated ?5,000. The JustGiving appeal has raised over ?41,000.