"The Gifted One". What an appropriate ring nicknmane for an extraordinarily talented fighter.
Of course Kirkland Laing was called a fair few other names during the course of his career. Perhaps his exasperated promoter Mickey Duff, who might have chosen to blame Laing for his loss of hair, would have preferred to call him "The Frustrating One".
That would be an understatement. Laing's life would make a cracking film.
The Jamaican-born Welterweight from Nottingham with sideways-facing feet and lightening-quick reflexes climbed up the British rankings. With incredibly adept and agile defence (he usually chose to duck and move out the way, rather than block, successfully destroying his opponents' confidence), nice power and wonderful shot selection he looked the part but came down to earth with a bump losing his unbeaten record to Welshman Colin Jones in a British title fight he was winning by dropping his hands and getting caught.
He again lost to Jones after getting careless and cocky but one year later the smile would be back on his face when he surged into global consciousness with a stunning points victory over the legendary Roberto Duran in 1982. That should have the been the beginning of fortune and fame for the affable, curious and erratic pugilist.
No such luck as he disappeared for a year. Various rumours circulated that Duran had closed himself off the public with a woman in tow. Meanwhile, Duran came back to the fore and was reckoned to have made $6million during his next four years.
Finally Kirkland emerged but was knocked out by the unheralded Fred Hutchings.
That, as you might expect, was not the end of the story. In 1987 Laing had something of a resurgence - albeit at a lower level - with a win over Sylvester Mittee to reclaim the British title. He defended this three times and also went on to take the European Welterweight belt against Antoine Fernandez.
However, after a points loss to Patrizio Oliva in Italy - a fight he really should have won - Laing's career slowly slided away. In 1994 he had his final fight, with Glenn Catley, and was stopped in five rounds.
Laing was in the news in 2003 after he fell from his balcony at his Hackney flat. Then in 2008 he was fined £350 for dropping orange peel on a street in Nottingham. He is now said to be currently living with his family in Nottingham and I'm sure most boxing fans would wish the likeable maverick well.
Shots of his best moments in the ring at his best portray a relaxed and brilliantly unorthodox fighter at work. His dreadlocks bouncing up and down, a glint in his eye and those fast hands springing from all angles as his fluid footwork glides around the ring. A magician in one corner and no doubt a frustrated air-puncher in the other.
* As a footnote to Laing's captivating career I would point any fight fan in the direction of a fantastic, engaging book on the man. Oliver Jarratt's The Gifted One is well researched and nicely written and guess what - all profits from the book go to Kirkland Laing himself.
For further details, see http://www.oliverjarratt.com/.
Of course Kirkland Laing was called a fair few other names during the course of his career. Perhaps his exasperated promoter Mickey Duff, who might have chosen to blame Laing for his loss of hair, would have preferred to call him "The Frustrating One".
That would be an understatement. Laing's life would make a cracking film.
The Jamaican-born Welterweight from Nottingham with sideways-facing feet and lightening-quick reflexes climbed up the British rankings. With incredibly adept and agile defence (he usually chose to duck and move out the way, rather than block, successfully destroying his opponents' confidence), nice power and wonderful shot selection he looked the part but came down to earth with a bump losing his unbeaten record to Welshman Colin Jones in a British title fight he was winning by dropping his hands and getting caught.
He again lost to Jones after getting careless and cocky but one year later the smile would be back on his face when he surged into global consciousness with a stunning points victory over the legendary Roberto Duran in 1982. That should have the been the beginning of fortune and fame for the affable, curious and erratic pugilist.
No such luck as he disappeared for a year. Various rumours circulated that Duran had closed himself off the public with a woman in tow. Meanwhile, Duran came back to the fore and was reckoned to have made $6million during his next four years.
Finally Kirkland emerged but was knocked out by the unheralded Fred Hutchings.
That, as you might expect, was not the end of the story. In 1987 Laing had something of a resurgence - albeit at a lower level - with a win over Sylvester Mittee to reclaim the British title. He defended this three times and also went on to take the European Welterweight belt against Antoine Fernandez.
However, after a points loss to Patrizio Oliva in Italy - a fight he really should have won - Laing's career slowly slided away. In 1994 he had his final fight, with Glenn Catley, and was stopped in five rounds.
Laing was in the news in 2003 after he fell from his balcony at his Hackney flat. Then in 2008 he was fined £350 for dropping orange peel on a street in Nottingham. He is now said to be currently living with his family in Nottingham and I'm sure most boxing fans would wish the likeable maverick well.
Shots of his best moments in the ring at his best portray a relaxed and brilliantly unorthodox fighter at work. His dreadlocks bouncing up and down, a glint in his eye and those fast hands springing from all angles as his fluid footwork glides around the ring. A magician in one corner and no doubt a frustrated air-puncher in the other.
* As a footnote to Laing's captivating career I would point any fight fan in the direction of a fantastic, engaging book on the man. Oliver Jarratt's The Gifted One is well researched and nicely written and guess what - all profits from the book go to Kirkland Laing himself.
For further details, see http://www.oliverjarratt.com/.
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