{UAH} On This Day: Boxer Randolph Turpin kills himself after trying to murder daughter

Thanks Rubin. Boxing is literally supposed to be a very lucrative sport but I guess the constant punching of the boxers' heads somehow affects their brains. If you analyse most of the legendary boxers worldwide, few are or were enjoying their retirement. 

While still in uganda, I used to wake up at 2:00 am to watch Mike Tyson matches when he was still a hit, with my granddad, but I was surprised to learn that he was bankrupt at the end of his career. One of the hollywood actors offered him a deal in some film at some point basically to help him make some money.  But this is a guy who was once worth 300 million dollars according to Forbes magazine, and he wasted it on drugs, women, e.t.c.

Here in the UK, most of our former boxers are struggling with life apart from Amir Khan, Lenox Lewis and a few others. Lenox has been helped by the fact that he had some high school education and good parenting. His Jamaican parents in West ham were very strict with their kids and allowed him some time in school. He holds both the Canadian and British citizen ships. Because of his background, he was humble both in and outside the ring, just as he is humble in his retirement in Miami, USA. He never wastes money because money comes and goes in seconds like a thunder if one is not careful with it.

Amir Khan has been helped by his Muslim background. Yes, he loves shagging beautiful women every now and then but he is someone who loves his religion. He never drinks alcohol or do any of that messy stuff. He is shy on TV and his Asian background is also playing a crucial role in financial management.

But you are right that our Ugandan boxers aren't given much support in and outside boxing. They should be able to make money in stuff like advertising. I only see Gooloba in chicken Facebook accounts but not serious adverts. The problem with Ugandans is that they never support or promote their own. For instance, how many UAH members have offered to have my face as the front of their business. If let's say 5,000 members offer me this deal at a cost of averagely shs.100,000 a year, that is shs.500 millions on my account. What would stop me from building a big UAH business building in any of the towns in Uganda in 5 years?

But Ugandans don't do deals like that. They only prefer to pull each other down. A guy like EVander Hollyfield made more money in adverts than he made in the ring. David Beckham is still making more money in adverts than in football. The English like supporting their own. They tried it with Wayne Rooney but his ugliness let him down. Yes, David has the face but Wayne Rooney needs a face lift,if you know what I mean!

Abbey

Sent from my iPad

On 17 May 2014, at 14:49, "'Jonny Rubin' via Ugandans at Heart (UAH) Community" <ugandans-at-heart@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Fellow UAH,

Reading this story, my mind flashed back at an article I conveyed to the UAH sometime ago. It seems to me like the game, or the profession of Boxing is cursed.

In my previous article, I wrote about the career of one of Uganda's Boxing 'Greats' and former Champion of the World, Ayub Kalule. I wrote a little about his performance in the ring, but the purpose was to reveal how the Boxers are cheated by those who promote and Manage them. Eventually, the higher the Boxer rises and big monies are earned, the deeper and more broke the Boxer retires!

Another Ugandan 'Great', Mustafa Wasajja is back home in Kampala, after a successful professional Boxing career in Denmark. Mustafa won many bouts to climb the ladder to the World tittle fight, but lost. Never mind the failure to win the tittle, but the money on the fight contract that he was supposed to earn. In professional Boxing a fighter is given a contract on which the amount of money he will earn for the fight is indicated. Whether he wins or loses, that's it. He gets his monoy.

The trick in all this is the Promoter/ Manager's contract which a Boxer signed as he joined the professional ranks. In this contract, a fighter's percentage in all his earnings is clearly indicated. The Promoter/Manager takes the "Lion's share", leaving the fighter with very little. What is not immediately realised by the Boxer is that all the expenses regarding his training and other preparations prior to the fight are paid from his income. 

Leaving in a country that uses a language you donot comprehend may be another disadvantage. The taxes you are supposed to pay are not clarified to you, but the Promoter/Manager says, "Don't you worry about this; I'll take care of it." Years keep passing by and all you see in the news media is how 'great' you are. The feeling of 'a Champion' is heavenly until the retirement starts knocking at your mind. 'Retirement' because even the Promoter/Manager notices a decline in performance and the monies for every fight have also decreased.

The Boxer eventually "hangs up his gloves". That's a terminology often used to announce a retirement. Only to realise later that his Bank account is empty and in fact he owes the State a large sum of money in unpaid tax. Didn't the Promoter/Manager say that he would "take care of them"? Eh, like the words of a politician, when the Promoter/Manager makes a statement, don't simply think that you understood. Ask for a clarification of such important statements, otherwise, it will be too late to correct the error when such a time comes. Oh, yes, that time will certainly come and it will only leave the 'Brave' standing.

Our Ayub Kalule is still standing and struggling with life at home in Uganda, and so is Mustafa Wasajja. The two other Ugandan 'Great' Boxers found it hard to survive in a country that had changed so fast and unexpectedly. I mean the Olympic Medalists, Flyweight Leo Rwabwogo and Bantamweight Eridadi Mukwanga. May their souls rest in eternal peace. The third 'Great' Boxer of our time, Lightheavyweight Mathias Ouma could not endure the feeling of hopelessness in the new Uganda. He had been reinstated in the Uganda Police, but chose to take his own life. He will always be rembered as a Boxer of a unique style. He was more of an entertainer than a fighter. I remember when he outclassed Tanzania's Heavyweight Boxer, Titus Simba in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The Tanzanian spectaters did the unthinkable! They chose to cheer Mathias Ouma of Uganda as he demonstrated his superiority in the ring. One could hear the Tanzanians say, "Mathias Ouma amekuja kuwafunza wa Tanzania". Meaning that, Mathias Ouma has come to teach the Tanzanians.

This sad news about such a 'Great' Boxer Randolph Turpin who also could not endure the life of poverty, surely reminds me of the 'Great' Sportsmen and women of Uganda who have died in poverty that could have been prevented by a caring National Council of Sports. John Akii-Bua, Judith Ayaa, Mohamed Muruli, Leo Rwabogo, Eridadi Mukwanga, only to mention a few.

During the UNLF administration, I was kindly given authority to recruit Sportsmen into the UNLA and so I did to save them not only from poverty, but also gave them protection. Thanks to Generals Tito Lutwa Okello and David Oyite Ojok. May their souls rest in eternal peace.

I don't know how the National Council of Sports operates nowadays, I would surely have wished to have a word with the Leadership. Sportsmen and women should be protected, for they are a glue that unites Uganda like magic and yet without a word of politics, but simply filled with the spirit of brotherhood and patriotism.

Please read the attached sad story of another 'Great' Boxer who took his life due to poverty.

                                                                                                    BJ. Rubin. 

Jonny Rubin shared this with you A sad revelation. On This Day: Boxer Randolph Turpin kills himself after trying to murder daughter The 37-year-old, who had recently been declared bankrupt after failing to pay a huge tax bill, shot little Carmen twice before blasting himself in the mouth. Read the full story This email was sent to you at the request of one of our users. To learn more about Yahoo's use of personal information, including the use of web beacons in HTML-based email, please read our Privacy Policy. Yahoo is located at 701 First Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94089.

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