Ken Buchanan vs Roberto Duran - June 26, 1972 - Round 13 + Interview with referee

Ken Buchanan vs Roberto Duran
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Ken Buchanan defends the WBA Lightweight Championship of the World in a scheduled 15 round bout at Madison Square Garden. The bout is remebered as one of the most controversial fights in history; the fight ended with an obvious foul, but was recorded as a TKO, and even though the bell for round 14 sounded the fight officially ended in 13. This was Roberto Durans first title fight.
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Their records at the time
Ken Buchanan: 43-1
Roberto Duran: 28-0

[@Kedbuka]

Buchanan was a wonderful boxer, indeed. What an educated left hand! He was a tough fellow for sure, and though he was a ring stylist, he had some pop in those Scottish hands of his. A terrific prizefighter who happened to stand in the way of an all-time great.

[@dangoss7180]

Duran should have been disqualified. He’d already been warned for low blows. On this one, I don’t think Duran should be defended. Duran himself admits it was a low blow.

[@ArchieFatcackie]

Duran was Winning the fight no doubt. However the punch was low and delivered after the bell. I don’t know how much more of a foul it could be!

[@Kedbuka]

He's been called worse things than that. But if you want to use one word for Duran, it's GREAT. After this fight, he only got better and better.

[@Kedbuka]

You're exactly right, he was a rough bastard. And skilled...very skilled.

[@dcasey77]

It was clearly a low blow and for the referee to say otherwise is a joke. I think Duran should have been deducted a point and Buchanan given time to recover. Does anyone know what the officials' exact scoring was? I had Duran three rounds ahead when the fight was stopped.

[@28282222]

Did you notice what the crook referee said after the fight? That it was IMPOSSIBLE to be hurt by a low blow when a cup Isworn. He was in on it I’d bet money.

[@Evolve1976]

Mental how he won that. It was a low blow Buchanan could not continue. So he should’ve been disqualified. End of

[@Kedbuka]

Buchanan was the one who continued to punch after the bell. Duran responded with an uppercut after ducking a straight right hand, which is a relatively common way to commit that sort of foul. It's my opinion that Buchanan was losing, he knew it, and was looking to DQ his opponent. But whatever the case, it's the sort of situation that's justifiably called "controversial."

[@Kedbuka]

@Kedbuka I didn't say he didn't foul him--Duran hit him low, no question. But Buchanan knew he was losing and played it up. Buchanan should've been given enough time to recover in order to continue fighting; but I don't think he wanted to go on. When's the last time a fighter couldn't continue after a low blow? Duran was winning it and winning it well and didn't deserve to be DQ'd.

[@2pacinseattle]

@vwazp "Impossible to be hurt by a low blow, with a foul, with a tella cup" It must be the brand of the cups they were wearing or style of cups.

[@TheDman216]

Low blow after the bell with the ref holding him..rules state that if hit with an illegal punch and the fighter cant continue that it go to the cards not tko..Bad ref and even given the wrong round the fight was stopped..says 14th round but was 13th..shitty end

[@LeviJohansen]

@vwazp impossible to be hurt by a low blow with a foul... with a tella coffle? something like that....

[@vwazp]

impossible to be hit by a low blow without...? anyone figure out what he said?

[@AndyWoods16]

He is a ledgend. he was known for being a rough bastard. Using his head and elbows occasionally made him the fighter he was.

[@Kedbuka]

@primeboxers Duran was a "fouler"? He was a lot more than that, friend. He was an all-time great fighter, a very rough customer who gave no quarter and asked none. He was ranked 5th all time by Ring Mag for fighters over the last 80 years. His skills were as complete as any fighter ever, plus he was a fuckin' bad dude. He didn't bite anyone's ear to get DQ'd; but he'd sure roughhouse the shit out of 'em. A fouler? Nah, he was great. Cheers, mate.

[@somewhere6]

Several things come to mind. 1) It was definitely low and likely deliberate. 2) Buchanan also threw after the bell 3) Referee Lobianco saying a low blow cannot cause such a reaction is strange to say the least. 4) Loblianco apparently never worked another title fight. 4) Gil Clancy not arguing suggests he knew something we don't but it doesn't prove anything. 5) It is entirely possible that Buchanan took the opportunity to exaggerate in hopes of a disqualification but he might also have been legitimately hurt as much as his reaction suggested. 6) Having no rematch was unusual and suggests but doesn't prove that something was not right with this ending. 7) It is indeed unfortunate that it ended this way.

[@Billdick360]

Rules are rules.

[@dinodeluca8842]

Buchanan kept hitting after the bell a few times and I think Duran was ticked off....hit him low. He was still way ahead and would have won anyway.

[@LeviJohansen]

@Kedbuka I think he was definetely loosing, but I don't think he was looking for a DQ, Duran wasn't known for fouling yet, so he had no reason to believe that it would be possible. This is what started it all, this is where he became a fouler. He would have won anyway, but the ref helped him, there was more money in the younger & stronger guy winning.

[@2pacinseattle]

@primeboxers He said something "cup", maybe it was "tella cup".

[@dancruz4635]

Duran hit after the bell. But Buchanan was copping a beating. Duran looked fresh. I think they should have let the fight continue but I think Buchanan would have been murdered.

[@AndyWoods16]

Of course .

[@Kedbuka]

@CyderDrinkerDorset Buchanan's trainer Gil Clancy claimed it was a knee to the groin, not a punch. I'd never heard about the busted testicle...nor do I want to know anything further about it, if you follow where I've drifted. Whatever, it was a great fight and Duran deserved the win. And Buchanan deserved a rematch.

[@danahogue1611]

That should have definitely been a disqualifacation

[@timsmith2279]

Ken tried to win by cheating. Truth was that poor Ken got overwhelmed, couldn’t cope with no-stop punches from Duran. He was looking for an excuse to quit, claimed low blow but the referee saw it different. Ken never recovered from that defeat was later reduced to fighting in pubs and clubs to make money.

[@LeviJohansen]

@Kedbuka See it again, he obviously hit him low. Duran was definetely winning, but a foul is a foul.

[@robinpbradford]

Definitely a low blow.

[@AndyWoods16]

He definetly was a 'fouler'

[@Kedbuka]

@CyderDrinkerDorset No way in hell Duran gets DQ'd for that. Buchanan was looking for a way to win it without having to finish the fight. He was losing, he knew it, and went fishing for a DQ. Crawling about as though he'd been shot in the stomach...how ridiculous. He sure got up right quick when he realized it didn't work. Duran deserved the win.

[@redrum4100]

Duran himself admits it was a heymaker of a low blow. Buchanan spent several weeks pissing blood because he'd been hit so hard in the nuts that it split open his viens.

[@LeviJohansen]

@Kedbuka He was definetely great, I never said he wasn't. But he has had few, and I mean few, totally clean fights. Of course, this never won him the fights, he would've won this fight without it and every other win that he has.

[@jimquantic]

Duran, one of the greatest and yet marred, as he was never gracious in victory, or defeat. Disrespectful to others, ugly man. Even when he won (and he usually did) he could not muster a kind word to ====anyone.

[@luisdonado6807]

I'm a panamanian and I agree!

[@duffgordon9005]

well when your first fight is fixed like this he starts out feeling entitled. KB on a whole higher level. The ref was an utter disgrace as was Duran's dirty clinging fight-

[@martinezroger9862]

Jmichael Isbell ,Thats why he was a badass, he wasn't FAKE !

[@nuwandalton]

Not true..e.g his fight vs. Barkley

[@stevenparksprints241]

Martinez Roger someone can be ‘real’ and ‘not fake’ but still be an a**hole. I don’t believe being honest about being an asshole makes someone honourable and a good person.

[@LeviJohansen]

@Kedbuka There was no 5 min rest when hit low in those days. Either you continue right away, or it's a DQ. He might have acted a bit, but I think not he was able to continue, so in my mind it is a DQ anyway. Duran didn't deserve this, he didn't try to hit him low, but that's how it goes sometimes. He must have heard the bell though.

[@LeviJohansen]

@2pacinseattle could be...

[@fernandohuertas7374]

DURAN is the best in the world, whatever they want to say, accept that they lost.

[@germainejohnson5010]

Sugar Ray beat Duran twice hearns and hagler beat him

[@Whyavier]

Well Duran would have won anyway, probably by KO but that was kind of a BS stoppage.