Ken Buchanan vs. Jim Watt

Dirk Kelly · Post by **Dirk Kelly** » 18 Jan 2008, 19:26

After reading Colin Harts Sun column last week, he had his top British fights in it, one was Buchanan vs. Watt but he said only 900 people cramed into the venue.

Why was this so? I can only imagine this would be on par with Alex Arthur being champion (WBC/WBA) getting beat by an all time great (Pac-Man, Morales et al) and coming home to fight Harrison in an epic in front of a few hundred people.

Was this not a massive fight? The purses couldn't have been that good either.

Can anyone shed some light on this please?

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 18 Jan 2008, 19:30

It was the inaugral show at the St Andrews Sporting Club.

I have never been there but I am sure its far from a huge venue - probably more suited to dinner shows that anything else.

See article below:

http://www.theglasgowstory.com/story.php?id=TGSFF15

Dirk Kelly · Post by **Dirk Kelly** » 18 Jan 2008, 19:34

Thanks Terry.

What an opening fight!

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 18 Jan 2008, 19:35

Watt won the world crown in the twilight of his career; when he fought Buchanan he was a long way from reaching the heady heights of a world title

Whilst this was a clash of rivals Edinburgh v Glasgow I dont think it would have been as huge a fight as you might think.

It probably means more in retrospect then it did at the time.

jimglen · Post by **jimglen** » 19 Jan 2008, 05:28

Kenny is better than Watt on any given day and they both are a bit (Kenny) and quite a bit (Watt) overated... because of their world title status (achievements), and more so in Kenny's case because of some of the greats they have faced...both good & excellent boxers (Buchanan), but not Scotland's best outside of achievements. Two lttle fighters of greater ability & prowess but you never here much about were Dundee's Jim Brady & Glasgow's Peter Keenan for example... Lafferety, Clark & Lee also.

The St. Andrews Sporting club is a dinner function and can only hold about that many punters and I was always under the impression that Buchanan was some what sat in the wilderness for many years and had to take off on his own for recognition, much to the dismay of the Boxing board BBBofC, and Jim Watt knowing too that he wouldn't get anywhere "without" English ownership & promotion signed south...and people sasy there's NO North-South divide; say that with a straight face in Glasgow/Scottish sporting circles and it is also true of Northern England.

Shamefull Nation!

Woller · Post by **Woller** » 19 Jan 2008, 05:42

Also it was a mens only night. No ladies, exept for the round card girl, and she was escorted out of the hall after each rest period so she was not in the hall during the boxing.
Buchanan boxed very well that night.
Woller

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 19 Jan 2008, 07:03

Buchanan and Watt duked it out in front of just 500 diners (as opposed to 900). Buchanan was starting the long road down seven months after his loss to Duran, while Watt was making the first defence of his British title. Kenny proved too experienced, fighting in clever bursts to nick the rounds as Watt fought tooth and nail - but both men really wanted it. In victory, Ken, who still walks around at lightweight, picked up a Lonsdale Belt for life.
They fought for peanuts and no film exists of the fight.

harrygreb · Post by **harrygreb** » 19 Jan 2008, 07:44

didnt ken pick up a nasty cut in that one?

Woller · Post by **Woller** » 19 Jan 2008, 09:23

Hi Bennie

Rumour was that the fight film was lost in a fire, but it is not true.

I have the full fight on dvd. (that is how I knew about the round card girl)

Woller

harrygreb · Post by **harrygreb** » 19 Jan 2008, 09:54

was buchanan badly cut?

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 19 Jan 2008, 10:51

Woller wrote:Hi Bennie

Rumour was that the fight film was lost in a fire, but it is not true.

I have the full fight on dvd. (that is how I knew about the round card girl)

Woller

Wow, I was told a few years ago Scottish TV lost the master tape.

Woller · Post by **Woller** » 19 Jan 2008, 11:12

A lot of head bumping going on, so there were several cuts. Watt was cut badly over the right eye in the 5th and Buchanan cut badly over the left eye in the 9th and on the forehead in the 11th.

Woller

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 19 Jan 2008, 11:39

I wouldnt say either Ken or Jim are overrated, if anything they are underrated imo, especially Jim, who was far from being just a crafty journyman that some seem to think... their fight was a real one for the purist and even though Watt was fairly inexperienced he gave Ken a great battle and afterwards Ken said that he would go on to great things.... which ofcourse he did, eventually...

Arbachakov · Post by **Arbachakov** » 19 Jan 2008, 12:54

jimglen wrote:Kenny is better than Watt on any given day and they both are a bit (Kenny) and quite a bit (Watt) overated... because of their world title status (achievements), and more so in Kenny's case because of some of the greats they have faced...both good & excellent boxers (Buchanan), but not Scotland's best outside of achievements. Two lttle fighters of greater ability & prowess but you never here much about were Dundee's Jim Brady & Glasgow's Peter Keenan for example... Lafferety, Clark & Lee also.

The St. Andrews Sporting club is a dinner function and can only hold about that many punters and I was always under the impression that Buchanan was some what sat in the wilderness for many years and had to take off on his own for recognition, much to the dismay of the Boxing board BBBofC, and Jim Watt knowing too that he wouldn't get anywhere "without" English ownership & promotion signed south...and people sasy there's NO North-South divide; say that with a straight face in Glasgow/Scottish sporting circles and it is also true of Northern England.

Shamefull Nation!

Neither of those two you mention did anything that comes even remotely close to Buchanan going to Puerto Rico and beating the terrific Laguna.

Collins2000 · Post by **Collins2000** » 19 Jan 2008, 17:52

jimglen wrote:Kenny is better than Watt on any given day and they both are a bit (Kenny) and quite a bit (Watt) overated... because of their world title status (achievements), and more so in Kenny's case because of some of the greats they have faced...both good & excellent boxers (Buchanan), but not Scotland's best outside of achievements. Two lttle fighters of greater ability & prowess but you never here much about were Dundee's Jim Brady & Glasgow's Peter Keenan for example... Lafferety, Clark & Lee also.

The St. Andrews Sporting club is a dinner function and can only hold about that many punters and I was always under the impression that Buchanan was some what sat in the wilderness for many years and had to take off on his own for recognition, much to the dismay of the Boxing board BBBofC, and Jim Watt knowing too that he wouldn't get anywhere "without" English ownership & promotion signed south...and people sasy there's NO North-South divide; say that with a straight face in Glasgow/Scottish sporting circles and it is also true of Northern England.

Shamefull Nation!

Jim, why don't you save the nationalistic bullshite for another time?

Collins2000 · Post by **Collins2000** » 19 Jan 2008, 18:02

Arbachakov wrote:
jimglen wrote:Kenny is better than Watt on any given day and they both are a bit (Kenny) and quite a bit (Watt) overated... because of their world title status (achievements), and more so in Kenny's case because of some of the greats they have faced...both good & excellent boxers (Buchanan), but not Scotland's best outside of achievements. Two lttle fighters of greater ability & prowess but you never here much about were Dundee's Jim Brady & Glasgow's Peter Keenan for example... Lafferety, Clark & Lee also.

The St. Andrews Sporting club is a dinner function and can only hold about that many punters and I was always under the impression that Buchanan was some what sat in the wilderness for many years and had to take off on his own for recognition, much to the dismay of the Boxing board BBBofC, and Jim Watt knowing too that he wouldn't get anywhere "without" English ownership & promotion signed south...and people sasy there's NO North-South divide; say that with a straight face in Glasgow/Scottish sporting circles and it is also true of Northern England.

Shamefull Nation!
Neither of those two you mention did anything that comes even remotely close to Buchanan going to Puerto Rico and beating the terrific Laguna.

What about Jim Glen's grandad "Bert Gilroy"?

That's another fighter that dear old Jimbo claims has better results on his record than Buchanan.

I can't see them...

harrygreb · Post by **harrygreb** » 19 Jan 2008, 19:41

gilroy wasnt a bad a fighter -but not in buchanan's league

Collins2000 · Post by **Collins2000** » 19 Jan 2008, 21:47

harrygreb wrote:gilroy wasnt a bad a fighter -but not in buchanan's league

Correct. Gilroy was a fine fighter but a few steps behind Buchanan.

Not according to Jimbo though...

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 20 Jan 2008, 09:46

Yeah the Scots do have it tough poor things, even though they get free health care for the elderly and free tuition fees for their students and have their mps voting in the English parliment while English mps cant vote in the Scottish parliment!!!.... aye, its tough being a Scot in an English world so it is!...

:x 8)

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 20 Jan 2008, 09:47

Their footie team is even worse than ours too and as for their footie league!!!!.....

:P

8)

Bladder · Post by **Bladder** » 20 Jan 2008, 13:51

jimglen wrote:Kenny is better than Watt on any given day and they both are a bit (Kenny) and quite a bit (Watt) overated...

Agreed! Bert Gilroy is Scotland's greatest ever boxer.

Collins2000 · Post by **Collins2000** » 10 Feb 2008, 14:19

jimglen wrote:Kenny is better than Watt on any given day and they both are a bit (Kenny) and quite a bit (Watt) overated... because of their world title status (achievements), and more so in Kenny's case because of some of the greats they have faced...both good & excellent boxers (Buchanan), but not Scotland's best outside of achievements. Two lttle fighters of greater ability & prowess but you never here much about were Dundee's Jim Brady & Glasgow's Peter Keenan for example... Lafferety, Clark & Lee also.

The St. Andrews Sporting club is a dinner function and can only hold about that many punters and I was always under the impression that Buchanan was some what sat in the wilderness for many years and had to take off on his own for recognition, much to the dismay of the Boxing board BBBofC, and Jim Watt knowing too that he wouldn't get anywhere "without" English ownership & promotion signed south...and people sasy there's NO North-South divide; say that with a straight face in Glasgow/Scottish sporting circles and it is also true of Northern England.

Shamefull Nation!

Jimbo, when are you going to explain this "Shameful Nation!" statement?

jimglen · Post by **jimglen** » 10 Feb 2008, 18:59

it was explained in the post; "I was always under the impression that Buchanan was some what sat in the wilderness for many years and had to take off on his own for recognition, much to the dismay of the Boxing board - BBBofC, and Jim Watt knowing too that he wouldn't get anywhere "without" English ownership & promotion signed south...and people sasy there's NO North-South divide; say that with a straight face in Glasgow/Scottish sporting circles and it is also true of Northern England."

there is and always has been a divide and at the Northern area 'annual' Ex-Boxers conference in Blackpool now in it's 17th year, I was told forget Scotland it's just the same for Northern England!

Khaosai-Galaxy · Post by **Khaosai-Galaxy** » 10 Feb 2008, 22:11

Colin Hart... i've had wanks that know more about boxing than he does

they were good wanks, tho

Collins2000 · Post by **Collins2000** » 11 Feb 2008, 01:25

jimglen wrote:it was explained in the post; "I was always under the impression that Buchanan was some what sat in the wilderness for many years and had to take off on his own for recognition, much to the dismay of the Boxing board - BBBofC, and Jim Watt knowing too that he wouldn't get anywhere "without" English ownership & promotion signed south...and people sasy there's NO North-South divide; say that with a straight face in Glasgow/Scottish sporting circles and it is also true of Northern England."

there is and always has been a divide and at the Northern area 'annual' Ex-Boxers conference in Blackpool now in it's 17th year, I was told forget Scotland it's just the same for Northern England!

Not sure how any of that explains why you refer to England as a "Shameful Nation!".