[2][3] He was elder brother and trainer of the more famous Randolph Turpin, who became world middleweight champion after beating Sugar Ray Robinson in 1951.
[4] Dick was the son of Lionel Turpin who had been born in British Guyana and his wife, Beatrice Elizabeth Whitehouse.
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.
[6][7] 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.
[8] 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.