Charley Turner facts for kids

Charley Turner (born in 1862, died in 1913) was an African American boxer. He was known as "The Stockton Cyclone." Turner was born in Stockton, California. He claimed to be the colored middleweight champion of the world. This was during the 1890s, often called the "Gay Nineties."

Turner fought out of Stockton. He usually weighed between 148 and 156 pounds. This weight class is known as middleweight. A boxing historian named Nat Fleischer said Turner was a "great two-fisted fighter." He also called him "as fearless as they come." Fleischer believed Turner won about 90% of his fights. The Stockton Cyclone often fought boxers who were much heavier than him. Sometimes they weighed 20 pounds more! Charley's brother, Rufe Turner, was also a boxer.

Becoming a Champion: The Disputed Title

In the late 1880s, there was a lot of talk about who was the best colored middleweight boxer. Harris Martin, known as "The Black Pearl," said he was the world champion. He claimed this title after beating "Black Frank" Taylor in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1887.

Later, Ed Binney took the title from The Black Pearl. This happened in San Francisco in 1891. A big fight was planned between The Black Pearl and The Stockton Cyclone. It was set for February 1892. However, it had to be delayed. Charley Turner had a problem with his jaw.

The Big Fight: Turner vs. Martin

The rescheduled fight finally happened on February 29, 1892. This was a leap year. The boxing match took place at the Occidental Club in San Francisco. The winner would get $1,000. That was a lot of money back then!

Turner won the fight by a K.O. in the 19th round. This meant his opponent could not continue. After this victory, Charley Turner claimed the colored middleweight title. However, some people believed that Ed Binney was still the true champion. Binney later lost his title to Joe Butler in November 1892.

A Break from Boxing

In May 1893, Charley Turner faced a difficult time. He was arrested in Sacramento, California. This meant he could not fight for about a year. He was not able to officially box during 1894.

Charley Turner's Boxing Record

After his break, The Stockton Cyclone returned to boxing. He fought again from 1895 until 1904. Then, he decided to retire from the sport. Charley Turner passed away in Stockton in August 1913.

During his boxing career, Turner had an official record:

• He won 11 fights.
• He knocked out his opponent in nine of those wins.
• He lost seven fights.
• He was knocked out six times by his opponents.
• He had six fights that ended in a draw (no winner).