Hall of Fame Professional Boxer. He was the former WBA Lightweight Champion (1970 to 1972). His father was a tram driver; Ken was inspired to become a boxer after seeing a film about American Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis. After turning professional in 1965, he tallied an impressive 33 consecutive wins, including the British Lightweight Title in 1968, before suffering his first loss to Spanish fighter Miguel Velasquez for the vacant European Union Lightweight Title in 1970. He won the WBC Title over Mexican boxer Ruben Navarro (1970, he would later be stripped of the title when he failed to fight a mandatory bout against Spanish fighter Pedro Carrasco) and earned Fighter of the Year from the Boxing Writers of America. Buchanan captured the WBA Lightweight crown with a slim split-decision victory over the Panamanian champion Ismael Laguna in Puerto Rico on September 26, 1970, and would be successful in two title defenses. On June 26, 1972, he lost the title to a young Roberto Duran in what has been considered a controversial contest after Buchanan claimed he was kneed in the groin. Buchanan went on to defeat champion Carlos Ortiz, and in 1973, he was victorious over Jim Watt to retake the British Lightweight Title. He retired in 1983 after compiling a 62-win (28 knockouts), eight loss record. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2000. His boxing career was depicted in the 2012 documentary "The Boxer from Somewhere Else." He died in a nursing facility of complications from dementia.
Hall of Fame Professional Boxer. He was the former WBA Lightweight Champion (1970 to 1972). His father was a tram driver; Ken was inspired to become a boxer after seeing a film about American Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis. After turning professional in 1965, he tallied an impressive 33 consecutive wins, including the British Lightweight Title in 1968, before suffering his first loss to Spanish fighter Miguel Velasquez for the vacant European Union Lightweight Title in 1970. He won the WBC Title over Mexican boxer Ruben Navarro (1970, he would later be stripped of the title when he failed to fight a mandatory bout against Spanish fighter Pedro Carrasco) and earned Fighter of the Year from the Boxing Writers of America. Buchanan captured the WBA Lightweight crown with a slim split-decision victory over the Panamanian champion Ismael Laguna in Puerto Rico on September 26, 1970, and would be successful in two title defenses. On June 26, 1972, he lost the title to a young Roberto Duran in what has been considered a controversial contest after Buchanan claimed he was kneed in the groin. Buchanan went on to defeat champion Carlos Ortiz, and in 1973, he was victorious over Jim Watt to retake the British Lightweight Title. He retired in 1983 after compiling a 62-win (28 knockouts), eight loss record. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2000. His boxing career was depicted in the 2012 documentary "The Boxer from Somewhere Else." He died in a nursing facility of complications from dementia.
Bio by: C.S.
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