Upset! Buck Smith silences the English fight fans with one punch

He was the favorite, fighting in his hometown, and every fan in the room was there to see their hero shine. This was supposed to be Kirkland Laing’s night. Well, Buck Smith didn’t get the memo, and one left hook/right cross combination later, he had upset the applecart on this night in England.

For a guy who stepped into the ring a reported 229 times, it is hard to remember every bout. For a boxer who logged time in the ring with Harold Brazier, Buddy McGirt, Shannon Taylor, Mark Breland, Antonio Margarito, and Julio Caesar Chavez, to name a few, you wonder which one would stand out? 

However, on a recent trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to catch a Top Rank show on ESPN at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, I had the pleasure of sitting down for a visit with Buck “Tombstone” Smith, (183-20-2, 121 KO’s). 

Smith was a truly legendary fighter in the game, the likes (and schedule) of which we’ll never see again. The friendly, well-spoken long-retired husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had made the drive from his home in Oklahoma City to watch the fights. 

The year was 1990, 32 years ago, and Smith was in the midst of his usual busy fight schedule that would see him stay very active on the Midwest club circuit while waiting for the call for bigger fights. 

Heading into the new year, 1990, he would be ready to go as he’d put 20 fights in the bank in 1989 and, as always, was looking to stay busy. Career-long manager Sean Gibbons got the call for a bout in the famed Royal Albert Hall in Kensington, England for a fight with popular British star Kirkland Laing. (For the record, this was less than a month after his previous fight and he would fight again 13 days after the bout). Gibbons, and Smith, who never turned down a fight, we’re off to jolly old England. 

Laing, a well-liked former champion, was the favorite going into the fight. Smith, viewed as experienced but not on the same level as the British fighter, was the ”B” side on this night. Laing dictated much of the pace throughout the first six rounds, backing up Smith and landing the cleaner shots. However, in typical Buck fashion, one left hook, right on the button, changed everything. 

Chatting with the champ – Buck Smith

Bill Tibbs: Buck, so great to see you. I appreciate you making the drive. 

Buck Smith: Hi Bill. No problem, happy to do it. But, I promised my wife I’d be driving back before dark as I drove here myself and I shouldn’t drive at night; Glaucoma.

BT: When I knew we were going to meet up, I started thinking about all the fighters you faced, and I wanted to talk about one fight, going back 32 years, Kirkland Laing. 

BS: Yes, over in London, England.

BT: He seemed a lot bigger than you as I recall. I know he was a welterweight, but he appeared bigger. 

BS: Oh, he was. He didn’t even weigh-in for the fight so I’m not even sure what he was weighing on fight night. 

BT: Fighting in the legendary Royal Albert Hall. That is a great memory. 

BS: Well, yes, it was, but I had a lot of great memories with Sean (manager, Gibbons). We fought as much as we could because it was my way to stay sharp and learn on the job. Sean did a great job with my career. You know something, he was the first guy to hold hand pads for me and the only one who knew how to do it with me. To this day, he is the only guy who knows how to hold hand pads for me. He did it right from the start for me, and I guess we had a good chemistry. 

BT: That really was a great time for both of you in boxing, busy fighting lots, all over the place; England, Mexico, South Africa, Australia, seeing the world.  

BS: We had a lot of laughs, a lot of fun, and a lot of fights. If we got the call, we jumped in the car, and off we went. We went all over the world. A great time and a great learning experience.

BT: Let’s not forget two fights in one night (laughs). 

BS: Yes, (laughs). two fights, two states, two wins.   

BT: Let’s get back to Laing. A former BBB of C champion and so experienced. He’s fighting in front of his fan base. How did you feel going into the fight? 

BS: I felt good going in, but I knew he would be tough, and I knew I had to be patient. Let him do lots of the work, protect myself and look to land a big shot once I figured him out. 

BT: Both Sean and Pete (Susens) have said to me that if you landed your left hook, on any fighter, there was a good chance they were going out. You caught him with a great left hook and then a right cross to put him down. He complained a little when the ref stopped it, but he was hurt, and it would not have ended well if he’d been allowed to continue.  

BS: (Chuckles). Well, my hook, that was my power shot. I caught Laing with it and got the stoppage. 

BT: He had been dictating the pace and backing you up a lot in the fight and winning the rounds up to that point. 

BS: He was, but I was looking for that shot, and I knew if I landed it, I could get him out. He was busy, but I was protecting myself, blocking a lot of his shots and making him do all the work, getting tired, while I was looking for an opening to land a big shot. 

BT: You rocked him with the left hook and then really nailed him going down with the right. I remember how the arena, loud and cheering for Laing for much of the night, just went silent after you dropped him. 

BS: I definitely wasn’t brought in to win the night, but that isn’t how Sean and I felt. It was a nice win, felt good. 

BT: While I have you here, a couple of quick questions. Looking back, what was your best fight, best memory?   

BS: You know Bill, I’d say my fight with Buddy McGirt. I really learned how to fight in the bout. Even though I had a lot of fights at that point in my career, that is the fight where I left the ring, even though I lost, and felt like he had really helped me learn to fight. I thanked him after the fight for helping me develop as a fighter. 

BT: What are you up to these days?

BS: Married, I have kids, grandkids, and a great-grandchild. Get down to the boxing gym to work with some of the younger fighters sometimes. 

BT: Still working in the electrical industry? 

BS: Yes, I am. 

BT: You know I was just out in Las Vegas, spending a lot of time with Sean (Gibbons) and Pete. Sean told me a couple of years ago in an interview, (and I reminded him of it when I was out there) that if you landed your left hook, on anybody, they were going out. Actually, Sean’s words were, “It was night night Daddy-O” (laughs). He also said to me that under different circumstances, with a couple of different breaks, that you could have won a world title.

BS: (Laughs). Sean is a great guy man, and I’m glad he handled my career. We had some great times, saw the world, and did a lot of boxing, (chuckles). I love that guy. 

BT: Buck, you are indeed a boxing legend in my books. It was great chatting with you. 

BS: Thank you, Bill - appreciate you.