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Ken Buchanan vs. Roberto Durán

Date	June 26, 1972
Venue	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
Title(s) on the line	WBA and The Ring lightweight titles
Tale of the tape
Boxer Ken Buchanan Roberto Durán Nickname The Fighting Carpenter Manos de Piedra ("Hands of Stone") Hometown Edinburgh, Scotland, UK Panama City, Panama Province, Panama Purse $125,000 $35,000 Pre-fight record 43–1 (16 KO) 28–0 (24 KO) Age 26 years, 11 months 21 years Height 5 ft 7+1⁄2 in (171 cm) 5 ft 7+1⁄2 in (171 cm) Weight 133+1⁄2 lb (61 kg) 132+1⁄4 lb (60 kg) Style Orthodox Orthodox Recognition WBA and The Ring Lightweight Champion WBA No. 1 Ranked Lightweight
Result
Durán wins via TKO in the 13th round

Ken Buchanan vs. Roberto Durán was a professional boxing match contested on June 26, 1972, for the WBA and The Ring lightweight title.

Background

In May 1972, it was announced that the reigning WBA lightweight champion would face the number-one ranked contender Roberto Durán in Madison Square Garden on June 26th, two days before Buchanan's 27th birthday. Heavily anticipated, Buchanan was given a $125,000 purse, a then-record for a fighter in the lightweight division. Buchanan had first won the lightweight title in 1970 after defeating Durán's countryman Ismael Laguna, the win propelled Buchanan into one of the boxing's top fighters and he was named the top fighter of 1970 by the American Boxing Writers' Association. The 21-year old Durán, meanwhile, was a perfect 28–0 with all but four of his wins coming by knockout and had quickly established himself as a top contender.

The brazen Durán predicted he would knockout the champion out "in 9 rounds or less", Buchanan however discredited Durán's impressive record claiming none of the fighters he had beaten previously had been a top fighter asking, "Who's He Beaten?’ He has a fair record, but he's not fought anybody. He's the No. 1 challenger, but who's he beaten? He's never fought anybody in the top ten. But the World Boxing Association told me I had to fight him because he's the No. 1 challenger. As long as he's legitimate, I'll fight the man."

Buchanan entered the fight as a slight 2–1 favorite. The fight drew a crowd of 18,821 and produced a gate of $223,901, a then-record for an indoor lightweight fight.

The fight

Durán would be named the winner by technical knockout in the 13th round, but the result was highly controversial. Serving as the aggressor, Durán was able to control the fight and had built up a sizeable lead on the judge's scorecards prior to the stoppage while Buchannan struggled to both offensively and defensively. Durán would score a first round flash knockdown (the only one of the fight) after landing a right hand that caused Buchanan to place his gloves on the mat to break his fall. As the 13th and final round came to an end, both fighters continued to throw punches after the bell had sounded just before referee Johnny LoBianco could separate the pair, Durán landed a low blow that sent Buchanan down to the mat in obvious pain. Buchanan was able to get back up but had to be helped to his corner and after being checked by LoBianco, it was determined that Buchanan could not continue and the fight was stopped with Durán being named the winner by technical knockout despite Buchanan's insistence that he could continue with the fight.

Aftermath

Both Durán and LoBianco maintained that Buchanan had been hit with a legal punch to the abdomen and not a low blow. Immediately after the fight LoBianco defended his decision explaining "They fought after the bell, but the punch that put Buchanan down was in the abdomen, not any lower. It was impossible for him to continue. He was groaning in terrible pain. But it wasn't that punch alone, it was a culmination. Buchanan was unable to continue." Durán meanwhile, dismissed Buchanan's claims that he had won with an illegal blow stating "A lot of boxers try to make you think they were hit low because they are losing. I won it legally." Buchanan insisted Durán had taken liberties in the fight not only with low blows, but also with headbutts and was critical of LoBianco's officiating claiming "I got no protection from the referee. No matter where I put my head, his (Duran's) head was there and it was cracking." A post-fight examination by A. Harry Kleiman of the New York State Athletic Commission backed up Buchanan's claims that he had been hit with a low blow confirming that Buchanan had "swelling of the right testicle. He’s in extreme pain."

Fight card

Confirmed bouts:

^Note 1 For WBA and The Ring Lightweight titles

References

1. "Ken Buchanan vs. Roberto Duran". boxrec.com. BoxRec. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
2. Buchanan to Fight Here, NY Times article, 1972-05-09 Retrieved on 2024-06-06
3. , BBC article, Retrieved on 2024-06-06
4. Buchanan, Duran Exchange Jabs, NY Times article, 1972-06-13 Retrieved on 2024-06-06
5. Hall of Famer Ken Buchanan, former undisputed lightweight champion, dies at 77, Yahoo! Sports article, 2023-04-01 Retrieved on 2024-06-06
6. AGONY AND ECSTASY, Sports Illustrated article, 1972-07-10 Retrieved on 2024-06-08
7. Duran Gains Lightweight Title in 13th, NY Times article, 1972-06-27 Retrieved on 2024-06-08
8. , Daily News article, 1972-06-27 Retrieved on 2024-06-08
9. "BoxRec - event".

• 1970s in Manhattan
• 1972 in boxing
• 1972 in sports in New York City
• June 1972 sports events in the United States
• Boxing matches at Madison Square Garden
• Boxing matches involving Roberto Durán
• Lightweight championship matches