Randolph Turpin

[Controversial]

Turpin was known for going hard in the gym. Ron Gray was a stablemate of his in the George Middleton camp and said that Turpin hurt everyone in sparring, including heavyweights. He could finish a man with a single jab. Outside the gym, he treated his sparring partners well, putting them up at his hotel in Llandudno and paying for everything. He gave away most of his money.

The Gray brothers are an interesting story, Billy and Ron, were they brothers or cousins? I remember reading Billy was a heavyweight prospect who ran up a decent record. I don't know that much about them but looking at their records, I would love to know their story.

They were brothers. I know very little, really. Billy was younger than Ron and the better fighter. He won one of those heavyweight competitions that Jack Solomons used to stage at the old world sporting club in Mayfair in 1966 but dropped out of the game at just 24 after losing three on the spin, one of them a 10-round decision to Carl Gizzi of Wales. Gizzi then moved on to a shot at the British heavyweight title. The Sixties was a really strong era for domestic heavies with the likes of Richardson, Erskine, London, Bodell, Prescott and Walker queueing up behind Henry Cooper, and Gray just couldn't break through. He ploughed his ring earnings into business.
Ron turned pro as a teenage middleweight and grew into a heavyweight but was disqualified for a low blow against Bodell in 1963 and lost a rematch on points. He also lost a couple of fights to Ray Shiel, another very strong fighter of the era. He served as a sparring partner to messrs Turpin, Richardson and Erskine until - like Billy, he decided to get out of the game at 24. The Grays were smart to get out so young. Ron ran his own haulage firm and began promoting in the Midlands after the death of Alex Griffiths left a void. He co-promoted with Billy at first and later enjoyed real success with the likes of Tony Sibson, Pat Cowdell and Paul Chance. He took Cowdell to a shot at the world featherweight title against the great Salvador Sanchez.

I listened to this a few years back on a podcast but also on YouTube

[Bodyshot3]

I listened to this a few years back on a podcast but also on YouTube

Great find...thank you.

[1457583]

I have come to this a bit late. Having read numerous books about Randolph Turpin I can provide some additional information. Randolph Turpin had two bullet wounds, one to his left temple and the other to his heart which killed him. It's believed that the gun (which was owned by him) misfired and that is why the wound to his head didn't kill him. His youngest daughter Carmen also had two bullet wounds but thankfully survived.

The murder theory can be debunked because he left a suicide note which was pinned to the door of the room where he was found. In the documentary '64 Day Hero' his wife said that in the note, he had said that he was sorry for the way things had turned out and that he was tired of trying to get his money back.

People have speculated as to why he would try and take the life of his own daughter, who was only 17 months old at the time. His wife Gwyn said that she thought that he wanted someone to accompany him on his journey to whatever came next after death. She also said that he was so disillusioned with life, that he might have thought he was doing her a favour by removing her, from what he had come to believe was a cruel world. A third more sinister reason was that Carmen had blonde hair when she was a baby. All his other children had dark hair and a rumour had been circulating that she was not his child.

Turpin had previously tried to take his own life when he was 18. He drank liniment and had to have his stomach pumped out. It was covered up because attempted suicide was a crime at that time and he could have gone to prison if he had been found guilty.

[goose 5]

I've scoured the British newspapers about Turpin-there is conflicting information as to whether the suicide note was type written or hand written.

[1457583]

The suicide note was handwritten because in the documentary "Sixty-four Day Hero: A Boxer's Tale" his wife said that in the morning of the day he died. He had spent a long time writing a letter and that she thought that he was writing to his mother, who was away on holiday at the time. He was in fact writing his suicide note, whilst sitting in the same room as his wife.

A typed letter was written in 1964 in which he had said that attempts had been made on his life and he pointed the finger at Jack Solomons who had been his promoter. There is speculation as to whether the typed letter was authentic. Because his middle name was spelt as 'Adolphous' when the correct spelling was 'Adolphus.' It is hard to believe that he wouldn't know how to spell his own name.

It's well worth watching the documentary the link is as follows: https://player.bfi.org.uk/search?availa ... r+day+hero

[goose 5]

The May 21, 1966 edition of the Daily Mirror reported that according to pathologist Dr. Derek Barrowcliff, Turpin had 3 bullet wounds- 2 in his chest and one in his head. It was also reported that on May 20, 1966, Turpin's daughter sat up in bed and ate a bowl of cornflakes.