Ryan Burnett Releases Statement On Back Injury, Says It Is Not Career-Ending

Former WBA “super” bantamweight champion Ryan Burnett has spoken up on his injury that resulted in his title loss to Nonito Donaire.

Burnett made a lengthy statement on a Twitter post, which can be seen below, regarding his future and whether or not his back injury is a serious one. Burnett revealed that he has torn muscle fibers in his right internal oblique muscle. Fortunately for Burnett, the injury is said to not be a career-ending one, but that he would have to undergo “intensive treatment and rehabilitation.”

The injury occurred on November 3 in Glasgow, Scotland as Burnett during a fight against Donaire. In the fourth round Burnett threw a right-hand punch and missed it, but Burnett dropped to one knee immediately, favoring his lower right back. Burnett got up after dropping to one knee, but was still injured and Donaire kept punching away at Burnett until the fourth round ended. The fight was stopped soon afterwards with Burnett too hurt to continue. 

As a result of that, Donaire became the new WBA champion at 118 pounds and advanced in the World Boxing Super Series. Donaire will now face WBO champion Zolani Tete in a unification fight in the semifinals in 2019

Burnett won the WBA title in 2017 after unifying the IBF belt as well. Burnett vacated the IBF title to keep his WBA belt, where he has only made one successful title defense back in March when he defeated Yonfrez Parejo by unanimous decision.