KEN BUCHANAN’s death at age 77 has seen his legacy celebrated across the entire boxing world, which given his remarkable career has been more than justified. 

In his pomp, and still today, Buchanan was more respected, appreciated and revered in the US than he ever was in the UK. Perhaps, considering that his most memorable performances took place in the US, this is understandable. Perhaps. 

Indeed, not many fighters can claim to have held the unofficial title of King of Madison Square Garden during their careers. The acknowledged Mecca of boxing, New York’s Madison Square Garden (the Garden) in its heyday was an arena where even the most accomplished of champions and contenders were liable to be overwhelmed by the very fact of fighting there. And many of them found themselves leaving the ring to a chorus of boos from the most hard-to-please-fans in the world in response to a lacklustre performance.

Of all the ring legends who’ve garnered a place in the Garden’s long and storied history, Scotland’s Ken Buchanan deserves a special mention having topped the bill at MSG not once, not twice, but a remarkable five times.

During the early 1970s, the Scottish lightweight legend and son of the Edinburgh working class brought to the ring the elegance of a ballerina and heart of a pitbull. A piston jab so accurate it could have been the prototype upon which precision guided missiles were based was complemented by the contortions of an escape artist in the way he could frustrate even the most skilled attempts to lay a glove on him.

It was a combination that saw him win the undisputed lightweight world title from Panama’s Ismael Laguna in 1970 over fifteen brutal rounds in the murderous heat of an outdoor arena in San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

In a display of guts and tenacity that still ranks as one of the most outstanding in the history of the ring, Ken Buchanan with this performance announced his arrival onto the world stage.

The Scot’s first appearance at the Garden in his trademark tartan shorts came just three months later in December of the same year, when the newly crowned champion fought Canadian welterweight contender Donato Paduano in a 10-round non-title fight. Giving away 10 pounds in bodyweight to his heavier opponent, the Scot lit up the crowd to such an extent it rose more than once in a standing ovation in appreciation of the wonderful artistry he displayed in the process of taking his opponent to school.

Watching the fight back today, Buchanan ducking and weaving to avoid Paduano’s punches, at times it almost appears his upper body is attached to his legs by a ball and socket instead of flesh and bone. At points during the contest he dips his head so low he could have untied the laces of the Canadian’s boots. In the end Buchanan emerged a comfortable winner with a unanimous decision.

Interestingly, fighting on the same night on the undercard of Buchanan’s non-title bout against Paduano was one Muhammad Ali, facing Floyd Patterson. Angelo Dundee, Ali’s trainer, had arrived at the arena to find there was no dressing room for his fighter because of a mix-up and he asked Buchanan if Ali could share his. Buchanan agreed but in a story he recounted countless times afterwards, he drew a line with chalk across the middle of the floor, warning Ali not to cross it. 

Fortunately, Ali and his entourage realised he was joking and thereafter the two fighters remained good friends throughout their respective careers.

Ken Buchanan’s most famous and controversial fight at Madison Square Garden unfolded on June 26 1972 against a young and up and coming Roberto Duran. The Panamanian may have only been emerging as the legend he was to become, but already he possessed a reputation for destroying opponents with a relentless come-forward style, throwing bombs.

The fight began at a blistering pace, when from the opening bell Duran jumped on the Scotsman with the objective of denying him the use of a jab which by then was rightly considered the best in the business. Duran’s gameplan paid off, as within a minute of the fight Buchanan was forced to touch the canvas at the end of a right hook to take a standing eight count. If he didn’t know it already, the champion knew then that he was in for a long night.

Back he came though, trading vicious combinations with the Panamanian in a determined attempt to keep him at bay. It was in this fashion the contest continued over thirteen bruising rounds in which Duran’s head rarely left Buchanan’s chest, so intent was he on fighting on the inside. The low blow that concluded proceedings came after the bell at the end of the thirteenth round. The resulting controversy continues to be the subject of debate among boxing fans to this day.

Regardless, Duran clearly delivered a low blow after the bell and on this basis the fight the should have been disqualified or at the very least declared a no-contest — especially so considering that this was a world title contest with Buchanan the defending champion. That Duran refused to give Buchanan a rematch and later stated that the Scot was among the toughest of any opponent he ever faced tells its own story.

Aside from his appearances at Madison Square Garden, the most thrilling contest Buchanan was involved in was against fellow Scot Jim Watt on January 29 1973 at Glasgow’s Albany Hotel. At stake was Watt’s British lightweight title and despite Buchanan going in as heavy favourite, Watt took him all the way in what turned out to be a brutal back and forth battle over fifteen rounds.

Buchanan’s points victory over his Glasgow rival came at a high cost, however, as he was never the same afterwards. He fought on past the point he should have and his career finally stuttered to an end in 1982 on the back of a clutch of unlicensed bouts, so desperate was he by this point in his life for money having lost most if not all of his ring earnings to bad investment and business decisions, divorce battles, and most sadly of all, alcohol addiction.

Even so, Ken Buchanan’s induction into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 2000 cemented his legacy as an all time great. Moreover how fitting that he lived to see a statue in his honour being erected in his home town of Edinburgh in the summer of 2022.

Hugh McIlvanney once described Ken Buchanan as an “out and out fighting man,” and that he most certainly was.