I don't see it as being either a slip up on Robinsons part, or Turpin getting it all together for one fight realy. It was similar to Louis Schmeling I or Ali Norton I in many ways. Turpin and his team made a meticulous analysis of Robinson, and found a gameplan to beat him. Turpin just had his stylistic number.
at 0.35 in that video.....i think thats wrong....the orginal commentary says he lets reporters know he is ready for robinson as he winks at his opponent. but if i'm not very much mistaken, thats the don cockell fight which happened after both robinson fights. i know...i'm being pedantic.
In any case, it was ripped from the Big Fights, Inc. documentary "Ray Robinson: Pound for Pound". Not sure how Steve Lott edited it (I'm still really drunk). I had only seen the trimmed down version ESPN Classic had shown, but just last night caught the full version, which spans around 1 hr, 38 mins -- Gotta agree with Flea that it is by far the best Robinson special ever put out. Jimmy Jacobs and Bill Cayton were a helluva credit to the sport. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXM9O77YAI4&feature=youtube_gdata_player"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXM9O77YAI4&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/ame]
Yup, all of the KO's really. :yep Sort of a pity that his Amateur/Welterweight time period is glossed through in about 20 minutes but the reasons for that are obvious. They certainly did a good job taking their time to cover just about all of his significant middleweight fights from the 1950s. You know though, for all of the hoopla and hysteria about Ray's 'Welterweight Peak', I kind of feel he had a more devastating punch when he grew into being and started campaigning as a legit middleweight, if nothing else. That isn't just based on what's available in film, but his record in general. LaMotta TKO13 Fullmer KO5 Turpin TKO10 Olson (x3) KO12, KO2, KO4 Graziano KO3 Villemain TKO9 Belloise TKO7 Basora KO1 Rindone (x2) TKO6, KO6 Stretz KO5 Hecht KO2 All of these wins took place from the Summer of '49 and on, and he weighed anywhere from 154-160 in these bouts. Is his record of KO wins at 147 more impressive than this? I don't really believe so.
I think Turpin was better than history remembers him but I also think he lucked out getting Robinson at the tail end of a tail getting tour of Europe.
Though it does say something to be only the 2nd guy to ever stop Fritzie Zivic, and he had a collection of quick KO's over contenders such as Jannazzo, Costner, Doyle, McDaniels, Motisi, Rubio -- I don't doubt for a second he was at his overall, almost mythical zenith at Welter, but in terms of power alone? A tick or two more ruthless and devastating as a Middleweight.
If you watch the whole of Turpins 1st fight with Robinson although Sugar Ray was obviously not in the best of shape it's a pretty dominant performance from Turpin. However I think he really proved how good he was in the return fight against a fully prepared Robinson. Although Robinson was winning the fight at the time of the stoppage Randy was giving him all the trouble he could handle. Turpin had an awkward style but he was very strong and powerful and he could punch,he went into free fall almost immediately after the 2nd. Robinson fight and when he went back to the States a couple of years later getting beat off Olsen be was a shell of the fighter he had been. I think a prime Turpin gives any middleweight trouble,the thing was his prime was so short. Unfortunately he ultimately was another what might have been.