Dick Turpin

Background

Dick was the son of Lionel Turpin who had been born in British Guyana and his wife, Beatrice Elizabeth Whitehouse.

Career

He had two brothers Jack, who was a featherweight and Randolph, a middleweight. Turpin fought his first professional bout in March 1939 against Jimmy Griffiths, in Coventry. He lost on points over ten rounds.

He went on to build up a domestic record of 86 fights with 68 wins, 12 losses, 5 draws and one no-contest, before his first title fight.

This was for the Commonwealth middleweight title, in May 1948, and was against Richard Bos Murphy of New Zealand. In his next bout, on 28 June 1948, Turpin fought Vince Hawkins for his British middleweight title.

He now held both the British and Commonwealth middleweight titles. The fight was at Harringay Arena, and Turpin was knocked out in the first round, and so only retained his British title.

This last fight was in July 1950.

Achievements

• He was British and Commonwealth middleweight champion, reputedly being the first black fighter to win a British boxing title. He was elder brother and trainer of the more famous Randolph Turpin, who became world middleweight champion after beating Sugar Ray Robinson in 1951. Turpin won the fight, at Coventry, by a knockout in the first round to become Commonwealth champion. The fight was held at Villa Park, Birmingham and Turpin won on points over fifteen rounds. During late 1948 and early 1949, Turpin fought European boxers, drawing and then losing on points against Tiberio Mitri, of Italy, then being knocked out in seven rounds in a non-title fight against the then world middleweight champion, Marcel Cerdan, of France. He then won by a disqualification against another Frenchman, Robert Charron. Turpin then won his next four fights, losing the fifth, on points to the American, Baby Day, before defending his British title against Albert Finch, whom he had beaten in his previous defence. The fight was held in April 1950, in Nottingham and Finch won on points after fifteen rounds.

Views

In June 1949, he defended his British and Commonwealth titles against Albert Finch, winning on points after fifteen rounds. In September 1949, he defended his Commonwealth title against Australian, Dave Sands.

Connections

rival:

Cyrille Delannoit