RIP Kirkland Laing

[boybrooks]

What a fighter he was. RIP

[dookus]

Incredibly sad news. Probably our most gifted underachiever. RIP.

[handsofstone]

RIP

[JamesPhilips]

What a shame…..

[Boxerbeetle]

Sad news, RIP.

[coghaugen11]

RIP

[CaptainSpacerod]

R.I.P champ

His fights with Colin Jones are some of my earliest boxing memories. Hope he found some peace in his life.

[emallini]

RIP

[THEBUTCH]

An enigma, an exceptional talent and on his day a riveting performer. One of the great British title holders

RIP champ

[Petu v.d. Pajm]

Have a heavenly spliff, Kirkland! Let your spirit wander free'd from the shackles of the routines of our mundane existence!

[SticknMove]

Very sad indeed.

RIP the gifted one.

[bennie]

He deserved a crack at a world title, particularly after winning the European title in 1990. Somehow, it didn't happen.

[MasterG]

RIP Kirkland.

Sad news great boxer.

My memory of Kirkland is his fight with Buck Smith.

[Steveh583]

one of our greatest characters in the sport. RIP. I hope he was wasn't in too much pain in his last years after that nasty fall. So talented with a really sweet nature.

[GlobalBox]

God Bless Champ R.I.P.

[Controversial]

RIP champ

[JimJim2009]

Rest in peace Kirkland, you had a rare talent. I loved how he demolished that highly ranked french guy for the european title in a couple of rounds when supposedly washed up.

[bigjack]

Rest in peace Kirkland, you had a rare talent. I loved how he demolished that highly ranked french guy for the european title in a couple of rounds when supposedly washed up.

His post fight interviews were legendary,lovely fella, RIP champ

[Enlightened-One]

A remarkably gifted, but underachieving, fighter and arguably the second best British boxer to have never won a world title (behind Herol 'Bomber' Graham).

[Noxy]

What?!?! I didn’t know, I‘m saddened now. RIP champ.

[Sammy Scaff]

So sad.
RIP.

[MightyWarrior]

I went to his fight against Rocky Kelly at the Ramada inn Fulham late 80s - defending his British title; he was untouchable that night, and demolished hard man Kelly.

RIP Kirk

[bennie]

Kirkland had incredible longevity. I remember reading about his controversial ABA final with Edinburgh's Vernon Sollas back in 1972. Kirkland, a 17-year-old featherweight, got the nod over Sollas when everyone else thought the Scot had walked it. Sollas showed wonderful sportsmanship but he later chinned someone in the street and lost any chance of Olympic selection that year in Munich. He turned pro shortly afterwards.
As for Laing, he filled out and eventually turned pro at welterweight in 1975, going unbeaten to earn a British title shot at Henry Rhiney in 1979. Laing came through in 10 one-sided rounds but his manager, Terry Lawless, was far from happy. Laing had the Luton man down several times but took too long to finish him off and there were heated exchanges in the corner. Their relationship was always strained and came to an end when Laing was stopped by Welsh puncher Colin Jones in two thrilling British title encounters at the Albert Hall. Laing dominated both times but Jones proved incredibly patient in the days of 15-rounders and he chose the same ninth round to end matters, the first time with a big right hand, the second, a big left hook. Jones couldn't throw combinations but his single shots were often brutal.
Laing switched to manager Mickey Duff, who got him work in the States and an incredible 10-round decision over the great Roberto Duran in Detroit in 1982. Boxing News editor Harry Mullan had slated the match and there was even talk of another Johnny Owen tragedy but Duff sussed out Duran's weakness to movers and few moved as well as the gifted Laing. He boxed to a plan and kept his cool as the fleshy Duran grew more and more frustrated. One judge went for Duran, a score booed by a pro-Duran crowd, but the other two saw sense. The picture on the cover of Boxing News a few days later summed it up. Laing nails Duran with a perfect right cross to have sweat bouncing off the Panamanian's head. The Nottingham man had tamed a monster.
Sadly, Laing disappeared for a year in a whirl of cannabis smoke and was badly knocked out when he did surface in September 1983 at the hands of Fred Hutchings in Atlantic City. He disappeared for another spell, then found himself playing second fiddle to Lloyd Honeyghan in the Duff camp and ticked over in nothing eight-rounders for a few years. In 1987, he picked up the British title again with a five-round stoppage of Sylvester Mittee on a rival F rank Warren promotion in London. Mittee was a really good fighter but not as good as Laing. He copped a thumb in the eye and had to be rescued as Laing teed off on him. Duff stayed away, leaving the corner to Dennie Mancini.
Laing now proved unbeatable domestically (Honeyghan apart) as he outclassed the likes of Rocky Kelly, George Collins and Trevor Smith in defences of his British title. A surprise defeat to American swinger Buck Smith in early 1990 could have finished him but Duff weaved his magic and secured Laing a European title shot a few months later in London. The fighter played his part with a crushing two-round stoppage of the French holder but Duff failed to land him a world title shot in the aftermath, which is a great shame. It was then or never for 35-year-old Kirk.
Instead, he made his way to Italy for a defence of his European belt against slippery Patrizio Oliva, a former world champion at light-welterweight and a former Olympic gold medallist, who somehow picked up the Val Barker award in Moscow in 1980 as the best boxer in the Games. Oliva was a spoiler in the worst tradition of Italian spoilers and he mauled his way to a decision over Laing, who was now nearing the end. Two months later, in January 1991, he lost his British title to fellow Nottingham man Del Bryan in a near-empty Albert Hall and was then beaten by Canada's Donovan Boucher in a crack at the Commonwealth title. That was about it for Laing, who did try a comeback in 1993 but wound up losing to Kevin Lueshing and Glenn Catley, men he bamboozles in his prime.

[saad muhammad]

Who'd have known. .mighty warrior. .I was also there at the Ramada that night. .stood rocky on his head..kirk was different class, kelly's style was made for kirk that night..also a young gary Jacobs on the undercard..great times !

[MightyWarrior]

Who'd have known. .mighty warrior. .I was also there at the Ramada that night. .stood rocky on his head..kirk was different class, kelly's style was made for kirk that night..also a young gary Jacobs on the undercard..great times !

Ahhh it’s a small old world Saad, i worked around the corner on the north end road back then, so no way I was gonna miss that one