Ricky Burns and Tony Bellew wins confirm this is a golden age for British boxing, says Steve Bunce

The pair won world titles over the weekend to take the number of British boxers holding a version of a world title to 13

Ricky Burns celebrates beating Michele Di Rocco to win the WBA world super-lightweight title (Getty)

If all the world title belts currently held by British boxers were placed on one stall at a flea market the tin junk surrounding the pile would disguise the heap of leather, fake diamonds and gold plaques perfectly.

In the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties a total of 18 British boxers travelled the globe winning world titles, often failing to make a single defence and generally ending their ring career by starting another one to survive. The old champions often had to sell their belts to make a few quid.

On Saturday and Sunday, during two truly emotional and memorable nights, Ricky Burns and Tony Bellew won world titles to take the total of British boxers holding a version of a world title to an improbable, impressive and unprecedented 13. The history books show that this is British boxing’s golden age.

Burns also joined an elite club of boxers that have won world titles at three different weights, adding his name to a tiny British list with Bob Fitzsimmons and Duke McKenzie, a pair of brawlers separated by a century and a few stone in weight. Burns stopped a reluctant Italian called Michele Di Rocco in eight rounds to win the vacant WBA light-welterweight title.

A lot of people like to claim the boxing business is rotten, vile to its core and cruel, but Burns, a nice man, had a lot of luck on his side long before the first bell and the start of Di Rocco’s predicted collapse. Burns had never fought a championship bout at any level at light-welterweight, he had won just four of his last eight fights and the title was only vacant because the previous champion, a lunatic called Adrien Broner, had deliberately come in heavy for his last fight knowing he was going to prison at some point when it was over. I never said boxing was simple, I just said it was not corrupt. Broner lost the title at the scales and was incarcerated.

Burns got his chance because in this business you get what you negotiate and not necessarily what you deserve and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, put together an alluring package to get Di Rocco out of Italy and the WBA cabal out of Panama and ringside in Glasgow. It was a brilliant piece of business and Burns was magnificent.

The following night the stars were out in a clear sky for a hastily arranged outdoor fight at Goodison Park involving life-long Everton fan Tony Bellew, a former British champion and star in the latest Rocky franchise. Bellew was fighting Ilunga Makabu, who was born in the Congo but is based in South Africa. This was Bellew’s defining hour, a suitable stage for the would-be actor and the whole production had a cinematic feel until 2:50 of the opening round when Makabu connected and Bellew, his nose broken, was down heavily. That was not in the script.

Tony Bellew celebrates after stopping Illunga Makabu in the second round to win the Vacant WBC World Cruiserweight Championship (Getty)

It was Makabu’s last chance and in the sixty seconds between rounds, as Bellew’s trainer Dave Coldwell gave him the facts of life in the corner, his head cleared, he moved his feet and in round three Makabu was knocked out cold. Bellew won the vacant WBC cruiserweight title and became the 13th current British boxer to hold a world title. It was a stunning turnaround in any decade, in any world title fight and at any weight.

It took Bellew a few minutes after the fight to start issuing challenges, and one in particular was aimed at former cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion David Haye, who was probably just innocently watching the fight on TV at his home in south London and then choked on a protein shake. Bellew called for a fight with Haye, which instantly made no sense and all the sense in the boxing world, which is the way all crazy fights should first be received when they are announced.

“He must have lost his mind, had his brain scrambled when he was dropped,” countered Haye. “He can get on the list to get knocked out, no problem.” A few weeks ago Haye was 25 pounds heavier than Bellew weighed on Saturday night and he has not been inside the cruiserweight limit for eight years, but the fight, trust me, makes perfect cash common sense. Bellew, who many in the boxing world consider to be the human form of Marmite, was punch perfect and word perfect.

Tete is back and nobody will fight him

Tiny Zolani Tete is an increasing and serious nuisance to the two British boxers holding versions of the world bantamweight title. Tete, who is based in Liverpool but is from South Africa, fights in his adopted city on Saturday and is one of the world’s most avoided fighters.