Lionel "Dick" Turpin (26 November 1920 – 7 July 1990) was an English middleweight boxer. 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.. Dick Turpin's father, Lionel Turpin Senior, had emigrated from British Guiana and settled in Leamington Spa, where he worked in a foundry. He died young from injuries sustained during the First World War, leaving his wife Beatrice to raise five children. The family's boxing tradition extended across three brothers: Jack competed as a featherweight, Dick as a middleweight, and Randolph went on to become world champion. Dick's historic victory over Vince Hawkins on 28 June 1948 was notable not only for the title it secured but for the barriers it broke: he became the first black fighter to win a British boxing title in the modern era, in a period when racial discrimination remained widespread in British sport and society. Despite his own championship credentials, Dick devoted much of his later boxing life to training and managing Randolph, accompanying him to New York for the Sugar Ray Robinson fight in 1951.https://www.vice.com/en/article/breaking-the-barrier-how-dick-turpin-became-britains-first-black-boxing-champion/

Dick was the son of Lionel Turpin who had been born in British Guyana and his wife, Beatrice Elizabeth Whitehouse. He had two brothers Jack, who was a featherweight and Randolph, a middleweight.

Professional career 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. Turpin won the fight, at Coventry, by a knockout in the first round to become Commonwealth champion.

In his next bout, on 28 June 1948, Turpin fought Vince Hawkins for his British middleweight title. The fight was held at Villa Park, Birmingham and Turpin won on points over fifteen rounds. He now held both the British and Commonwealth middleweight titles.

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.

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. The fight was at Harringay Arena, and Turpin was knocked out in the first round, and so only retained his British title.

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.

Having lost both his titles, Turpin had only two more fights, against the Belgian, Cyrille Delannoit, in Brussels, losing on a technical knockout in the sixth, and finally against his old rival Albert Finch, losing on a technical knockout in the eighth. This last fight was in July 1950.

Trainer Turpin was the trainer of his more successful and famous brother Randolph, who beat Sugar Ray Robinson to take the world middleweight title in 1951.

Professional boxing record

ResultRecordOpponentTypeRoundDateLocationNotes108Loss81–21–5 Albert FinchRTD8 (10)Jul 3, 1950107Loss81–20–5 Cyrille DelannoitRTD7 (10)May 13, 1950106Loss81–19–5 Albert FinchPTS15Apr 24, 1950105Loss81–18–5 Baby DayPTS10Mar 14, 1950104Win81–17–5 Ron PudneyPTS8Mar 6, 1950103Win80–17–5 Vince HawkinsPTS8Jan 16, 1950102Win79–17–5 Ron CooperPTS8Dec 12, 1949101Win78–17–5 George RossTKO7 (10)Nov 1, 1949100Loss77–17–5 Dave SandsKO1 (15)Sep 6, 194999Win77–16–5 Albert FinchPTS15Jun 20, 194998Win76–16–5 Robert CharronDQ5 (10)May 30, 194997Loss75–16–5 Marcel CerdanKO7 (10)Mar 29, 194996Loss75–15–5 Tiberio MitriPTS12Mar 12, 194995Draw75–14–5 Tiberio MitriPTS12Nov 29, 194894Win75–14–4 Doug MillerRTD7 (8)Oct 18, 194893Win74–14–4 Bert SandersPTS8Sep 27, 194892Win73–14–4 Vince HawkinsPTS15Jun 28, 194891Win72–14–4 Bos MurphyKO1 (15)May 18, 194890Win71–14–4 Mark HartPTS12Feb 2, 194889Win70–14–4 Bert SandersPTS8Dec 1, 194788Win69–14–4 Ron CooperPTS8Nov 20, 194787Win68–14–4 Freddie PricePTS10Nov 7, 194786Win67–14–4 Billy StevensPTS10Oct 23, 194785Win66–14–4 Johnny BoydPTS8Sep 22, 194784Win65–14–4 Art OwenRTD2 (8)Sep 18, 194783Win64–14–4 Vince HawkinsTKO6 (8)Sep 9, 194782Win63–14–4 Tommy DaviesTKO5 (10)Jul 24, 194781Win62–14–4 Bert SandersPTS8Jul 12, 194780Win61–14–4 Des JonesPTS8Jul 5, 194779Win60–14–4 Jim HockleyPTS8Jun 23, 194778Win59–14–4 Billy StevensTKO3 (10)May 29, 194777Win58–14–4 Norman ReesRTD2 (10)May 23, 194776Win57–14–4 Jim WellardPTS8May 6, 194775Win56–14–4 Gordon GriffithsTKO4 (8)Apr 14, 194774Win55–14–4 Tommy BraddockRTD4 (8)Apr 3, 194773Win54–14–4 Frank HayesKO4 (8)Mar 24, 194772Win53–14–4 Ron CooperPTS8Mar 17, 194771Draw52–14–4 Bert SandersPTS8Feb 10, 194770Loss52–14–3 George HowardKO7 (8)Jan 14, 194769Win52–13–3 Billy MayneTKO7 (10)Dec 16, 194668Win51–13–3 Johnny BoydKO4 (8)Dec 9, 194667Loss50–13–3 Johnny BestTKO4 (10)Nov 19, 194666Win50–12–3 Trevor BurtKO3 (10)Nov 11, 194665Win49–12–3 Art OwenTKO6 (10)Oct 28, 194664Win48–12–3 Jack LordKO3 (10)Oct 16, 194663Win47–12–3 Johnny BlakeTKO4 (10)Oct 14, 194662Win46–12–3 Paddy RochePTS10Sep 30, 194661Loss45–12–3 Johnny BoydPTS8Sep 24, 194660Win45–11–3 Jack McKnightKO1 (10)Feb 26, 194659Loss44–11–3 Dave McCleavePTS8Mar 18, 194458Loss44–10–3 Arthur 'Ginger' SaddTKO7 (10)Dec 16, 194057Win44–9–3 Pat O'ConnorPTS10Aug 24, 194056Win43–9–3 Albert O'BrienKO2 (10)Jul 13, 194055Win42–9–3 Paddy RochePTS10Jun 10, 194054Win41–9–3 Tommy DaviesPTS10Jun 3, 194053Win40–9–3 Jim BerryPTS10May 27, 194052Loss39–9–3 Eddie MaguirePTS10May 20, 194051Win39–8–3 Tommy SmithTKO10 (10)Apr 14, 194050Draw38–8–3 Eddie MaguirePTS10Apr 1, 194049Win38–8–2 Sid WilliamsPTS10Mar 15, 194048Win37–8–2 Dave McCleaveKO5 (10)Mar 4, 194047Win36–8–2 Arthur 'Ginger' SaddPTS10Feb 25, 194046Win35–8–2 Maurice DennisTKO7 (10)Jan 24, 194045Win34–8–2 Ben ValentinePTS10Dec 24, 193944Win33–8–2 Ben ValentinePTS10Dec 10, 193943Loss32–8–2 George HowardPTS10Nov 26, 193942Win32–7–2 Charlie ParkinPTS10Oct 30, 193941Win31–7–2 Harry AinsworthPTS12Aug 18, 193940Win30–7–2 George RobeyTKO11 (12)Aug 7, 193939Win29–7–2 Nat FranksPTS10Jun 4, 193938Win28–7–2 Jack MilburnPTS15May 22, 193937Win27–7–2 Wally PackPTS8May 7, 193936Win26–7–2 Alf BishopKO?Apr 29, 193935Loss25–7–2 George RobeyPTS10Apr 21, 193934Win25–6–2 Jimmy GriffithsPTS10Apr 17, 193933Loss24–6–2 Jimmy GriffithsPTS10Mar 30, 193932Win24–5–2 Ted CarrollPTS10Mar 25, 193931Win23–5–2 George RobeyPTS10Mar 17, 193930Win22–5–2 Jack HammerPTS12Mar 13, 193929Win21–5–2 Johnny ThorntonTKO5 (10)Mar 6, 193928Win20–5–2 Jack BeechKO2 (10)Feb 27, 193927Win19–5–2 Mick MillerPTS10Feb 24, 193926Loss18–5–2 Ernie Butcher GascoignePTS10Jan 28, 193925Win18–4–2 Walter RankinPTS10Jan 19, 193924Win17–4–2 Alf BishopPTS10Dec 26, 193823Loss16–4–2 Charlie ParkinPTS10Dec 10, 193822Win16–3–2 Jack McKnightPTS10Nov 21, 193821Loss15–3–2 Charlie ParkinPTS10Nov 14, 193820Win15–2–2 Trevor BurtKO5 (10)Nov 7, 193819Win14–2–2 Mick MillerKO2 (10)Oct 10, 193818Draw13–2–2 Alf BishopPTS10Oct 3, 193817Win13–2–1 Johnny ClarkPTS10Aug 11, 193816Loss12–2–1 Rex WhitneyPTS10Jun 11, 193815Win12–1–1 Sid FitzhughPTS8May 23, 193814Win11–1–1 Trevor BurtPTS8Mar 28, 193813Win10–1–1 Frankie SmithTKO4 (8)Mar 19, 193812Draw9–1–1 Bob HartleyPTS8Mar 7, 193811Win9–1 Walter RankinPTS8Feb 28, 193810Win8–1 Bill BlythlingTKO4 (8)Feb 19, 19389Win7–1 Ray ChadwickKO4 (8)Dec 18, 19378Win6–1 Frank GuestKO6 (6)Dec 13, 193775–1 Eddie HarrisND4 (6)Nov 21, 19376Win5–1Phil ProctorKO2 (6)Nov 20, 19375Win4–1Trevor BurtPTS4Nov 15, 19374Win3–1Frank GuestPTS4Nov 1, 19373Win2–1Eddie HarrisTKO6 (6)Oct 16, 19372Loss1–1Trevor BurtKO3 (6)Oct 4, 19371Win1–0Eric LloydTKO6 (6)Sep 27, 1937

See also List of British middleweight boxing champions

References

Sources