Randolph Adolphus ('Randy') Turpin (June 7, 1928 – May 17, 1966) known as The Leamington Licker, was an English boxer who was considered by some to be Europe's best Middleweight boxer of the 1940s and 1950s. Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Boxing (sometimes also known as English boxing or pugilism) is a Combat sport in which two participants generally of similar weight, Middleweight is a division or weight class, in Boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949 Events and trends The 1940s was a period between the radical 1930s and the conservative 1950s which also leads the period to be The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive

Statue of Randolph Turpin in the Square within Warwick, Warwickshire, UK

History

Born in Leamington Spa, Turpin turned professional in London in 1946, a little after turning 18, and he knocked out Gordon Griffiths in his first bout. Leamington Spa, properly Royal Leamington Spa, commonly Leamington (ˈlɛmɪŋtən and "Leam" to locals is a Spa town in central London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Gordon Craven Griffiths ( 19 June 1905 - 10 September 1994) was an English Cricketer: a right-handed batsman and Wicket-keeper He was trained by his elder brother Dick, who himself was a successful middleweight, being British and Commonwealth champion. Dick Turpin, ( 26 November 1920 – 7 July 1990) was an English Middleweight boxer. Turpin put together a string of 16 wins in a row until drawing in 6 rounds versus Mark Hart in his last bout of 1947. Mark Hart (born July 2 1953, Fort Scott, Kansas) is a multi Instrumentalist best known for his stints as a member of Supertramp Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He boxed all over Britain during that streak.

Three wins later, he found himself facing Albert Finch, who inflicted on Turpin his first defeat, an 8-round decision loss. Albert Finch was a British boxer from Croydon in South London who was active from 1945 to 1958 After one more win, he lost again, knocked out in 5 rounds by Jean Stock, also in London.

Turpin was determined not to lose again after the Stock defeat, and put together another string of wins, which reached 12 (including a 4 round disqualification win against William Poli), and he was rematched with Finch, this time with the British Middleweight title on the line. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Turpin avenged his first loss and won his first championship by knocking Finch out in 5 rounds.

Three more wins followed, including a disqualification win in 8 rounds against important challenger Tommy Yarosz, and then he met European Middleweight champion Luc Van Dam in London, whom he knocked out in the first round to seize the European championship.

Four wins followed after that, including a rematch with Stock, against whom he avenged his second defeat, knocking him out in 5 rounds. Then world Middleweight champion Sugar Ray Robinson travelled to London and on July 10, 1951 risked his title against Turpin, who won the world title by beating Robinson on a 15-round decision. Sugar Ray Robinson' (born Walker Smith Jr, May 3 1921 – April 12 1989 was a professional boxer Events 48 BC - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January

Turpin became an instant national hero. His win over Robinson gave him such celebrity that even many people who were not boxing fans knew who he was, and when he signed for a rematch with Robinson and chose Gwrych Castle near Abergele in North Wales to train for it, the castle was constantly hounded by tourists, curious and fans who came to get a glimpse of the World Middleweight champion. Boxing (sometimes also known as English boxing or pugilism) is a Combat sport in which two participants generally of similar weight,

Decline

His days as a world champion didn't last long, however, and when he made his first trip outside his homeland for a fight, he lost his crown to Robinson by a tenth round TKO with eight seconds left in the round at the Polo Grounds in New York. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous

This turned out to be the beginning of Turpin's problems, because he would begin to miss the sweet life that being a world boxing champion gave him.

He tried to regain his former status, and three fights later, beat Don Cockell in 11 rounds by a knockout to conquer the British Commonwealth Light Heavyweight title. Don Cockell was an English boxer He fought for most of his career as a light-heavyweight and became the British and European champion at that weight Cockell later turned into a good Heavyweight who once challenged Rocky Marciano for the World Heavyweight title. Rocky Marciano ( September 1, 1923 – August 31, 1969) born Rocco Francis Marchegiano, was the heavyweight champion of the world

He went back down in weight, and beat Georges Angelo to regain his British Middleweight title, and put on another string of wins, leading to his challenge of Bobo Olson for the World Middleweight title that Robinson had left vacant after retiring. Carl Olson ( July 11 1928 &ndash January 16 2002) was an American boxer. His second trip to New York turned into another 15 round defeat, this time at the hands of Olson.

In 1954, he went to Rome where he lost his European Middleweight title by a knockout in the first round to Tiberio Mitri. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Tiberio Mitri (born July 12, 1926 in Trieste &ndash died February 12, 2001 in Rome) was an Italian boxer who

He kept trying mightily as he could to regain his former condition as a world champion and even retained his British Middleweight title a few times in his next ten fights, but he lost two of them to obscure opponents.

After that, he managed another winning streak against some obscure boxers, but by 1958 it was clear his best days in boxing were long over. Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He lost that year to Yolande Pompey, another future world title challenger, by a knockout in 2 rounds in Birmingham, and retired in 1959. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

In 1962, he began another comeback, but the comeback only lasted 2 fights, both of which he won, the last one being held in Malta. Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (Repubblika ta' Malta is a European Microstate, comprising an Archipelago of three islands

He retired with a record of 66 wins, 8 losses and 1 draw. Of his 66 wins, 48 came by knockout.

Retirement and suicide

According to articles, reports and a biography, Turpin couldn't deal with the obscurity resulting from the loss of his crown, which was why he committed suicide by gunshot in 1966. He supposedly tried to kill his daughter also, on the same day.

Turpin is now a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame in Canastota, New York. The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall Canastota is a Village located inside the Town of Lenox in Madison County New York, United States.

Warwick in Warwickshire, England, has a statue of him within the market square in his honour. Warwick (ˈwɒrɪk worrick (silent w in middle is the County town of Warwickshire, England. Geography Warwickshire is bounded to the northwest by the West Midlands Metropolitan county and Staffordshire, by Leicestershire to Also in Llandudno in Wales, there is a pub dedicated to his memory at the town's highest point, with several genuine artefacts from his career within. Llandudno (pronounced /ɬan'dɪdnɔ/ is a Seaside resort and Town in Conwy, Wales. Between 1952 and 1961, he was the registered licensee. [www. llandudno. com]

See also

• List of British middleweight boxing champions

• List of British light-heavyweight boxing champions

External links

• Professional boxing record for Randy Turpin from Boxrec
• Randy Turpin's IMDB profile
• Randolph Turpin - Tribute Website