Vic Toweel vs. Peter Keenan

Vic Toweel 117 lbs beat Peter Keenan 118 lbs by UD in round 15 of 15

• Date: 1952-01-26
• Location: Rand Stadium, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
• Referee: Cyril Baynes

"Vic Toweel, 116 3/4, South Africa, kept his world bantamweight championship today in a brawling 15-round decision against Scottish challenger Peter Keenan, 117 1/2, who was dumped to the canvas four times but still hung on gamely to the finish. It was a fight that frequently went beyond the gentlemanly bounds and both boxers were warned repeatedly for holding, hitting on the break, head-butting and other general rough-house tactics. In the 1st round Toweel floored Keenan for a two-count with a right to the jaw and in the 5th he floored him for a no-count. In the 12th, Toweel's best round, he let go a series of stunning punches which dropped Keenan near the ropes but Keenan continued without a count. Despite the hammering he took in the earlier rounds, Keenan stuck it out in the 13th when he took a count of two after staggering around on rubbery legs. Keenan was not able to solve Toweel's aggressive style and constantly left himself open to right-hand punches." -United Press

• Attendance - 27,000

Post-fight comments

• "Don't make any mistakes about it, that was quite a hard fight." -Vic Toweel

• "I just wasn't good enough. That Toweel is a good fighter." -Peter Keenan