2006 Scots Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee (Posthumous)
“All Round Contribution”
The first Scottish boxer ever to win two Lonsdale belts outright; possessor of a talent described by top Scottish boxing referee Eugene Henderson as “… A boxer with class and one whose whole approach to the game had the flourish of a master craftsman who could just not turn in a below – standard job…” Nor were these the only considerable distinctions that Scotstoun born but Anderston raised Peter Keenan would rack up in a career as British, Empire and European bantamweight champion and successful boxing promoter between 1959 and 1982. The only Scottish boxer to take over the promotion of a title clash involving himself and the bill topping opponent (as Keenan did in September 1955 defending his Empire title against South African Jake Tuli at Firhill stadium) so articulate in negotiation that he could persuade American ring legends such as the great “Sugar” Ray Robinson, Willie Pastrano, Henry Hank, George Benton, Angelo Dundee and Archie Moore to come to box or appear at his Paisley promotions during the 1950′s and 1960′s.
Peter also out-pointed Barcelona bullring owner and Southpaw Luis Romero over fifteen rounds at a packed Firhill to take the Spaniard’s European title on the evening of September 5th 1951. However fortune didn’t always smile on this great spirit who fought his way from an Anderston tenement to a Pollokshields mansion and ownership of some of Glasgow’s most desirable building land. The South African World Bantamweight Champion Vie Toweel who faced Keenan in the Glaswegian’s only tilt at a world crown in Johannesburg, South Africa, in January 1952, was not the weight weakened wreck destroyed a year later by Australian Jimmy Carruthers. Nor did the high altitude above sea level suit Keenan who was well beaten on points by Spring Bok champion Toweel. On the other hand Peter’s talent was such that he could turn apparent misfortune to his advantage as he proved on several occasions, when staring into the Abyss of defeat after being dumped on the canvas.
Witness Keenans September 14th British Empire title defence against Springbok Jake Juli. Downed three times in the opening round while suffering two cut eyes and nose damage from little Zulu warrior Tuli. Peter fought back, not just to deck Tuli for eight in the twelfth, but to stop him in the next round.
Witness May 1957 in the same Firhill Park ring. His eye cut in the opening round by Fauldhouse, West Lothian’s, John Smillie, Peter was frankly outboxed for the next five rounds until the characteristic Keenan, pride, guts and sheer will to win reasserted itself and produced two crashing punches from nowhere to establish a Scottish record by making a second Lonsdale belt.
In January 1953 Birkenhead puncher Frankie William’s victory over Nigerian future world champion Hogan ‘Kid” Bassey, middle heavy, think he would beat Peter. Indeed, the trade paper “Boxing News” predicted victory for the younger Williams thus “age may decide bantam championship”. Well age did, Keenan’s greater fight experience resulted in Englishman Williams being repeatedly decked on route to a seventh round stoppage with the Englishman helpless. As Keenan proved against Ireland’s John Kelly, a loss was often soon turned into victory.
Again, Scottish boxing great Keenan was a man of interesting contradictions. The same man who said “all Southpaws should be drowned at birth” I idolised southpaw world flyweight Kingpin Jackie Patterson and one of Keenan’s greatest performances was his points victory in 1951 at Firhill for the European title against southpaw Luis Romero. However, there was only one boxer that Peter told me he would never have fought more than once , southpaw ex- choirboy from Edinburgh Eddie “Napoleon” Carson, whom Peter rated as his toughest ever opponent – but Keenan still beat him.
Nevertheless, the real Keenan, the one the fans really remember is the Glasgow ring tiger: the Keenan blinded by the blood of opponent Bobby Roland, and his own blood, outfought Dundonian Bobby Boland in their epic June 1951 clash at Firhill; the Keenan who ignored the large hostile Irish crowd in Belfast’s King’s Hall to cut up and outpoint Ireland’s George O’Neil in December 1954. When Keenan kicked off his career as a regular boxing promoter on Wednesday March 18th, 1959 at Paisley Ice Rink he promised in the official programme, of a bill that featured John “Cowboy” McCormack v Senegalese Hardman Michel Diouf and Craigneuk’s Chic Calderwood against Yolande Pompey former world challenger to Archie Moore…, Here and now….I promised to endeavour to maintain the high standard of matchmaking which I am sure you will agree makes tonight’s show one of the most outstanding seen… For many years…” In retrospect, when I asked the great Dick McTaggart in a 1988 interview, who the best Scottish pro’ boxer he had ever seen was. Dick replied “… Peter Keenan I have always admired. He was a real fighter, a hardman, a great performance.
Fifty five of the men Keenan beat (with one draw) in the ring would doubtless agree with this assessment of the Anderston star – aye, and perhaps a fair proportion of the eleven men who defeated Peter might also agree that he was nobody’s pushover even in defeat. Similarly, wherever Scottish boxing is discussed Keenan’s name always pops up especially when the appellation “great” is applied. That description fits perfectly the factual reality that is Peter Keenan.
