RANDOLPH TURPIN – the boxing legend who was crowned one of the biggest sports upsets in the world – has been ostracized by The Mob, a former top detective claims. John Plimmer, former director of West Midlands CID, said Turpin’s suicide was “unthinkable”, according to an inquest.
A letter written by Randy two years before his death bolstered Plimmer’s theory that the former world middleweight champion was executed after threatening to expose a match-fixing website. Turpin is ready to publicize the fighting game’s dirty corrupt background. In the letter, Turpin bravely emphasized that he was not afraid, but the thugs warned his wife and family would be harmed. The perpetrators responsible are referred to simply as “them”. At the same time, he was beaten by four men. He refused to disclose the rude reason.
On May 17, 1966, Turpin, heavily indebted, depressed and beginning to get drunk, was found dead in an apartment above the carriage cafe he owned in his hometown of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire . The 37-year-old man’s body had two gunshot wounds to the head and heart. His 17-month-old daughter Carmen – shot twice – lay next to him. She will make a full recovery.
Plimmer, now a successful author, said: “If he had shot himself in the head first, would he have really been able to aim the gun at the heart and pull the trigger? If he shot himself in the heart first, he would die – no second shot. Honestly, it’s unbelievable.”
The tragedy marked the violent end of a rich-to-wealthy story that shook the nation.
On September 12, 1951, Turpin – considered hopeless by the press’s concerns for his safety – achieved the seemingly impossible by pointing Sugar Ray Robinson at the Earl’s Court. in London. From the 14th and penultimate rounds, the crowd joined in a passionate performance of “because he’s a funny good friend” and the chorus continued to the final ring.
Randy’s reign lasted only 64 days. At New York’s Polo Ground, Robinson retaliated by stopping “Leamington Licker” for 10 innings.
In retirement, the £300,000 – the equivalent of £7 million today – that Randy had accumulated over the course of his career was lost to bad investments and bad company.
Plimmer – a 75-year-old who met Turpin as a child – said: ‘Some of the facts surrounding death have raised an eyebrow. If I was assigned that case as a detective, there’s no way I would accept it as a suicide.
“He has major depression, I can understand that. To commit suicide, you have to be carefree – it is not the action of a rational individual. I have not seen anything strong enough to suggest that Randolph Turpin has become lifeless.
“Shooting your own daughter and then pointing the gun at yourself is insane behaviour. There is a buildup, signs that those around him are sure to catch. Timing is all wrong.
“The suicide note was pinned to the door. It’s a weird thing to do – pin it to a door. There are a lot of things that simply aren’t true.”
The death of father of five Randy comes less than a year after another world champion encountered a mysterious ending. An investigation also concluded Freddie Mills shot himself, although many believe he was a victim of an underworld.
Turpin’s decline was as rapid as his rise through the boxing ranks. After a glorious 75-year fighting career that also saw him win British and European titles, Turpin – almost penniless – turned to the pantomime of professional wrestling to earn a living. money. At first he received £100 per staged match, but as the memory of the great nights faded from public perception, the fee dropped to £25.
Darker days followed. After filing for bankruptcy, Turpin made a living working hard at a scrap yard.
Plimmer, who revealed his findings in a book, said: “The problem was he couldn’t handle finance or women. 64 days champion. “He has a £100,000 tax bill and he is relieved that he believes his manager has paid it. His accountant, Max Mitchell, wrote a letter to the Bureau of Inland Revenue.”
Mr. Mitchell eloquently informed them: “As time goes on, a boxer’s punch power wanes. The longer he pursued, the more his brain became paralyzed from the constant pounding.
“His eyes were affected, he was deaf and, in fact, he was lucky that in adulthood he didn’t turn into a two-legged vegetal.
“However, the Internal Revenue Service does not subsidize a boxer because of the inevitable, merciless waste he must undergo because of the demanding nature of the profession. Is that fair?”
Turpin’s explanation is more concise: “I’m literally the most illiterate in terms of money.”
Mr. Maxwell’s mission was successful. The huge tax claim was reduced to £17,000, but at the time Turpin had just under £2,000 in his name.
“He’s had some shocking business deals,” says Plimmer, “he’s been used a lot. He was ripped off, no doubt. He is a soft person and people are like leeches.
Mr. Plimmer’s search for answers was a difficult one. “Not being on the scene with your pathologist puts you at a disadvantage.
“Has he really been shot elsewhere? You need to see how much blood is at the scene. You need to see the position of the revolver.
“If it’s a murder, you want motivation. That is compulsory. I think in the cases – and this is an assumption – the motive must be revenge, a punishment for murder. He threatened to go to the authorities with the details of the racket in the sport of boxing.
“It’s a bit dramatic to say that someone threatening action against an organization is ultimately exposed, but back then, that was the game.”
At the time, police, aided by the champion’s personal physician, believed that Randy’s desperate actions were influenced by amnesia pugilistica – drunkenness syndrome. He is developing the lisp of a spoiled boxer.
Five years ago, the British Boxing Control Board was so concerned about Randy’s physical decline that they prevented him from fighting world champion Terry Downes. He didn’t heed the Board’s warning and a year later he was performing in the twilight world of unlicensed boxing. That’s the distance he fell.
Police called the cafe where Turpin’s body found a board nailed to the wall. Whether he was murdered or took his own life, these words succinctly summarize the terrible things that happened to Randy during those lost final years: “Something rarely comes back. to the one who waits is the money he lends to his friends.”
