Remembering Randy Turpin, The Leamington Licker
By Robert Brizel, Head RCM Boxing Correspondent
Randolph ‘Randy’ Turpin of Leamington, Warwickshire, United Kingdom, is one of the most forgotten middleweight champions of record. Turpin (1928-1966) was only 37 when he died, but compiled a career record of 66-8-1 with 45 knockouts. Turpin’s name and reputation have survived the test of time, mostly for the one brilliant fight he best remembered for.
Having won the British and European middleweight titles, Turpin still appeared to be another tuneup for World Middleweight champion Ray Robinson, who had just fought a rapid six bout nontitle tour in Europe and did not break a sweat. Robinson, who played golf in London during the day, and cards at night, believed himself unbeatable. Then Turpin put a beating on him on July 10, 1951, to take the world middleweight crown from Robinson in his first defense. Referee Eugene Henderson was the sole judge. The Associated Press gave Turpin nine rounds. Two months later, Robinson stopped Turpin at the Polo Grounds in New York City in the tenth round to regain the title. Turpin regained the British version of the world middleweight title in 1953.
Turpin fought and lost a 15 round decision to Bobo Olson to regain the vacant undisputed world middleweight title on October 21, 1953. Losses to Tiberio Mitri, Hans Stretz, Gordon Wallace, and Yolande Pompey dropped Turpin from world title contention at 175 pounds, where Turpin had hoped for a shot at world light heavyweight champion Archie Moore. Pompey fought Moore instead and lost. After losing to Robinson, Turpin did win 24 more bouts, ending his career with a second round stoppage over Charles Seguna in Malta in August of 1964. Debts forced him later into bankruptcy. Like Joe Louis, Turpin also turned ot professional wrestling, and also worked in a scrapyard owned by his former manager George Middleton. Randy’s eyesight was going when he committed suicide on May 17, 1966. His brothers, Jackie Turpin and Dick Turpin, were also noted professional boxers and British champions at middleweight and featherweight.
Having cut Ray Robinson’s left eye badly in their rematch, the stoppage was questionable with eight seconds left in round 10 as Robinson threw everything he had at Turpin. How would Turpin and Robinson fared against the likes of Emile Griffith, Rubin Carter, Nino Benevenuti, Carlos Monzon, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Rodrigo Valdez, Hugo Corro, Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns in the era which followed? It’s hard to say. In Market Square, there is a statue in his hometown which commemorates the life of Randy Turpin, The Leamington Licker, the 64 day middleweight champion which time forgot.
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