ON MAY 1 last year, Irish Johnny Turner was inducted into the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame. This writer has known Turner from when he first walked into a boxing gym more than 50 years ago and was one of his sparring partners in the amateurs. On the afternoon of the event, I had the honour of presenting him with his award.
Chances are, the majority of you reading won’t know Turner, nor what he accomplished during his career. That in itself points out the cruel, all or nothing mentality which engulfs not only our sport but life in general. Unless a fighter is a world champion or perennial top contender who has been in some memorable encounters, their legacy is not as strong as it deserves to be. Turner falls into that category.
In the January 1979 World Boxing Council ratings, the Brooklyn welterweight was listed as a top 10 contender. The champion at the time was Wilfred Benitez. The top four contenders, in order, were Roberto Duran, Ray Leonard, Carlos Palomino, and Thomas Hearns – all future Hall of Famers. A murderers’ row to get past for any welterweight looking to get to the very top of the mountain. Turner never quite did, but nevertheless was one of the
