By Alexey Sukachev

Echo Arena, Liverpool - WBO super featherweight champion Ricky Burns (32-2, 9KOs) retained his title with a first round knockout of Nicky Cook (30-3, 16KOs). Cook, who has a history of back problems, appeared to have re-injured his back after being pushed backward from the first landed punch, which took place after only six seconds into the first round.

In the first few seconds, the first punch put Cook down. Cook started pointing to his back and telling the referee that he may have injured his back by twisting the wrong way from the shot. A moment later Cook was knocked down from a second combination. Cook, with obvious pain in his back, got up and tried to continue. Burns dropped him for a third time. Cook got up again, favoring his back and the corner threw in the towel to stop the fight.