Randolph Turpin - Boxer

Randy Turpin was known as the Leamington Licker, and as the new reigning British Middleweight Champion he had just added the European title to his record by knocking out the Dutch champion Lucien van Dam in less than 2 minutes.

Unbeknown to this great boxing talent was the potential of a 24 year old young man from a poor mixed African/English family living in the normally middle class town of Leamington Spa - his name was Randolph Turpin. Randy was an exceptionally powerful boxer who had come through a childhood illness to invent his own superman physique. A local fitness coach had introduced him to a weight training programme that would hone his body to perfection especially for competing in that loneliest place of all - a boxing ring.

Randy Turpin used the classical British style straight-left like a ram-rod when fighting against the handsome American Sugar Ray Robinson. History recalls that after this fight Randy only reigned as champion for 64 days - psychologically unsuitable to the trappings of wealth, with a self destruct personality problem, proved easy prey for the boxing shysters that feed on such talent.