Gifted British welterweight boxer who was tipped for greatness but was quickly undone by his partying lifestyle
Kirkland Laing, who has died aged 66, is often regarded as the best British boxer never to have won a world title, largely because of an extraordinary win he posted in 1982 when he outpointed the great Panamanian Roberto Durán by a split decision in a ten round non-title bout in Detroit.
In truth, it is what happened after the fight that defined the career of the man who was known as “the gifted one” in his welterweight fighting days. It should have been the result that would guarantee Laing a shot at the world title and potentially huge financial rewards. But the reality was that Laing went missing for a year, apparently on a huge party where booze, dope and women accounted for much of the money he had earned.