Ken Buchanan
MBE

Buchanan in 1965
Personal information
Nickname	Fighting Carpenter[1]
Born	(1945-06-28)28 June 1945 Edinburgh, Scotland
Died	1 April 2023(2023-04-01) (aged 77)
Weight	Lightweight
Boxing career
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	69
Wins	61
Win by KO	27
Losses	8
Medal record Boxing Representing Scotland European Championships 1965 Berlin Featherweight

Ken BuchananMBE (28 June 1945 – 1 April 2023) was a Scottishprofessional boxer who competed between 1965 and 1982. He held multiple championships atlightweight; theWorld Boxing Association (WBA) andRing magazine titles from 1970 to 1972; and theWorld Boxing Council (WBC) title in 1971, briefly reigning asundisputed champion until being stripped of the WBC title four months later. At regional level he held theBritish title twice in 1968 and 1973, and theEuropean title from 1974 to 1975.

Before turning pro, Buchanan was the 1965 ABA featherweight champion. He started boxing professionally on 20 September 1965, beating Brian Tonks by aknockout in the second round in London. He spent much of the early parts of his career fighting undistinguished opponents in England. His Scottish debut came in his 17th fight, when he outpointed John McMillan over 10 rounds on 23 January 1967. Prior to that, he had also beaten Ivan Whiter by a decision in eight rounds.^[2]

Buchanan extended his winning streak to 23 consecutive bouts before challengingMaurice Cullen on 19 February 1968 for the British lightweight title in London. He knocked Cullen out in the 11th round and became a world classified lightweight challenger.^[2][3]

He continued his way up the world lightweight rankings by defeating Leonard Tavarez,Angel Robinson Garcia and Whiter (in a rematch) among others, but on 29 January 1970, he found his first stone on the boxing road when he challenged futureWBC junior welterweight championMiguel Velasquez inMadrid, for the European lightweight title. Buchanan lost a 15-round decision to Velazquez, but nevertheless, he continued his ascent towards the number one spot in the rankings by beating Tavarez in a rematch, Chris Fernandez and Brian Hudson, the latter of whom was beaten by a knockout in five in a defence of the British lightweight title.^[4]

In September of that year, Buchanan travelled toPuerto Rico, where he would meetIsmael Laguna, the world lightweight champion from Panama, on 26 September 1970. Many experts believedSan Juan's warm weather would affect Buchanan, but he upset those who thought that way and beat Laguna by a 15-round decision to become world's lightweight champion.^[5]

At that time, theWBA and theBritish Boxing Board of Control (BBBC), were in the middle of a feud, and Buchanan was not allowed to defend the WBA title fight inGreat Britain. He finished 1970 beating Donato Paduano by a 10-round decision in a non-title bout on 7 December 1970.^[6]

Buchanan defeated Rubén Navarro in Los Angeles on 12 February 1971, defended the WBA championship, and acquired the vacantWBC championship.^[7][8][9]

And thus he became theundisputed world lightweight champion.^[10][11]

After that, Buchanan was allowed to defend the world championship fight inGreat Britain. Buchanan defeated former world junior welterweight championCarlos Morocho Hernández by knockout in round eight of a non-title bout, inWembley on 11 May 1971.^[12][13]

He was stripped of theWBC title for failing to defend againstPedro Carrasco on 25 June 1971.^[14]

Despite this setback, he remained the WBA world lightweight champion. Then, he flew to New York City to meet Laguna again, this time defending his world title. Buchanan retained the title with another decision over Laguna on 13 September 1971.^[15]

His next fights were a couple of non-title affairs, one in London and one in South Africa. The South African fight against Andries Steyn inJohannesburg was a mismatch with his opponent's corner throwing in the towel in the third round on 29 April 1972.^[16]

His next defence came on 26 June 1972, against Panama's greatest, the then undefeatedRoberto Durán at theMadison Square Garden (MSG) in New York, in a bout which had a highly controversial ending. Durán was ahead on all three cards at the end of the 13th round, when both fighters exchanged punches after the bell. Buchanan went down, writhing in pain from a low blow, that Buchanan's trainer,Gil Clancy, said was caused by a knee to the groin. RefereeJohnny LoBianco awarded the fight to Durán, insisting that the blow that took down Buchanan was "in the abdomen, not any lower" and that he felt that Buchanan would be unable to continue fighting.^[17]

The New York Times columnistRed Smith wrote that LoBianco had to award the victory to Durán, even if the punch was a low blow, as "anything short of pulling a knife is regarded indulgently" in American boxing.^[18]

In his next fight, Buchanan beat former three-time world championCarlos Ortiz by a knockout in six, also at Madison Square Garden on 20 September 1972.^[19]

Buchanan finished 1972 with a win over Chang Kil Lee on 4 December 1972.^[20]

On 28 June 1972, Roberto Durán signed to defend it against Buchanan on 20 October 1972. However, Durán broke that agreement when the Panamanian Government insisted he make his first defence in Panama. He did, knocking out Jimmy Robertson on 20 January 1973.^[21]

Durán also had signed a second contract with the MSG on 25 October 1972, to defend against Buchanan on or before 30 June 1973.^[21]

Once again Durán broke the agreement, and subsequently had his licence suspended by the New York State Athletic Commission on 4 April 1973. The commission also warned Durán that his title recognition would be withdrawn.^[21]

The New York State Athletic Commission had been attempting for two years (1972–1974) to get Durán to honour an agreement to fight Buchanan. But Durán refused to honour the contract.^{[21][22][23][24][25][26]}

In 1973, Buchanan started out by beating future world lightweight championJim Watt by a decision after 15 rounds, to regain the British lightweight title. Soon, he embarked on another international tour that included more fights in the United States, several fights in Denmark, and one fight in Canada. He won each of those fights, leading towards a challenge of European lightweight champion Antonio Puddu in Italy, and Buchanan added the European lightweight championship belt to his shelf by defeating Puddu by a decision in 15 rounds.^[2]

He retained the title by beating Tavarez for the third time, this time by a knockout in 14 at Paris, and then he travelled to Japan to fight for the world title again. This time, however, he was defeated by a decision in 15 rounds by the WBC's world champion,Guts Ishimatsu.^[2]

Buchanan re-grouped once again, and won in a defence of the European lightweight title against Giancarlo Usai by a knockout in 12. But he retired from 1976 to 1978, leaving the European lightweight title vacant.^[2][27]

When he returned to professional boxing in 1978, he won two straight bouts, but everything else started going backwards for him. ChallengingCharlie Nash inCopenhagen, he lost by a decision in twelve. In 1980, he won two bouts in a row, but after that, he lost five bouts in a row, finally retiring for good after losing toGeorge Feeney by a decision in eight on 25 January 1982. In 2000, he was elected to theInternational Boxing Hall of Fame.^[2][28][29] In 2002 he was inducted into theScottish Sport Hall of Fame.^[30]

Buchanan died on 1 April 2023, at the age of 77. He had been suffering fromdementia.^{[31][32][33][34]}

• NYSAClightweight champion (135 lbs)
• WBA lightweight champion (135 lbs)
• WBC lightweight champion (135 lbs)

• The Ring lightweight champion (135 lbs)

• British lightweight champion (135 lbs) (2×)
• European lightweight champion (135 lbs)

• Undisputed lightweight champion

On 14 August 2022, a statue of Ken Buchanan was unveiled on Little King Street, Edinburgh. It is located near theSt James Quarter, at the top ofLeith Walk. Buchanan attended the unveiling, along with many fans.^[35] It was created by Scottish sculptor Alan Herriot, and cast at Powderhall Bronze.

• Lineal championship
• List of world lightweight boxing champions
• List of British world boxing champions

• Ken Buchanan at theScottish Sports Hall of Fame
• Boxing record for Ken Buchanan fromBoxRec(registration required)
• Ken Buchanan – A Look Back At a True Great - The Story of Buchanans Rise To Fame, ringnews24.com; accessed 20 August 2017.
• Ken Buchanan interview, stv.tv, 18 June 2007; accessed 20 August 2017.

• 1945 births
• 2023 deaths
• People educated at Portobello High School
• Scottish male boxers
• Boxers from Edinburgh
• Lightweight boxers
• European Boxing Union champions
• International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees
• Members of the Order of the British Empire
• The Ring (magazine) champions
• World Boxing Association champions
• World Boxing Council champions
• World lightweight boxing champions

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