Scotland’s Ken Buchanan, who just died at 77, was one of the greatest fighters to ever grace the ring
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 in its heyday was an arena where even the most accomplished of champions and contenders were liable to be overwhelmed by the pressure of occupying its hallowed terrain. And many 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.
Madison Square Garden became synonymous with boxing in the over one hundred years and four different locations in New York, during which hosted some of the most epic contests in the history of the fight game, involving the likes of John L. Sullivan, Rocky Marciano, Sugar Ray Robinson, Jake La Motta, Muhammad Ali, Jerry Quarry, Joe Frazier, Roberto Duran, and Sugar Ray Leonard.
But of all the legends who’ve garnered a place in The Garden’s illustrious history, Scotland’s Ken Buchanan deserves a special mention having topped the bill at MSG not once, not twice, but a remarkable five times.
