Laing would have a good punchers chance early on (if he wasn't stoned!) possibly catching him cold. Otherwise Hatton stops him late. Are there any Laing clips on the net? Youtube etc.
Kirkland Lang was supremely talented, but I think that Hatton would knock him out in the later rounds once he slowed down a bit. Hit with something big, perhaps something like the Colin Jones fight.
It was Always hard For Kirk to keep his hands up for and length of Time, that how the (up to then ) outclassed Buck Smith found his chin, Ricky Pressure is much better then say the exciting Rocky Kelly, that Kirk dismissed, i can see Ricky being too persistant for Kirk, making him work a full 3 minutes of each round, Kirk by all accounts used natural talent, but rarely was a spartan in the gym, it would catch up with kirk in the last 3rd i think. Ricky late stoppage for me,
Not a lot of people do, I'd guess Hatton could apply steadier pressure though? It's been a loooooooong time since I've seen any of Jones' fights.
The problem for Hatton I see is that Laing can hurt him and posses the much faster hands.Hatton just can't bull rush into Laing as Laing could hurt/stop Hatton. I could see Laing hurting Hatton enough to make Hatton wary of pressing on the inside and then Laing fading down the stretch but still winning a very close decision.
At WW it's Laing all the way for me, if he's in the right mood. Laing is quite possibly the most talented British fighter of the past 30 years. He beat a live Duran in 192 which is all that needs to be said. Hatton at WW is not the force he is a LWW. His punches don't carry the same authority and he also finds it harder to push the bigger WWs around on the evidence of his sole foray at the weight. It's gotta be a WIDE UD for Laing IMO.
Theres a lot of loses against Euro level/ fringe world class fighters on Laings record against 1 win against an unmotivated, disinterested Duran.