Roberto Duran vs Ken Buchanan: The Birth of a Legend...45 Years Later.
Posted: 26 Jun 2017, 17:16
On June 26, 1972 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Roberto Duran from Panama City, Panama stopped in 13 rounds lightweight champion Ken Buchanan of Edinburgh, Scotland.
It was a brutal fight whoever got the chance to watch it. Duran, only 21 years old, attacked Buchanan from the opening bell. A minute into the fight and Buchanan suffered a knockdown. The champion thought it was a slip, but to his surprise, referee Johnny LoBianco of New York gave him a standing 8-count. It was the beginning of the end. For the next 12 rounds, Duran was on top of Buchanan like a lion on top of his prey. He beat Buchanan like if the Scot slept with his wife or something. It was a brilliant and extraordinary performance by The Hands of Stone, which at the time, was a relatively unknown challenger.
Buchanan's face looked like a total mess. Like if a train ran all over him. He couldn't keep the fearsome Panamanian off him. He tried everything. He used his fast jab and right crosses. It was useless. Like if Duran was never hurt from his punches.
Then came the faithful 13th round.
Anybody who has seen this fight, got to give Buchanan credit. He took some shots to the chin from The Hands of Stone. Another fighter, would have gone down to sleep in a flash. Out of more than 80 pro fights, Buchanan, ironically, has never been stopped by a punch to the chin. This time, he was stopped by a borderline shot to the abdomen, according to referee LoBianco. The New York press utterly believed it was a shot to the groin. Was it a shot to the groin or not? Should Duran supposed to be disqualified? Or not? Was Buchanan was acting on purpose that he received a low blow?
Some say that Buchanan complaints of a low blow was an excuse to get the win by DQ. He was getting a thrashing by Duran. And he was WAY FAR BEHIND in the scorecards.
Referee LoBianco didn't buy it and gave the victory to the new World Lightweight Champion, Roberto Duran!
This win by Duran, although a little bit controversial, put Panama in a frenzy. A new boxing hero who avenged the loss of his countryman, Ismael Laguna, to Buchanan a year earlier. Who would have thought that after this fight, we witnessed Duran's career that lasted for 3 more decades. Buchanan should not be ashamed about losing to Duran. He lost to maybe the greatest boxer of the last 52 years and a top 5 all time pound per pound great in boxing history.
THE AFTERMATH:
Duran went on to win 3 more world titles all the way to middleweight and fought 3 more decades. Meanwhile, Buchanan, never again got a rematch with the Hands of Stone. He challenged WBC World Lightweight Champion Guts Ishimatsu of Japan, a former Duran victim. Buchanan lost to Ishimatsu on points in Tokyo, Japan in 1975 and never again fought for a world title. He like disappeared from the boxing scene and was kind of forgotten on the face of the Earth. He got redeemed from all that when he got inducted into International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, NY in the year 2000. Duran got inducted in the same hall 7 years later.
It was a brutal fight whoever got the chance to watch it. Duran, only 21 years old, attacked Buchanan from the opening bell. A minute into the fight and Buchanan suffered a knockdown. The champion thought it was a slip, but to his surprise, referee Johnny LoBianco of New York gave him a standing 8-count. It was the beginning of the end. For the next 12 rounds, Duran was on top of Buchanan like a lion on top of his prey. He beat Buchanan like if the Scot slept with his wife or something. It was a brilliant and extraordinary performance by The Hands of Stone, which at the time, was a relatively unknown challenger.
Buchanan's face looked like a total mess. Like if a train ran all over him. He couldn't keep the fearsome Panamanian off him. He tried everything. He used his fast jab and right crosses. It was useless. Like if Duran was never hurt from his punches.
Then came the faithful 13th round.
Anybody who has seen this fight, got to give Buchanan credit. He took some shots to the chin from The Hands of Stone. Another fighter, would have gone down to sleep in a flash. Out of more than 80 pro fights, Buchanan, ironically, has never been stopped by a punch to the chin. This time, he was stopped by a borderline shot to the abdomen, according to referee LoBianco. The New York press utterly believed it was a shot to the groin. Was it a shot to the groin or not? Should Duran supposed to be disqualified? Or not? Was Buchanan was acting on purpose that he received a low blow?
Some say that Buchanan complaints of a low blow was an excuse to get the win by DQ. He was getting a thrashing by Duran. And he was WAY FAR BEHIND in the scorecards.
Referee LoBianco didn't buy it and gave the victory to the new World Lightweight Champion, Roberto Duran!
This win by Duran, although a little bit controversial, put Panama in a frenzy. A new boxing hero who avenged the loss of his countryman, Ismael Laguna, to Buchanan a year earlier. Who would have thought that after this fight, we witnessed Duran's career that lasted for 3 more decades. Buchanan should not be ashamed about losing to Duran. He lost to maybe the greatest boxer of the last 52 years and a top 5 all time pound per pound great in boxing history.
THE AFTERMATH:
Duran went on to win 3 more world titles all the way to middleweight and fought 3 more decades. Meanwhile, Buchanan, never again got a rematch with the Hands of Stone. He challenged WBC World Lightweight Champion Guts Ishimatsu of Japan, a former Duran victim. Buchanan lost to Ishimatsu on points in Tokyo, Japan in 1975 and never again fought for a world title. He like disappeared from the boxing scene and was kind of forgotten on the face of the Earth. He got redeemed from all that when he got inducted into International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, NY in the year 2000. Duran got inducted in the same hall 7 years later.
Fuckin nonsense pal, I'm not doubting for one minute Duran was excellent that night and well on his way to winning but the responsibility relies on the fighters to stop punching at the bell, sure the ref was slow in getting in but you cant win a fight with an illegal blow, I'm sure you must think Rigondeaux deserves his KO win over Flores going by your shitty logic, by most accounts barring Team Duran, Buchanan's balls were in a really bad way and he was pissing blood for weeks after, most stories ive read were in agreement and there was nothing to suggest Buchanan was faking