When a boxer with a losing record retires, it’s not usually big news. It’s the winners, the showmen, and the conquerors who capture our attention and adoration. But in the case of England’s Peter Buckley, the exact opposite is the case.

Though he retired several years ago, the legacy of Peter “The Professor” lives on in several ways. Throughout his near-20-year career, the welterweight participated in an even 300 bouts, losing 256 while wining only 32.

For the record, he also finished with 12 draws.

It’s a staggering though, 256 losses. Heck, that’s more fights than several boxers put together in a lifetime. But for The Professor, boxing was truly a labor of love.

“Boxing has been good to me over the years,” he said when announcing his retirement in the fall of 2008. “When I was a youngster I was in trouble with the police, a really wild kid. But the sport has given me a focus in life.”

Most of Buckley’s time in the ring was spent as a welterweight, meaning that he fought between 140 and 147 pounds. His final fight, oddly enough, proved to be a victory for the then-40 year old. The match went four rounds before Buckley outpointed his opponent, Matin Mohammed, for the win.

One couldn’t last so long in such an industry without the respect of their peers, something that the Professor possesses in spades. He’s captured a few titles during his career, and has faced more than forty men who would go on to hold either the world, British, European, or Commonwealth championships.

More than anything, Buckley serves as a testament to the continual legacy of the sweet science. Boxing is a sport of belief and bravery, and of persevering through the toughest of times. Toss the won-loss record – there is no boxer in the world who possesses more guts than Peter, the Professor.

- Taylor Maxwell

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tags | Boxing, Matin Mohammed, Peter "The Professor", Peter Buckley