Hosea Burton isn’t letting his trip to Latvia deter him ahead of his Golden Contract semi-final with Ricards Bolotniks – insisting that his opponent may struggle to even get through round one.

Burton (25-1, 11 KOs) heads to Riga to face Bolotniks (16-5-1, 7 KOs) on September 26, live on IFL TV, with a place in the final of the Golden Contract light-heavyweight tournament at stake.

Bolotniks earned a first round stoppage win over Steven Ward in the quarter-final, displaying plenty of aggression in the opening three minutes, but Burton feels that fighting style could work in his favour.

Burton said: “It is what it is. Me and Bolotniks would have made a good final, but it’s a shame he’s got to go out in the semi-finals. I’m happy to know who I’m fighting.

“Unless I picked the Golden Ball I knew nobody would pick me and that I would have to go to Latvia. It being over there won’t make a difference for either of us, as nobody is going to get any help off anybody.

“It’s going to be an exciting fight. I know Bolotniks will come running forward, but the question is whether he will get through the first round. If he comes in with no respect he will pay for it big time.”

Burton vs. Bolotniks comes three days before the other semi-final, as Liam Conroy goes up against Serge Michel in the UK on September 30.

That fight take places on the undercard of the #GoldenContract super-lightweight and featherweight finals, as Ohara Davies faces Tyrone McKenna, and Ryan Walsh takes on Jazza Dickens, live in the UK on Sky Sports in association with Matchroom Boxing, and live in the US on ESPN+ in association with Top Rank.