This should've been the springboard to launch Kirkland into the big money fights and forge a legacy. It wasn't. Kirkland went missing and partying for a year. In the same year, Duran fought four times and earned $6m. That's the difference. 😢
Never forget King celebrating with his arms around Nigel Benn when his fighter, Gerald McClellan, was unconscious fighting for his life in the background.
Kirk was a great fighter who never really trained hard sadly ( He was as good as anyone else in his weight classes) I knew him because I was a junior boxer at West Ham and Repton and he was truly gifted, I bumped into him in later life and sadly he had the alcoholic disease- It’s a disease like any other disease and should not be dismissed, I sat talking to him outside a betting shop for over two hours and the disease had taken a terrible toll on him I was absolutely heartbroken - A lovely man and a true inspiration of pure courage - He had it all - God bless you Kirk my hero 🥊
Boxing nights with my Grandfather were the best times of my entire life. I wish I knew how great it was then. I remember this vividly. I recall huge paragraphs of conversations. You wont ever see great story arcs like this ever again.
Kirk and his brother used to come to our gym and show us kids how to punch. I remember watching him hit the bag as a kid .He used to hit harder than the heavyweights. He was such a nice guy. RIP Kirkland 😢
I sparred with Tony Laing too. He was a fantastic body puncher and during a sparring session he hit me a spot on solar plex punch that sunk me to my knee
@@mcentepede I don't care much for Leonard, but if he'd boxed in the 1st fight (not traded w/ the Devil),as well as the 2nd, he'd have won both . and folks would say Duran should "go back to Lightweight".I wish we could see behind the scenes of fights rumored to involve cheating, like creating cramps in Duran's belly. not saying it didn't happen, but I doubt Leonard's corner saw Duran as so unbeatable that they had to cheat to beat him. he got his face tattooed by Leonard's fists. and don't even get me started on their 3rd joke of a fight. if the stomach cramp hanky panky was true, I think Duran's 3rd performance was where he quit before he entered the ring. you don't train on Lasagna, and tacos. the fight poster for that bout had Roberto looking like a 200 lb. guy.
THAT is one hell of a record. guys w/ 100 fights or more are a thing of the past. mainly because fighters used to fight in order to put food on the table, and they'd fight often. Sugar Ray Robinson, Archie Moore, Armstrong, Dempsey, Chavez, Duran, these guys didn't have leisure time.
Kirkland Laing was my favourite boxer in the 80's. On his day he could easily have won a World Title but sadly he seemed to hit the self destruct button every rime he came close. He was very like another British boxer, Herol Graham, who had all the power, skill and technique but seemed to lack the mentality of a true champion. The one thing they both had in common was they were both lovely, genuine men and loved entertaining the crowd.
@@davidrobinson2776 Duran was a boxer, yes, but he also had a movie star quality. If he didn't blow up like a blimp between fights, he could have been a movie star for sure. He could have been the Hispanic Tom Cruise, if Tom Cruise had been bitten by a real life werewolf. Or maybe if Eddie Munster had grown up handsome and liked to hurt people.
@@mwbright I always thought that also. He gained so much weight between fights and that was the problem of his in some of his defeats. to me, the only significant defeat he ever had was when he was knocked out by Thomas Hearns. Other than that most of his defeats could have gone either way sometimes..
Yes Hands of stone ..What a fighting legend..No one can ever take that away , of course no one wants to ...I to along with others in the comments. I watched all the past boxing greats with my dad, from Rocky marciano.to smoking Joe..the list is long ..some how Frank you no what I mean Harry. Never really did it for me ..that's not a slant at Frank he did his best ..am rabbling ..Good days long gone with my dad , thank you 😊
Being from Hackney and of Jamaican extraction I always had a soft spot for Kirkland. Met him a couple of times and he was lovely. I wish he could have capitalised financially on his immense talent. RIP
As a Brit Kirkland is my favourite boxer of all time he was a true gentleman out of the ring. There’s a great documentary on him by Steve bunce In short he was awesome his style was so unique rip Kirk you beautiful soul ❤
I met kirkland laing once . He was very polite and friendly. He kept saying without me asking him, he was going to train and take training and boxing seriously. Their are many only if could have and maybe boxers in boxing, laing was one of them , an unpolished diamond.
Used to see Kirkland from about 2004 onwards.he did what he wanted.....special brew n loadsa pipes😮 But he was a bless chilled guy,plus he could still knock you out,trust me...he didn't need to though. Sleep well kirk
For one night Laing put it all together and gave a glimpse into what was possible when he was disciplined and firing on all cylinders. He had the talent to be one of the greats, like Duran.
duran was not great he was overrated overrated means when u build urself up in one weight class and they wont let it go they still think of you in that breath now they say he was the greatest lightweight ever or whatever weight that was before he came up to welterweight but it didnt follow him and everytime he beat somebody no matter who it was he was the man lol but he couldnt beat the greats whoever duran beat was a borderline bum
@@DeionHarris Agreed, duran was an overrated quitter, he was soft - such a 🤡I heard after he quit against Leonard he cried and cried and cried for his 🍼
@@DeionHarrisnah,the lightweight record of his was nice enough,welter beat a prime Leonard and even his other losses except to Tommy and Leonard was all close, Benitez outpointed him by 2 or 3 i think,and Marvin only by 1,and he has somewhat the most longetivity of the others,they always say no mas but forgot Brawl in Montreal!
My favourite t shirt in the mid 80’s was a Pro Glen white one with Kirkland Laing’s face exclaiming ‘The Gifted One’. Loved his style & of course this marvellous win against one of the world’s best.
Duran didn't have great speed, Duran didn't have great defense, Duran didn't have great power. Duran was what he was. Not to mention he's very overrated. Nobody watches a Duran fight and is impressed by his skillset, certainly not a person who knows boxing. Hearns would have dispatched of Laing in 6 rounds
Roberto Duran played in a movie , Harlem Nights , Eddie Murphy, Redd Fox , Richard Pryor , he was a door greeter and ask if they needed him to kick ass , they said no ,.
@@mofoziRocky II(1979). Roberto does a sparring session with Stallone. Mickey the trainer growls away, Catch Him..!! While, Stallone can't seem to land anything. Stallone confirmed in an interview that it was basically a real sparring match, being that Roberto was letting Stallone go all out, while Roberto mostly was in Carrying Mode. They sparred in a seperate session other than that movie scene, and apparently, Roberto landed a few and Stallone knew right then and there that he had made a wise choice to choose acting over boxing.
Kirkland was absolutely brilliant when he wasn't on the ganga and partying and prepared properly, what a character he was and what a career he could have had were he able to deal with the fame etc, R.I.P Kirkland
Kirkland Laing was astonishingly gifted and could beat anyone if he really wanted to. Sadly, he hardly bothered training. The Duran fight was an exception where he did actually train hard for it. Then he went missing!
What was that line early on from the American commentator? "This isn't Britian, you can't just run away". Strange how the commentary gets more respectful as the fight goes on...
Well I mean he's right Brits are some of the biggest cowards walking the earth beside the French of course. They can't even win a war without either enlisting someone else help or colonizing the place first.
Great presentation! I love Boxing After Dark's storytelling! Always exciting and mutli-faceted, this channel reveals the humanity of boxers, and the ups and downs of the Hardest Game! Thank You, B.A.D.!!
@@BoxingAfterDark Amen brother! he went to sleep (died) last year, but memories are wonderful to keep! i fought many years, since 8 as an amateur, then even achieved a dream - fought as a pro in 1998. only 1 fight - a draw - but it was a major accomplishment.
Thank you. 🙏🏾 I’m so glad I got to hear this. I’m a fairly knowledgeable boxing fan and I never heard of Liang before. I absolutely love his style. Obviously an Ali offspring. Reminds me of Rigondueax. Feinting blocks at least would have helped him. Seems like he was born before his time.
I sparred with Kirkland Laing & His brother Tony Laing at the Colveston gym Hackney, the Royal Oak Amateur Boxing Club Hackney (Homerton). I also Sparred with him at The Thomas A Becket Old Kent Road south London. This man has exceptional talent and was so quick in the ring. Kirkland lacked motivation. I know exactly what destroyed him. Weed/ Marijuana. Kirkland smoked this drug very heavy and was addicted. This drug affected his motivation to train and made him too chilled. I was doing road work with Kirkland before some of his serious fights and he would just stop running. He would then say to me "SHALL I CONTINUE"? I TOLD HIM "YES! COME ON MAN! DON'T GIVE YOUR OPPONENT THE ADVANTAGE". He really lacked motivation. Do not smoke ever weed, it triggers off other serious mental issues. What a great wasted talent. May he and his brother R.I.P
Hello sir you are 100% correct 💯 I have friends who have met him socially, way back in the day and they give a very very similar story, which you have given Kirkland lived in a world of Special Brew Tenants and Weed and a crack pipe which finally destroyed his mind and body. RIP Kirkland Laing
you could make a stronger case w/ out the fiction about weed being 'addictive'. it'll undermine a fighter, yes, and that's what matters. consult a Medical dictionary when using words like "addiction." that book won't sensationalize reefer. when you stop using a particular substance, if you have noticeable physical discomfort which only gets worse 'til you find some, you are addicted. for some 85 years or so, propaganda was used heavily in B movies to make it look bad to the un-initiated, as they were desperate to keep it illegal. since the recent seriousness it's been given w/ legalization, the new thing is to refer to it as "addictive".narcotics and booze eventually require more of the drugs to achieve a high the user is satisfied w/. total opposite w/ pot. the better the quality, the quicker you're high on a toke or two. w/ absolutely no craving for more, when you've run out. I unfortunately need Valium every 24 hrs. or so. or I am sicker every minute I don't have it. reefer can wait 'til my car insurance, cable, gasoline, etc. are taken care of. THAT's the difference between addiction and an admittedly habitual use. Valium comes beore all the other things. after the medical dictionary, read ANY book. his special brew, and other booze(which are rightly legal, because prohibition was a complete failure), will keep him a slave w/ out rehab. rest his soul, I don't know if he's in the Hall, but he should be. rest his soul. .
@@tonym994 Sorry sir you are totally incorrect Kirkland Laing would smoke a spliff before he even had breakfast in the morning. Not to mention the special brew & tenants beer destroying his mind. Weed is addictive (get a clue) Why would a competitive boxer be on drugs anyway. You cannot deny the Kirkland Laing went from weed to hash to coke powder to crack cocaine then death... Please tell us professor if this was addictive or not ?
@@triangleboy5446 I could have been world champ but took on a destructive woman, married her & she screwed with my mind. The mind at 100% is what makes a successful boxer
I watched both fights of Duran and Leonard. In the second match Leonard would not stand and fight. I don't blame Duran for stopping the match. I have always and will always respect the hands of stone!!!
Went to the top and came back down some don’t even get half way some don’t even start both brave champions to at least get there belt or not boxing is something else respect to them all 🫡
Kirkland was a great boxer as talented as any of the greats think puff was his downfall what a smooth brilliant boxer god bless you mate a credit to boxing
This was an inexplicable defeat: Durán beat Nino Gonzales, Jimmy Batten, Pipino Cuevas, Luigi Minchillo and Davey Moore, all much better than this Kirkland Laing.
Laing had great potential and this clearly was his best ever result …he was ahead in both fights against Colin Jones too until the hard hitting Welshman caught up with him in round 9 in both fights ….
A bad choice of opposition for Duran Laing was tall and would move with speed as Duran moved up in weight his power decreased which is obvious in this fight Kirkland in that form was a credible opponent for anyone
If Kirkland had got is head right and gone to the Kronk and learned to become a more all round fighter in terms of defense he had the ability to have been one of the GOAT fighters.
King stormed into Roberto's dressing room and told him it was over and he was not promoting him again forcing Duran to go to Bob Aramms office for another chance History would prove King verry wrong 😉
This was an incredible performance by Laing. Duran was unbeatable in the 1970s and one of the best fighters of all time. But after he was beaten by Sugar Ray Leonard, I don't think he was quite the same, even though he came back and won some fantastic fights years after this one. Having said that, this was an excellent win by Kirkland Laing. He was so talented, and it is a shame he never really made it in the way he should have. He could have been an all-time great if he had worked harder and dedicated himself. That is easier said than done, though, and, unfortunately, I don't think he had the mental strength to do that. He is still one of my favorite boxers of all time.
the 2nd Duran/Leonard fight ,he'll never live down, but he really is a living legend. like Foreman and Archie Moore, he saw success in several decades. durable as hell. and Laing, I nearly forgot about. if he smoked reefer before a fight, well he was one of those people who could function high. not since I read about John L Sullivan, downing shots in his corner, have I read something like that. in all fairness, JL was sober the last 12, 13 yrs. of his life.
Kirkland Laing was a brilliant natural talent who could and should've won world titles, unfortunately he suffered from self discipline and couldnt stay off the weed and alcohol and didn't train properly for fights.. For one night only he showed what he could do in tbe ring, unfortunately that was his only night, and his career like his life went down the pan due to his lifestyle... A case of what might've been.. RIP champ.
I remember Laing explaining that his success was all down to a diet of “cowfoot”. There were always plenty on display in the butchers shops of Brixton market.
@@stevecorn8039yeah,but Duran really showed Iran who's the boss at that night,he showed he was no cheap smother pressure brawler, he's a legit boxer puncher.
I watched it on a tape, and after the 1st rd. was over, I saw a 37 yr. old guy about to get beat up. I wuz wrong! I thought, "this guy is for real. like George Foreman and Archie Moore"( who trained big George for his fights).
Duran,in the time he fought Laing,he wasn't really at his best,considering how hurt he was after defeats from Sugar and Benitez,but after this loss to Kirkland,he was given one last chance to fight Pipino and somehow reverted back to his prime only for that fight and the fight for Davey,and later on when facing Iran, it's the last glimpse of we see a motivated hungry Duran, both are scary when hungry,hard to hit but hits you hard,real scary..
he was at his best stop faking duran some shiiii and he was dirty he wasnt the great when he moved up to welterweight but if thats the excuse u tell urself to help u go to sleep then dream on but u got real people out here that know the man was overrated and a fat slouch that love to eat and grab and wrestle u in the ring
My dad thought it was a wrap for Hands of Stone after this fight. Man still had TWO MORE LIVES as a fighter after...the resurrection against Davey Moore and then the middleweight title win over Blade Barkley in 1989.
Unbelievable...Then goes on to what 110-115 wins it was only a terrible car accident that finally stopped him from fighting... Actually it was 119 wins when he hung them up even better lol
@@frankie3791Roberto Duran is a tuff dude. One of the greats. I have a story. I was a kid, but my uncle witnessed this personally. Montreal Canada, My uncle went to see Duran beat up Leonard at the Olympic Stadium live. His ticket was $30 and it was good seats. He said it's the first and only time Sugar Ray was booed like he was the bad guy. Duran was cheered loudly. Alot immigrants back then in Montreal. Unbelievable that Sugar Ray was the villain here.
@@mcentepede Anti American sentiment was rapidly growing in those days, and Montreal has a strong Latin population, as these French Canadians could relate to Duran, who lets face it was a WORLD WIDE LEGEND by 1980, with a record of 71-1, the only loss to DeJesus avenged "twice" both by KO. The Duran who beat Ray in Montreal, who trained almost 5 months for that fight w/ Leonard would have defeated any welter in the world past or present, even Robinson or Hearn's, imho. The way he went through Palomino, winning every single round, if not every "minute" of every round, and dropping Carlos...."WHO" drops Carlos Palomino?!. Benitez defeated him, and I didnt think it was as close as some did, but Duran would have chased Benitez out of the ring at 140, and even at 147. However at 154 Duran is carrying too much weight and he becomes a counter-puncher, "perfect" for guys who come right at him, like Davey Moore and Moore's childhood friend Iran Barkley, but if he has to fight another counter puncher, a naturally "bigger" man, LIKE Benitez, at 154, thats a tuff fight because the only way to beat boxers like Benitez or Leonard is to cut off the ring and make them fight in a phone booth..... And as Ray found out in Montreal, Duran is a masterful "inside" fighter, and like Leonard said, "He anticipated everything I threw, so it was very hard to get a clean shot as he was usually going away from the punch as I threw it. And everything he threw felt like Bricks" Its really Dundees fault as he had Ray convinced Ray could and "would" KO Duran. That he was too old, and wouldnt bring his power to welter and Ray was faster. None of that panned out, did it?!
Anyone not from the Christian Race is from the Tree of good and evil. Yahweh (YHVH) the creator God, who's name was removed 7,500 times from the Bible. ... Praise Yahweh, our creator, our savior, and through the flesh as Christ our kinsman redeemer.
Daymm, I hate when fighters with supreme talent won't train the way they need to..Saw it at my local gym lotsa times. Kirkland had what it takes to be champ..RIP.
Those losses to Colin Jones should not be glossed over. Colin Jones was the type of fighter who'd take a fighters best punches, wait for an opportunity late in the fight when his opponent was tired and unleash a bomb to ko his opponent so if you didn't take him out early his one punch power was always going to be a threat
Duran was way over his prime. He was a natural lightweight and dominated that weight class. When he moved up in weight classes he had already defended the lightweight title successfully 12 times, and was past his prime. When he moved up from the lightweight division he fought faster, physically bigger, and younger fighters in their prime, in boxing time. He eventually adjusted to the speed, height, and size difference and was successful. He fought some of the meanest scariest fighters of his time and beat most of them. He considered heavy weights boxing frauds and would have fought against Heavyweights but the weight difference was too extreme. To demonstrate the greatness of Roberto Duran just consider this, he was greater than the fighters he lost to. Roberto Duran has to be considered among the top 5 fighters of all time. Part of what made him great was a combination of his street intelligence, his aggression, and his boxing school which was a lineage that went back to Benny Leonard. The other day I asked a group of old white ladies if they knew who Roberto Duran was, they all said yes. Thats how famous he is.
Agreed 💯 percent correct. You obviously know your boxing. My uncle was at the Brawl In Montreal live at the Olympic Stadium de Montreal. Duran was cheered loudly and Sugar Ray was booed. Greatest fight he ever seen live or on TV he said. He still has the ticket at his house somewhere.
This video mentions his fight against Hagler. What everyone forgets is Hagler had a cut by his eye that he got outside of the ring, so he had to fight a completely different fight against Duran to keep that cut from opening up. If he would have fought his normal fight the entire fight, he would have knocked Duran out. Hagler only fought his normal style in the later rounds of that fight.
I've always said that Roberto Duran didn't quit. He was frustrated by Leonard's antics during the fight. He wanted to brawl while Sugar Ray was running all over the ring. He was one of the greatest of all time. RIP Laing
He quit! quit making excuses. Sugar Ray was going up side his head and he couldn’t do anything about it so he quit. He’s still great, he had a couple of bad nights.
Bro stop. Idc if he wanted to brawl. You see Pacman quit when Mayweather was literally running? No. Don't make excuses. Ray wasn't even running. He was touching him up
Doesnt arguably mean its a metter of opinion that can be argued for or against and not something more set in stone like saying someone’s the goat? Asking for a friend.
I used to spar with his brother Tony at the Wellington Tony was at the time the British and Commwealth Champion and a very nice lad. Looking back it all seems surreal.
Boxing had it ou for Duran after he beat Leonard. He cost a lotta ppl a lotta m9ney by fucking up Leonard. His legacy and stqr power had to be dismantled.
Who ever called the hands of stone a coward i suggests you say it to his face ..Nah didnt think so ..Roberto is one of the greatest pound for pound in boxing ..History ..and has a street fighter he was even better..
I'll never understand how a statement like "well he lost his last fight....it was against Wilfredo Benitez" and have it mean you are no longer what you have proven yourself to be. Benitez was INCREDIBLE and could beat anyone on the right night.
