BIGMARK wrote:a while back a few of us were talking about Kirkland and as always the subject of the piece Buncey did for the BBC on him a while back came up.
well i was reading some forums and noticed someone had posted a link though i dont think its the whole piece its a fair chunk. click the link and you will find the video on the right hand side towards the top. warning: some of you may be shocked at the fact that steve bunce has almost a full set of hair
enjoy: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tv_and_ ... 186337.stm
Remember watching this ages ago. Really interesting piece, especially as I knew nothing about Kirkland Laing beforehand, other than the Duran fight (which I still havent seen yet)
I'd read about Kirk and what life was like over the past few years but hadn't actually seen this video - thanks for posting.
At his best Kirk was a match for anyone - one of the most talented fighters ever produced in this country. I seem to recall (think I read it in the BN) that he had been badly injured in a fall - not sure if it was before this Bunce piece or afterwards.
He's an almost legendary character, a massive MIGHT have been...
But the fact is, Colin Jones - who never won a world title either - was a better fighter. And he proved it twice. Once with a right hand, and once with a left.
Apart from blowing it countless times, Kirk's chin tended to let him down at the crucial moment. He wasn't what you'd call chinny, not by a long shot, but he seemed to have an inbuilt mechanism that kicked in and ensured he lost fights he should have won. As big a vunerability as a glass jaw, when it comes down to it.
Webbo911 wrote:Remember watching this ages ago. Really interesting piece, especially as I knew nothing about Kirkland Laing beforehand, other than the Duran fight (which I still havent seen yet)
Completely agreed - also thought the film was extremely sad.
Webbo911 wrote:Remember watching this ages ago. Really interesting piece, especially as I knew nothing about Kirkland Laing beforehand, other than the Duran fight (which I still havent seen yet)
Completely agreed - also thought the film was extremely sad.
whats even worse now is know one really knows where he is? he had a alleged fall of a block of flats when drunk? and last i heard he had returned to Nottingham. it would good to do a follow up piece?
I am sure Buncey reads this place and it might get a hearing.
Brian Lawrence and I was talking about him today, as I used to spar with him many moons ago , frustration was not the word when you went in with kirkland,,,,,from Colvestone to Tottenham, the spars were great,
BIGMARK wrote:I remember being a young kid when i first saw Kirkland and i was blown away. it was such a shame someone couldnt of got hold of him and made him stay away from all the stuff outside of the ring. Its amazing to think he beats Duran then disappears for almost a year spending all his money on women and wild times.
There are plenty of myths surrounding Laing and one or two need expelling (while I have the time). Firstly, Laing was NOT a better fighter than Colin Jones. The Gorseinon gravedigger was simply too strong for Laing and would have flattened him every night of the week, I am convinced of that. Colin's jab took away Kirkland's and made him vulnerable.
Secondly, Laing did not really 'go missing' after Duran. He was there at the Royal Albert Hall in early 1983 (just a few months after the Duran win), bawling and screaming and generally playing up as his younger brother Tony laid into ex-amateur star Tony Adams for six eventful rounds (Tony won). Mickey Duff allegedly plays on the 'gone missing' theme because he chucked Laing in with American banger Fred "Pumper" Hutchings later in 1983 and got his man badly knocked out.
Thirdly, Laing's fight with Duran was a close one, even with Duran woefully out of shape. Duran was never a great trainer and used 10-rounders - as opposed to using gyms - to get into fighting shape. Against a talented 'mover' like Laing, in the condition he was in, Roberto stood little chance but still made it a split decision.
Laing, what a waste of a talent but he probably will never see it, not a very bright lad is he? He did it as he wanted.
My biggest memory was him fighting Buck Smith, doing well then one punch and an ending similar looking to McCallum v Curry. Lights out. I remember him there fighting, hands down but they were always twitching
MightyWarrior wrote:He's an almost legendary character, a massive MIGHT have been...
But the fact is, Colin Jones - who never won a world title either - was a better fighter. And he proved it twice. Once with a right hand, and once with a left.
Apart from blowing it countless times, Kirk's chin tended to let him down at the crucial moment. He wasn't what you'd call chinny, not by a long shot, but he seemed to have an inbuilt mechanism that kicked in and ensured he lost fights he should have won. As big a vunerability as a glass jaw, when it comes down to it.
Spot on MW.
When it comes down to fighters of Laing's quality and talent he coulda and shoulda but didn't. He never got Colin Jones out the way, which in essence shows how deep the game goes and how underestimated fighters like Jones were.
tobyh5 wrote:Laing, what a waste of a talent but he probably will never see it, not a very bright lad is he? He did it as he wanted.
My biggest memory was him fighting Buck Smith, doing well then one punch and an ending similar looking to McCallum v Curry. Lights out. I remember him there fighting, hands down but they were always twitching
he is always better remember for being KO'D by Buck Smith than beating Duran :(
I remember watching that fight on sportsnight. Harry Carpenter was droning on about how Laing was easily going to beat this nobody from the American midwest (who was unknown but unbeaten with lots of wins at the time) and Laing was boxing away with his hands at his sides and then CLANG, Smith pole-axes him with a humungous right hand swung from about a mile back, and then Harry starts going "oooo what a shock that was" etc.
Kirk had a stamina problem and you could get to him late but he was obviously talented, an earlier version of Chris Eubank, and deserved at least one crack at a world title (Colin Jones got three).
I met the guy once, in 1989. He was having a moan in a foreign language (his use of English was foreign) and I just kept saying, "I know, that's terrible," and he eventually gave up on me. I had learned from the master, Jim Rosenthal, who once conducted a memorable TV 'interview' with Laing. It got to the point where Kirk was probably asking Jim for the time and Jim was saying, "Yes, that is very true."
DD
