Boxer Peter Buckley has bid adieu to his favourite sport. After a long and some might say lopsided career. For the record: Wins 32, draws 12, defeats 256. But don’t believe anyone who says he is the world’s worst boxer, or ‘a human punching bag’. Quite the opposite. He may have the worst win/loss ratio of any current fighter worldwide, but he is deeply respected by many in the industry.
It’s an easy story to put out there around the world, about the gallant loser. Comparisons, however, with Eddie the Eagle, Eric the Eel, and the like are odious as Buckley, brave as you like, is far from being the world’s worst boxer. Indeed, how could that ever be quantified? Moreover, it belittles the efforts and durability of a man brave enough to ply his trade in the square ring.
Those kind of opinions, clearly, come from observers who have never been ringside, and have never spoken to boxing insiders about the respect held for the 39-year-old.
How could he be the worst out there, fighting almost every fortnight. He was last stopped in June 2002, by hard-hitting Bradley Pryce, in one round.
Rob McCracken, a friend of Buckley’s, told me of the great character and fortitude his fellow Brummie has shown over the years. McCracken could not stop himself giggling when he talked of Buckley, recalling his youth, when Buckley was a tearaway.
Everyone in boxing has a Buckley story, and he is held dear by many. Buckley, sobriquet ‘The Professor’ admits himself that boxing has kept him on the right side of the tracks.
Buckley, now 39, began as a talented super-featherweight who won the English Midlands area title, developing a reputation as the opponent for promoters to put in against up and coming prospects.
Buckley was renowned for his great defence. It is that which has enabled him to get to 300 fights. Yes, he has slowed, and he has not won in 88 successive bouts, yet since the 1990s, Buckley has been against no less than 42 future world, European, British and Commonwealth champions. “I’ve had my eye on the 300 mark for a while, and it’s a little milestone I want to achieve, but I don’t want to fight on,” said Buckley.
In his final fight, his 300th, was held in his home city of Birmingham, against Matin Mohammed, whom Buckley drew with on Oct 5 in Nottingham. It was Matin’s debut. Buckley went in as favourite, a rarity for him. World’s worst boxer? No way. Not a bit of it. British boxing legend, more like.
Life after boxing? “I won’t miss getting punched in the face for a living,” he said.