Ken Buchanan forced to sell all Championship Belts

Boxing legend Ken Buchanan forced to sell his championship belts

Published Date: 16 February 2009

BOXING legend Ken Buchanan has been forced to sell all the championship belts he won during his glittering career.

The Edinburgh-born 63-year-old – widely regarded as Britain's greatest boxer – has been living with friends in Leith after falling on hard times.

He has now taken the difficult decision to sell his full set of championship belts to scaffolding magnate Willie Garriock.
The former world, European and British lightweight champion's honours may now go on display at the National Museum of Scotland.
Buchanan has experienced several problems since retiring from the ring in 1982 but friends say he has recently been in better shape.

He has even returned to sparring with young hopefuls at Leith's Sparta Club, the club where he first made his name as a boxer.
One close friend said: "We know he's had his problems over the years, but in more recent times he has picked himself up.
"He's had a lot of bad things happen to him and even though he still takes a drink, he looks a lot better now, clean shaven and well presented."

The friend said he believed Buchanan simply felt he needed more cash to get by.

Mr Garriock, a former Scottish boxing champion, is understood to have been motivated to buy the belts by a desire to see them on public display.
The National Museum of Scotland said it was in talks with the businessman about including the belts in its sporting hall of fame.
Mr Garriock – who knows Buchanan from their days at the city's Sparta Boxing Club – declined to comment when contacted by the Evening News.

It was unclear today how much he has paid for the belts.
However, a Lonsdale Belt won by Leith featherweight Tancy Lee in 1919 was recently sold on eBay for a reported £16,000.

Buchanan's spoils include a Lonsdale belt won as British champion in 1968 and world title belts won in the early 1970s in Puerto Rico and the United States.

He is the only living British fighter to be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Buchanan was also voted Greatest Ever British Boxer in a 1978 poll organised by the sport's British trade newspaper Boxing News.

A National Museum of Scotland spokesman said: "We are in the early stages of discussions with Mr Garriock about the possibility of his lending boxing memorabilia to the National Museum of Scotland."

Ken Buchanan could not be contacted for comment.

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/-Boxing-legend-Ken-Buchanan.4983234.jp

Big shame he needs to do this....Wish him all the best :good

Also what the hell is he doing sparring young fighters!!! :scaredas: