Kirkland Laing

Kirkland Laing (20 June 1954 – 9 June 2021) was a Jamaican-born, British welterweight boxer nicknamed The Gifted One.

Laing fought 56 times in a twenty-year career, the highlight of which was a shock split decision win over Roberto Durán in September 1982. The fight was selected as Ring Magazine's upset of the year. He was a two-time winner of the British welterweight title and won the EBU welterweight title in 1990, with a second round knockout of Antoine Fernandez at the Wembley Conference Centre.

Early life Laing was born in Jamaica in 1954. Shortly before his birth, his mother Louise fell off a bicycle. As a result Laing had some developmental difficulties resulting in difficulty walking before the age of five. He also attributed his unconventional boxing stance to this early trauma. He grew up in Nottingham, UK.

Career

Kirkland showed early promise. In May 1972, he beat Vernon Sallas, claiming the 1972 Amateur Boxing Association British featherweight title, when boxing out of the Clifton ABC. His dream was to box in the Olympics like his hero Muhammad Ali, though was not selected to compete in the Munich Games that year. Within the next four years he had turned professional and trained at the renowned Lawless's gym.

Laing lived in a care home in Blidworth, near Nottingham, before his death on 9 June 2021.