George Turpin was born on the 10th of January 1952 in Liverpool and boxed out of Golden Gloves ABC, situated in the heart of Toxteth. Fighting at bantamweight at the 1972 Olympics he got to the Olympics undefeated as an amateur against British opposition so it was easy to see why he was one of the ones being touted as a 'dead cert' medal winner. In 1971 and 1972 he had won the ABA finals, showing that he reigned supreme as a boxer domestically at his weight. In the bantamweight division, after a first round bye, he sailed through the next three fights, earning himself a 5-0, 5-0, 4-1 record. He was then faced by Cuba's Orlando Martinez. George fought bravely and for many, won that fight. The judges thought otherwise and awarded it 3-2 on a split decision to the Cuban who went on to win Gold and Turpin a Bronze.
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| George having just returned from the 1972 Munich Olympics with a Bronze medal is showing it to the Schoolboy Team at the Golden Gloves Club, Admiral Street, Liverpool 8. |
His days as an amateur were far from over, however as he went on
to fight for England against the USA early in 1973, winning in Santa Fe
for his country. He then turned pro in May of 1973 winning his first
professional bout by knockout in the 1st round of a scheduled 6 against
John Mitchell in the Hilton Hotel, Mayfair, London. This began a career
that saw him win his first ten fights. In amongst those 10 wins, he beat
Frank Taberner twice, once to win the Central Area bantamweight belt and then to retain it. Both fights, though, in 1974 were to represent
the only professional belt he was to win.
His first professional
loss came in 1976 at the Royal Albert Hall against Scottish legend, Jim
Watt. Watt was coming off two losses and his glory days were well ahead
of him, but here he was in his 30th professional fight, taking on an
Olympic legend and knocking him out in the 4th. That loss was followed
by indifferent form that saw five more fights in little over a year.
Within them there was only one win, with two losses and two draws. He
did get to fight in Scandinavia twice, against Svein Erik Paulsen in
Oslo in 1976 and then, against Hans-Henrik Palm in Copenhagen in 1977.
His final professional fight in 1977 was against Barry Price at Heathrow
where he drew on points and then called the whole thing off. However he
had a successful professional career, from 1973 to 1977, recording
eleven wins, with five being by knockout, three losses and two draws.
George Turpin's tale is one of two codes, one that he could master and
one that he didn't quite mange to do. There is no shame in his results
and there is little doubt that he was, as he was called thereafter, one
of the best boxers that Liverpool has ever produced.
see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2026/10/merseyside-for-sort-alan-rouse.html
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