RICKY HATTON v KIRKLAND LAING @ WELTERWEIGHT

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 05 Oct 2006, 10:50

No not the boozy bum off the streets of London but the prime & always unreliable Gifted One.

Who prevails in this 12 rd title fight?

boxingchat · Post by **boxingchat** » 05 Oct 2006, 12:51

Boozy Bum? fornicating liberty. Kirkland is not a Boozy Bum off the streets of South London. Show some respect, he was a great fighter and is a great Bloke.

Hatton is the Boozy one and he's still active and probably in worse nick than Kirkland is by looking at him. Who would win? Kirkland. Why do you think Ricky doesn't want Witter?

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 05 Oct 2006, 13:18

He's a homeless drunkard. Thats the truth. I respect him in his fighting days. Im sure you've made slightly offensive but light hearted remarks about people in your time.

Cheer up bud.

My pick is also, Laing, best v best.

Phenomenal-Nutrition · Post by **Phenomenal-Nutrition** » 05 Oct 2006, 15:21

overhand_right wrote:He's a homeless drunkard. Thats the truth. I respect him in his fighting days. Im sure you've made slightly offensive but light hearted remarks about people in your time.

Cheer up bud.

My pick is also, Laing, best v best.

Is Kirkland Laing of Jamaican decent out of interest? My girlfriend is a Jamaican Laing. Yes I should know about him but he was before my time.

Not all alcoholics are homeless though. How many alcos hold down decent jobs? My neighbour knocks on my door early-mid morning wanting to buy wine/beer because hes been banned from the local Asda. He'll then proceed to down half a bottle of wine. I really should bump up the price and exploit him

Its sad how drugs ruin minds and souls though

KO Artist · Post by **KO Artist** » 05 Oct 2006, 17:05

overhand_right wrote:He's a homeless drunkard. Thats the truth. I respect him in his fighting days. Im sure you've made slightly offensive but light hearted remarks about people in your time.

Cheer up bud.

My pick is also, Laing, best v best.

I'd pick Laing too. Ricky does not have the one shot power to beat Kirk, who would be too good, too strong and too slippery for him.

Laing would hammer Witter too.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 05 Oct 2006, 18:13

Laing would have made a mockery of Witter. Witter cannot throw more than 30 punches a round.

Hatton vs Laing is a closer one, although I'd probably say Laing by UD but Hatton would be getting to him towards the end.

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 06 Oct 2006, 05:30

Phenomenal-Nutrition wrote: Is Kirkland Laing of Jamaican decent out of interest? My girlfriend is a Jamaican Laing. Yes I should know about him but he was before my time.

I dunno about Jamaican decent, I think Kirkland might have even been born over there - he certainly has the accent!

I remember years ago watching a peice on the beeb about him and he took them to a Jamaican restaurant where he ate 'cows foot' as he called it, saying the hoof was the strongest part of the cow and therefore the best to eat. Dunno about that dietary advice but he was a hell of a fighter when on song.

If you havent seen it, track down a copy of his beating of Duran - he easily bested Manos de Piedra in their meeting and on that evidence alone I would have to think The Gifted One would have given Hatton fits.

Overhand Right is bang on with the fact that Kirkland is now a gentleman of the road - did you not see Buncey's film noire with old Kirkland?

Very sad.

Goz · Post by **Goz** » 06 Oct 2006, 06:21

I must admit to only having seen clips of the Duran fight but surely there is a (good) case for Duran having badly underestimated Laing?

I'm not trying to put down Laing's win but presuming Duran was looking past him he still only won a split decision.

Aside from that his career is pretty chequered but the best wins are domestic ones.

I think a peak Hatton would hammer Laing inside 8/9 rounds and I think Honeygan would have done him as well if he'd caught up with him in the mide-eighties.

Arbachakov · Post by **Arbachakov** » 06 Oct 2006, 07:24

Duran was totally out of shape and obviously didn't care a damn.That's the only reason Laing was even competitive with him.

IMO, Laing doesn't have a single win or performance that suggests he could beat Hatton.

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 06 Oct 2006, 07:25

Goz mate doesnt sound like you've seen enough of Laing to judge fairly.

It was a split decision because as usual one of the judges was scoring strictly for the big name fighter rather than watching objectively. Laing well whipped him.

He liked to party & skip training but the rare occasion when he applied himself he was damn near impossible to beat. Colin Jones was a hell of a 1 punch hitter, too, BTW.

Laing= slippery beyond belief. And big power when he'd throw leather back. I think he'd be an absolute nightmare for Hatton.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 06 Oct 2006, 07:37

Goz wrote:I must admit to only having seen clips of the Duran fight but surely there is a (good) case for Duran having badly underestimated Laing?

I'm not trying to put down Laing's win but presuming Duran was looking past him he still only won a split decision.

Aside from that his career is pretty chequered but the best wins are domestic ones.

I think a peak Hatton would hammer Laing inside 8/9 rounds and I think Honeygan would have done him as well if he'd caught up with him in the mide-eighties.

Its all about the style's I guess. I too would favour Honeyghun over Laing, but think Hatton would have been too intense for the Ragga Muffin man.

Hatton doesn't have Colin Jones' power and I just think Laing delt with pressure fighters quite well if he didn't have conclusive one punch KO power.

Goz · Post by **Goz** » 06 Oct 2006, 08:09

Overhand-Right - Yeah maybe, if you say Laing's peak was around the 79-84 period, I was just getting into boxing around 85/86 and saw Laing when he was probably on the slide a little.

I still think though he had that very 'beatable' mentality.

I don't think it's unfair to say that Colin Jones is probably somewhere on a par with Hatton and he twice stopped Laing (in what I believe were very competitive fights) so I can see Hatton's incessant come forward style dis-heartening Laing and the body shots accumulating until Laing didn't fancy it much anymore.

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 06 Oct 2006, 08:50

Hello matey. Colin Jones had big time one punch kayo power, which Hatton does not. Also, the first fight Laing won nearly ever rd then lost by come-from-behind KO, the second time he was hitting harder & whipping Jones bad then got frickin starched again!! In the same rd!!

Laing not reliable & i def would not put money on him v Hatton. Although i think he would win, i'd never trust him to actually put money on him.

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 06 Oct 2006, 09:00

Arbachakov wrote:Duran was totally out of shape and obviously didn't care a damn.That's the only reason Laing was even competitive with him.

IMO, Laing doesn't have a single win or performance that suggests he could beat Hatton.

Laing wasnt just competitive with him - he bashed him up. Watch the tape again.

I know Duran didnt always give his all in training for more minor fights but a win over Duran at that point in his career is still a legitimate, excellent result.

Floyd · Post by **Floyd** » 06 Oct 2006, 09:40

TerribleTerry wrote:
Arbachakov wrote:Duran was totally out of shape and obviously didn't care a damn.That's the only reason Laing was even competitive with him.

IMO, Laing doesn't have a single win or performance that suggests he could beat Hatton.
Laing wasnt just competitive with him - he bashed him up. Watch the tape again.

I know Duran didnt always give his all in training for more minor fights but a win over Duran at that point in his career is still a legitimate, excellent result.

Laing handled Duran with ease. Its a shame he didnt use that win to springboard himself on to bigger and better days.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 06 Oct 2006, 09:41

It is, but wasn't that during Duran's 'wilderness' years when he was turning up in abysmal shape for fights. I never saw it at the time, so it's hard for me to comment without seeing a tape. I know Laing was a fighter blessed with extraordinary reflexes and balance, but I do think he has been horiffically overrated based on his performance over Duran.

Floyd · Post by **Floyd** » 06 Oct 2006, 10:44

I remember Kirk just danced and moved for the first two rounds. Then I believe in the corner before the third Mickey Duff ripped into him your not back in Britain this is the States. Throw some punches. Kirkland went out and did just that.

punchers chance · Post by **punchers chance** » 06 Oct 2006, 10:45

According to Mickey Duff’s book, after the Duran fight there were plenty of offers for big fights but one problem.
No one could find the bugger.
He’d disappeared back to the Caribbean with a bird and basically wasted what should have been his breakthrough performance, eventually having 12 months off before returning.
When he did come back he got KO’d and had to start again at the bottom.

WildWaylon · Post by **WildWaylon** » 06 Oct 2006, 10:59

I remember a program on ITV many years ago which posed the question who was the best HW of all time - There were three candidates, Ali, Marciano and the Brown bomber - This was before Tyson and Lewis - They had Ali as the winner but a lot disagreed - Its pretty hard saying who could beat who when they fought or were at their peak at different times but its fun debating and why didnt they include Frazier - We had an ex midlands champ here, an alcholic who was a gentleman of the road for many years before he died in his sixties - A real character who used to tell his stories, punch the pavement and bus shelters to impress the youngsters - To his credit he was always a perfect gentleman with the ladies - One night he was beaten up badly by a 20 yr old who wanted to prove a point with a 60 yr old who had had so much to drink he could hardly stand - A bus driver stopped the fight and then pasted the bully - Alcoholism is a dreadfull thing that like drug taking ruins many lives, not only theirs but their family and friends lives also.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 06 Oct 2006, 11:01

Amen to that....(Hic!)