How good was he? he had the style to give Sugar Ray trouble but was he really a dominant force in the MW division?
Randy was a special talent but he was a man child. He was good enough to have done a lot better but would go off the rails. The bright lights were all too much for him, from a mixed race family from real hard northern working class background that was vertually Charles dickens victorian poverty ..and the contrast was too much. He was a real puncher, real count out knockout artist. His knockout of Don ****ell gives some idea of his erratic talent.
his absolute best performance Turpin boxed beautiful that night a fight worth the viewing. Turpin to me is one of the "the Proof Fighters" he wasn't the best of the middleweights, not even in Britain, but was indeed a true champion & top contender, Proof of just how capable these men at the top really are. he's the kind of fighter to beat a Hopkins for example, just march in and fight him with the confidence, skill and attitude to do so. thumbs all up for Randy and his ilk.
I believe the night he beat Robinson he put it all together. He had the talent, strength, power and an awkward style going for him. He caught Sugar Ray off his game but Turpin would be a handful for almost any middleweight that night or even the night at the Polo Grounds. As already stated his personal problems played a part in him not staying at or near the top very long. That brutal knockout at the hands of Sugar Ray Robinson in New York may have damaged him physically.
Turpin was still doing very well against Robinson in the rematch. He was winning and Ray was cut bad. Only that "get out of jail" right hand saved Robinson's career, he was closer to losing twice in back to back fights than he would be in many years. It was another generation before anyone got to beat Robinson twice in a row, not until Paul Pender. I don't know how Randy got up from that knockdown.
the wink before he disposed of co.ckell was one of the coolest looking looking moments in classic boxing
I saw the Robinson ko of Randy Turpin at the Polo Grounds, and it was a night I shall never forget. My pal and I had great seats and we sat about 10 rows behind Gen. Douglas MacArthur and his entourage. Robinson was cut badly on his eye and the referee was thinking of stopping the bout. But in the 10th round the great SRR in a desperate attempt, went all out and ko'd the strong and BRAVE Randy Turpin. We in the crowd went crazy, so exciting was the ending...Randy Turpin was never the same after this bout. Ah, memories...!
sweet post, how old were you when you watched it? My 60 year old parents refuse to learn how to use an email and here you are chatting with young guys about boxing. Good on you man. I wonder what it would be like using the internet at 70 and here I am speaking to you Amazing what the internet can do to connect people, ideas and emotions
Thank you Z. I was in my late teens when I saw that great bout. I got to learn the internet about 4 years ago, by trial and error.
Burt, I've mentioned this to you before on PMs , but just love your anecdotes form the old days... Cheers fella!
A pub I used years ago was run by a former sparring partner of Turpin's he said Randy was aptly named ,said he was c**t mad. TUrpin should have beaten Olson but threw his career away.
i went to the pub in llandudno that he had....myself and a mate one january walked up the orme...nearly fookin killed me....anyone who knows where it is will know what a walk that is up to it from the town of llandudno in january welsh weather. anyway...******* place was closed when we got up there.......woe is me and all that
My mate has been to that pub. I'd check it out if I went to Llandudno. I read a book about Randy and Freddie Mills a few years back; very sad tale for both guys. I'd like to see Turpin vs Benn!