Randy Turpin
I don't recall Turpin ever fighting Jake LaMotta. After his second fight with Robinson, Randy got another crack at the title (when The Sugar Man retired) when he and Carl "Bobo" Olson contested the vacant crown. Olson won on points.
It's true to say Randy was not the same force after his second fight with Sugar Ray. Both those fights took a lot out of Turpin. Hey, he was going head-to-head with the greatest pound for pound fighter who ever lived; one of the greatest punchers who ever lived (ranked number 11 in the recent Ring magazine's 'Top 100 Punchers Ever').
And for those who say he was lucky to beat Sugar in the first fight, I say, take a look at the rematch!
Turpin had the sportsmanship to honour the rematch clause immediately. Just 64 days after his stunning victory in London, Turpin took on the mighty Robinson in front of 61,437 fans in New York's Polo Grounds. If Turpin had got lucky in the first fight, now was the chance for Robinson to make amends with an impressive victory. Instead, Ray struggled again and was on the verge of being stopped with a terrible cut when he pulled out one of the greatest right hands ever thrown that put Turpin down.
Robinson was so badly cut, his follow-up attack was equally desperate. He pinned Turpin on the ropes and was unloading with both hands when referee Ruby Goldstein stepped in with only four seconds left in the tenth round, Turpin still on his feet. Goldstein was vilified in the British press.
Now, referees aren't timekeepers. Goldstein didn't know there was only four seconds left in the round. But this was the same referee who allowed Ingemar Johansson to floor Floyd Patterson seven times before he stepped in. Patterson was stumbling around the ring in a daze at times.
It was a while before I actually saw footage of the Robinson-Turpin fight and I thought the stoppage was one of those 'either way' ones - either way there was going to be an argument. That normally means it's a bad stoppage. Turpin wasn't punching back, but he was swaying on the ropes, doing his best to avoid the punches. As champion, he deserved a chance to hang in there longer.
But it didn't happen.
Still, Turpin is one of the few Brits to be honoured in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. As for Dave Sands. There's no doubt he was a great fighter, but his best fighting days were over when he died prematurely in a car crash. And, in truth, he had achieved nothing compared to Turpin.
It's true to say Randy was not the same force after his second fight with Sugar Ray. Both those fights took a lot out of Turpin. Hey, he was going head-to-head with the greatest pound for pound fighter who ever lived; one of the greatest punchers who ever lived (ranked number 11 in the recent Ring magazine's 'Top 100 Punchers Ever').
And for those who say he was lucky to beat Sugar in the first fight, I say, take a look at the rematch!
Turpin had the sportsmanship to honour the rematch clause immediately. Just 64 days after his stunning victory in London, Turpin took on the mighty Robinson in front of 61,437 fans in New York's Polo Grounds. If Turpin had got lucky in the first fight, now was the chance for Robinson to make amends with an impressive victory. Instead, Ray struggled again and was on the verge of being stopped with a terrible cut when he pulled out one of the greatest right hands ever thrown that put Turpin down.
Robinson was so badly cut, his follow-up attack was equally desperate. He pinned Turpin on the ropes and was unloading with both hands when referee Ruby Goldstein stepped in with only four seconds left in the tenth round, Turpin still on his feet. Goldstein was vilified in the British press.
Now, referees aren't timekeepers. Goldstein didn't know there was only four seconds left in the round. But this was the same referee who allowed Ingemar Johansson to floor Floyd Patterson seven times before he stepped in. Patterson was stumbling around the ring in a daze at times.
It was a while before I actually saw footage of the Robinson-Turpin fight and I thought the stoppage was one of those 'either way' ones - either way there was going to be an argument. That normally means it's a bad stoppage. Turpin wasn't punching back, but he was swaying on the ropes, doing his best to avoid the punches. As champion, he deserved a chance to hang in there longer.
But it didn't happen.
Still, Turpin is one of the few Brits to be honoured in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. As for Dave Sands. There's no doubt he was a great fighter, but his best fighting days were over when he died prematurely in a car crash. And, in truth, he had achieved nothing compared to Turpin.
Nice post Bennie. Agreed.
Turpin was winning the rematch in my opinion and it was one of the most devastating punches Robinson ever threw.
His brother, not only had one of the funniest names in British Boxing History (that or Elvis Parsley), but he was also a damn fine fighter. Although not a patch on Randy.
Turpin was winning the rematch in my opinion and it was one of the most devastating punches Robinson ever threw.
His brother, not only had one of the funniest names in British Boxing History (that or Elvis Parsley), but he was also a damn fine fighter. Although not a patch on Randy.
-
TerribleTerry
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 5272
- Joined: 29 Aug 2003, 12:30
I remember Elvis Parsley - a feather from Bloxwich, Walsall. I saw Dean Amory (ex ABA champ) beat him and Gary Flear a local decent boxer from by me lose to him.
Lets be honest Elvis musta been a fighter from the moment he was christened with a name like that!!
Currently boxing Pinky Burton is a strange name - I liked Chris P Bacon and who was the British fighter called Blue something?
Lets be honest Elvis musta been a fighter from the moment he was christened with a name like that!!
Currently boxing Pinky Burton is a strange name - I liked Chris P Bacon and who was the British fighter called Blue something?
-
Eric the Viking
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 1354
- Joined: 03 Apr 2003, 21:40