If kirkland Laing had hung around after Duran.......
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Mimmy
- Heavyweight
If kirkland Laing had hung around after Duran.......
You know if kirkland laing had hung around after beating Roberto Duran what would his next fight have been, it was a year before he fought again and im sure that win would have catipulted him into a world title fight. What happened, and more to the point was there a potential world title fight for Laing after he beat Duran?
Re: If kirkland Laing had hung around after Duran.......
Promoter Mickey Duff likes to say Laing "went missing" after Duran but Laing was at ringside at a Duff show in London in March 1983 - six months after the Duran upset.
I should know, I was there.
Truth is, Laing beat a fat, vulnerable Duran warming up for an Ayala showdown and beat him on a split decision. Don't get me wrong, it is a great win, his only great win. Laing was never as good as as Colin Jones (who beat him twice) or Lloyd Honeyghan.
I should know, I was there.
Truth is, Laing beat a fat, vulnerable Duran warming up for an Ayala showdown and beat him on a split decision. Don't get me wrong, it is a great win, his only great win. Laing was never as good as as Colin Jones (who beat him twice) or Lloyd Honeyghan.
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Mimmy
- Heavyweight
Re: If kirkland Laing had hung around after Duran.......
so nothing was lined up for Laing after that win?bennie wrote:Promoter Mickey Duff likes to say Laing "went missing" after Duran but Laing was at ringside at a Duff show in London in March 1983 - six months after the Duran upset.
I should know, I was there.
Truth is, Laing beat a fat, vulnerable Duran warming up for an Ayala showdown and beat him on a split decision. Don't get me wrong, it is a great win, his only great win. Laing was never as good as as Colin Jones (who beat him twice) or Lloyd Honeyghan.
Re: If kirkland Laing had hung around after Duran.......
Laing was never in the mix for a shot at the welterweight titles made vacant by Ray Leonard in early 1983 but there was talk of a shot at Hearns at light-middleweight. In the event, he ran out of steam and got knocked out by Fred Hutchings 12 months after Duran, and it was Hutchings who got the shot at Hearns (and was destroyed).
Laing was a gifted 'mover' - just the kind of fighter against whom Duran struggled the most - but had a stamina problem.
Laing was a gifted 'mover' - just the kind of fighter against whom Duran struggled the most - but had a stamina problem.
Re: If kirkland Laing had hung around after Duran.......
BBN had an article on him a while ago that stated both Leonard and Hearns wanted to fight him but when the offers came in Duff couldn't find him:
7 - Kirkland Laing
The ‘gifted one' as he was known, was referred to by Mickey Duff as the best fighter he ever managed (in Duff's biography '20 and Out'). Kirkland Laing was an enigmatic fighter from Hackney and you won't here many stories of how he didn't get the decisions he deserved or those about heroic world title fights; just about one great night and a lot of ‘what ifs'. Laing debuted as a professional on April 14th 1975 with a quick win over Joe Hannaford and he kept fighting and winning to 13-0-1 the blot being a draw to Peter Morris, which was emphatically erased in five rounds in his very next fight.
He won the British title beating Henry Rhiney via tenth round knock out. Three fights later he would meet his first real test in the shape of the world class Welshman Colin Jones. Laing was putting on a show dancing around Jones ‘pot-shoting' his way to victory while Jones stalked chased on. The ‘gifted one' was cruising his way to victory when in the ninth Jones connected with Laings jaw and the fight was over. Laing had to rebuild after such a set back which he did with two solid wins and an eliminator for the British title. After beating Joey Singleton, a rematch with Jones was agreed and the fight turned out to be a carbon copy of their initial contest. Laing outboxed Jones for long periods before Jones nailed him again in the ninth and got the stoppage. After his latest set back Laing beat Cliff Gilpin in another Britsh title eliminator but then lost to Reggie Ford who was 9-7-1. Kirkland then beat the journeyman Joey Mack and his next fight would send shockwaves through the boxing world.
On the 9th April 1982, Laing fought Roberto Duran who was looking for an easy win having lost two of his last four (to Ray Leonard and Wilfred Benitez). The fight was close on the cards but anyone who saw it knew that Laing was winning. Laing danced, jabbed and frustrated Duran all night and ‘hands of stone' just couldn't get going. After ten rounds no one could believe what they had just witnessed as Laing was awarded a victory by split decision. The fight was named the 1982 upset of the year by The Ring magazine. Big things lay ahead for Laing as Mickey Duff was being contacted by people from Sugar Ray Leonard to Thomas Hearns. However, Laing was nowhere to be seen and rumours of partying and drug use were rife. Another story that Laing was sleeping rough on a park bench had made its way back to Duff who understandably was not happy. When Laing did return over a year later he was knocked out by Fred Hutchings. Although he went on to win the British and European title he never hit the highs of the Duran fight again. When people think of Laing you can't help thinking ‘what if?'.
7 - Kirkland Laing
The ‘gifted one' as he was known, was referred to by Mickey Duff as the best fighter he ever managed (in Duff's biography '20 and Out'). Kirkland Laing was an enigmatic fighter from Hackney and you won't here many stories of how he didn't get the decisions he deserved or those about heroic world title fights; just about one great night and a lot of ‘what ifs'. Laing debuted as a professional on April 14th 1975 with a quick win over Joe Hannaford and he kept fighting and winning to 13-0-1 the blot being a draw to Peter Morris, which was emphatically erased in five rounds in his very next fight.
He won the British title beating Henry Rhiney via tenth round knock out. Three fights later he would meet his first real test in the shape of the world class Welshman Colin Jones. Laing was putting on a show dancing around Jones ‘pot-shoting' his way to victory while Jones stalked chased on. The ‘gifted one' was cruising his way to victory when in the ninth Jones connected with Laings jaw and the fight was over. Laing had to rebuild after such a set back which he did with two solid wins and an eliminator for the British title. After beating Joey Singleton, a rematch with Jones was agreed and the fight turned out to be a carbon copy of their initial contest. Laing outboxed Jones for long periods before Jones nailed him again in the ninth and got the stoppage. After his latest set back Laing beat Cliff Gilpin in another Britsh title eliminator but then lost to Reggie Ford who was 9-7-1. Kirkland then beat the journeyman Joey Mack and his next fight would send shockwaves through the boxing world.
On the 9th April 1982, Laing fought Roberto Duran who was looking for an easy win having lost two of his last four (to Ray Leonard and Wilfred Benitez). The fight was close on the cards but anyone who saw it knew that Laing was winning. Laing danced, jabbed and frustrated Duran all night and ‘hands of stone' just couldn't get going. After ten rounds no one could believe what they had just witnessed as Laing was awarded a victory by split decision. The fight was named the 1982 upset of the year by The Ring magazine. Big things lay ahead for Laing as Mickey Duff was being contacted by people from Sugar Ray Leonard to Thomas Hearns. However, Laing was nowhere to be seen and rumours of partying and drug use were rife. Another story that Laing was sleeping rough on a park bench had made its way back to Duff who understandably was not happy. When Laing did return over a year later he was knocked out by Fred Hutchings. Although he went on to win the British and European title he never hit the highs of the Duran fight again. When people think of Laing you can't help thinking ‘what if?'.
Re: If kirkland Laing had hung around after Duran.......
Farcical piece. Leonard first retired in 1982 and was hardly interested in Kirkland Laing after turning down Hagler; Duff said in his book John Conteh was the most talented fighter he ever worked with; Laing was roughing it years after his career came to an end; the "went missing" thing is a myth...Emerson Poncey Name Ghent wrote:BBN had an article on him a while ago that stated both Leonard and Hearns wanted to fight him but when the offers came in Duff couldn't find him:
7 - Kirkland Laing
The ‘gifted one' as he was known, was referred to by Mickey Duff as the best fighter he ever managed (in Duff's biography '20 and Out'). Kirkland Laing was an enigmatic fighter from Hackney and you won't here many stories of how he didn't get the decisions he deserved or those about heroic world title fights; just about one great night and a lot of ‘what ifs'. Laing debuted as a professional on April 14th 1975 with a quick win over Joe Hannaford and he kept fighting and winning to 13-0-1 the blot being a draw to Peter Morris, which was emphatically erased in five rounds in his very next fight.
He won the British title beating Henry Rhiney via tenth round knock out. Three fights later he would meet his first real test in the shape of the world class Welshman Colin Jones. Laing was putting on a show dancing around Jones ‘pot-shoting' his way to victory while Jones stalked chased on. The ‘gifted one' was cruising his way to victory when in the ninth Jones connected with Laings jaw and the fight was over. Laing had to rebuild after such a set back which he did with two solid wins and an eliminator for the British title. After beating Joey Singleton, a rematch with Jones was agreed and the fight turned out to be a carbon copy of their initial contest. Laing outboxed Jones for long periods before Jones nailed him again in the ninth and got the stoppage. After his latest set back Laing beat Cliff Gilpin in another Britsh title eliminator but then lost to Reggie Ford who was 9-7-1. Kirkland then beat the journeyman Joey Mack and his next fight would send shockwaves through the boxing world.
On the 9th April 1982, Laing fought Roberto Duran who was looking for an easy win having lost two of his last four (to Ray Leonard and Wilfred Benitez). The fight was close on the cards but anyone who saw it knew that Laing was winning. Laing danced, jabbed and frustrated Duran all night and ‘hands of stone' just couldn't get going. After ten rounds no one could believe what they had just witnessed as Laing was awarded a victory by split decision. The fight was named the 1982 upset of the year by The Ring magazine. Big things lay ahead for Laing as Mickey Duff was being contacted by people from Sugar Ray Leonard to Thomas Hearns. However, Laing was nowhere to be seen and rumours of partying and drug use were rife. Another story that Laing was sleeping rough on a park bench had made its way back to Duff who understandably was not happy. When Laing did return over a year later he was knocked out by Fred Hutchings. Although he went on to win the British and European title he never hit the highs of the Duran fight again. When people think of Laing you can't help thinking ‘what if?'.
Re: If kirkland Laing had hung around after Duran.......
Laing was a gifted fighter domestically but lacked the mental strength, dedication and stamina of a Lloyd Honeyghan. He licked Duran and will always be remembered for that - and rightly so - but he lost every other time he stepped up and faded late on in his fights, when his chin also let him down.
The real reason Laing "went missing" after Duran is an obvious one: Mickey Duff couldn't manoeuvre Laing into another big fight, especially as Colin Jones was No. 1 in Europe and got a rightful shot at the vacant WBC welterweight title in early 1983 against Milton McCrory, which went to a draw, meaning there had to be a rematch.
Around the same time, Don Curry and a rugged Korean squared off for the vacant WBA welterweight title, when Curry mashed up his right hand and couldn't fight again till September 2003, against No. 1 contender Roger Stafford.
In the same month, Laing got badly knocked out by Fred Hutchings in the 10th and last round.
Moreover, once Honeyghan sparked Gianfranco Rosi in the third round in Italy in January 1985, Duff pushed the truculent Londoner on to the world stage and Laing concentrated on the European scene. Ultimately, Duff had shafted Shelly Finkel and Don King with Laing ("If this Laing is any good, pull him out," Finkel told Duff prior to Duran). It cost them a Duran-Tony Ayala bonanza and meant that Duff and Laing were hardly going to get any favours in the aftermath. And they didn't.
The real reason Laing "went missing" after Duran is an obvious one: Mickey Duff couldn't manoeuvre Laing into another big fight, especially as Colin Jones was No. 1 in Europe and got a rightful shot at the vacant WBC welterweight title in early 1983 against Milton McCrory, which went to a draw, meaning there had to be a rematch.
Around the same time, Don Curry and a rugged Korean squared off for the vacant WBA welterweight title, when Curry mashed up his right hand and couldn't fight again till September 2003, against No. 1 contender Roger Stafford.
In the same month, Laing got badly knocked out by Fred Hutchings in the 10th and last round.
Moreover, once Honeyghan sparked Gianfranco Rosi in the third round in Italy in January 1985, Duff pushed the truculent Londoner on to the world stage and Laing concentrated on the European scene. Ultimately, Duff had shafted Shelly Finkel and Don King with Laing ("If this Laing is any good, pull him out," Finkel told Duff prior to Duran). It cost them a Duran-Tony Ayala bonanza and meant that Duff and Laing were hardly going to get any favours in the aftermath. And they didn't.
Re: If kirkland Laing had hung around after Duran.......
The Sims result was 4 or 5 years after Laing's, though, so Kirkland's holds greater resonance.Terry D wrote:I'm working on a Laing thing at the moment. From what I hear/read the guy was a playboy and made the classic error of partying up a big win only to then find that he had failed to capitalise on it. Jones iced him and Jones' roar of anger and rage when losing to Curry showed why Jones, arguably with lesser talent in the eyes of some, defeated Laing, he wanted it and went for it. The win over Duran, Robbie Sims also holds a win over him so lets not get carried away, was a fine result but it would have needed a little more work to line-up a big fight for Laing. Perhaps the fighter himself did not understand this and sat sipping champagne and waiting for the phone to ring.
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elmersalsa
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 15688
- Joined: 02 Feb 2003, 03:50
Re: If kirkland Laing had hung around after Duran.......
Kirkland Laing was born in Jamaica, Am I right?
Great win for Laing...But Duran was in decline of his career and in a weight class that he could not cope. From November 1980 to November 1982, it was THE MOST DIFFICULT TIME OF THE LIFE OF THE GREAT Roberto Duran.
Great win for Laing...But Duran was in decline of his career and in a weight class that he could not cope. From November 1980 to November 1982, it was THE MOST DIFFICULT TIME OF THE LIFE OF THE GREAT Roberto Duran.
Re: If kirkland Laing had hung around after Duran.......
Yes he was, and raised in Nottingham, where he is back living with his family.elmersalsa wrote:Kirkland Laing was born in Jamaica, Am I right?
Great win for Laing...But Duran was in decline of his career and in a weight class that he could not cope. From November 1980 to November 1982, it was THE MOST DIFFICULT TIME OF THE LIFE OF THE GREAT Roberto Duran.
Mickey Duff was one of the first men in boxing, outside Duran's camp and Sugar Ray Leonard, to 'suss' that Duran had a real problem with movers, especially if he was out of shape. Laing was a brilliant boxer and had one of the best boxing physiques I have ever seen - big and slim. He would beat an out of shape Duran every night of the week.
In shape, Duran would wear him down.