Puncher from the Past: Garland Jerome (Rip) Randall

Name: Garland Jerome (Rip) Randall

Born: 25 May 1941

Died: 17 October 1967 Vietnam aged 26

Career: 1957 to 1966

Record: 54 fights, 36 wins (14  by KO/TKO), 13 losses (3 by KO/TKO), 5 draws.

Division: Lightweight and Welterweight

Stance: Orthodox

Titles:  Texas State lightweight champion

Major Contests

Scored wins over: Angel Guerreo, Joey Limas, Vic Graffio, Kenny Lane*, Virgil Akins**, Gilberto Montoya, Guy Sumlin, Nolan Duplessis, Yoshinori Takahashi*, Isacc Logart, Frankie Ramirez,

Lost against: Curtis Cokes**, Joey Limas, Manuel Gonzalez* (twice),  Kenny Lane*,Baby Vazquez, Stan Harrington*, Gabe Terronez, Nino Benvenuti **, Luis Rodriguez **,

Drew with: Curtis Cokes**, Manuel Gonzalez*, Joey Limas, Nolan Duplessis, Joe Shaw .

Rip Randall’s Story

Randall turned professional in 15 July 1957 on a show in his hometown of Tyler Texas in a four round supporting bout for a show featuring Cleveland Williams. Randall was only two months past his sixteenth birthday and he opened his account with a second round kayo of James Singleton. Randall had no senior experience as a boxer so was leaning as he fought.

His open, attacking style made him  popular and he was kept busy in four and six round fights against modest opposition being 10-2 by the end of 1958. Still a teenager he made good progress in 1959 being 8-1-1 in his ten fights. The draw was a technical draw in May against a young future champion Curtis Cokes e made rfeal, p[roghressd in n1960m ,goping

caused by a cut suffered by Cokes but Cokes knocked out Randall in 75 seconds in their return fight in July.

Randall collected the Texas State lightweight title in January 1960 with a points win over twelve rounds against more experienced Ray Portilla but then hit  some bumps as he lost to Joey Limas then lost and drew against Manuel Gonzalez-who would go on to, lose to Emile Griffith and Cokes in world title fights. Randall drew with Limas at the end of 1960 then knocked Limas out in five rounds in March 1961. That was a tough year for Randall. He won three fights but lost twice to world rated Kenny Lane and drew with Nolan Duplessis and unbeaten former Olympian Joe Shaw.

Having moved out of his teens and with some good experience under his belt he entered the welterweight ranks and began to make his mark there. In 1962. he scored a revenge unanimous decision over Lane, outpointed former champion Virgil Akins  and scored victories over good level opposition in Gildo Montoya, Mel Barker, Guy Sumlin and Duplessis to break into the world ratings.  He won 3 out of 4 tough fights in 1963 knocking out 17-1 Yoshinori Takahashi in two rounds in Japan, snapping Takahashi’s winning run at 16 fights, knocked out experienced Cuban Isaac Logart in six rounds and outpointed Californian Frankie Ramirez. The loss was a close decision against Stan Harrington in Harrington’s backyard of Honolulu and Randall had briefly risen to No 3 in the Ring Magazine ratings.

In 1964 and 65 the roof fell in on Randall. His old foe Manuel Gonzalez and Gabe Terronez both scored kayo wins over Randall in 1964 and in 1965 he lost on points against future Hall of Fame fighters Nino Benvenuti and Luis Manuel Rodriguez who at the time he faced them had combined records of 113-4

Randall scored a fourth round knockout win over Dave Whitlock in March 1966 but that was his last fight-in the ring.

He still had thoughts of returning to action but in August 1966 he was drafted into the US Army. Randall was married with five children but refused to apply for deferment. He was assigned to the 1^st Battalion, 26th Infantry fighting in Vietnam.

After nine months in Vietnam he was granted emergency leave to return home as his son Garland Jr. was undergoing life-threatening heart surgery. When his son was out of danger Randall returned to Vietnam this time assigned to the 2^nd Battalion, 28^th Infantry. In recognition of his status as a father with children he was sent to the rear at Lai Khe. When his Battalion HQ group was ambushed and involved in the battle of Ong Thanh Randall was hit with shrapnel whilst manning a machine gun and although he was loaded on a helicopter his wounds were too severe and he died on 17 October 1967 somewhere over Vietnam.

Randall was the first nationally-known boxer to be killed in action in Vietnam and during his two tours of duty in Vietnam he received both the Bronze and Silver Star medals for gallantry and is buried in Houston National Cemetery.