Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-15
WILL WIN T|TLE'-
F|RP0; BUT WATT
Argentine Heavyweight Admits
He Needs Experience Before
Challenging Dempsey
MAY TAKE A YEAR OR TWO
BY LOUIS H. JAFFE

T us FIRPO is going to be worlds
- heavyweight champion. He says 80
himself. and what fnvors the altitudi-
nous South American is the mere fact
that he is not in any hurry to meet
Jack Dempsey.
The Buenos Aires. heavyweight has
had two bouts in the United States.
Both ended in knockouts over mediocre
boxers, showing himself off as a game
and hard. punching prospect. Otherwise
Firpo is crude-he has lots to learn and
mostly needs experience.
FirpO speaks no English. He holds
conversation with the American people
through his manager. who also is from
Argentina. In an interview with Edwin
c. Hill, Of New York, Luis said:
II am going to make my home in the
United States. Some day may 20 back
to Argentina and to beautiful Buenos
Aires, but not for long time. ! must
stay and work and learn to the one end
Of beating this superman Of America,
who persons say cannot be beaten. Well
l shall show them-but no hurry.
1T wouldn't do at all now. The
champion has too much experience and
skill for me at present. But in a year,
maybe two. think I shall be ready
for him, and honestly believe | can
beat him.
A College Graduate
"How did begin to fight. and why p
he said in replying to questions put
through his interpreter. manager. "Well
| was going to colleagues. I'm q col .
lege graduate and can speak three Ian :
guages. although not English as vet.
regret to say-when troupe Of Ameri
can fighters visited Buenos Aires. In
the lot were Harry Willis, Sam Lang.
ford, Kid Lewis and a dozen others. !
went to most of their exhibitions and
got so enthusiastic over the game that
couldn't keen out.
'"I went into training. took lessons
and many hard blows from professional
boxers, and finally took up the ring
career. In the meantime, though. I was
graduated. My family, which is well
known in Buenos Aires. did not like my
becoming a professional pugilist but
after a while they became reconciled
and my four brothers, believe. are now
rather proud of my exploits
"You look almost too good natured ia
become champion scrapper," was said
to him.
"Oh, don't let that WORRY you." he
returned. when l get in the ring and
the excitement Of battle fires my blood
! am different man. ] get kind oil
battle rage, which makes me fercel,
determined to beat down the other man
but that still leaves me cold and cum
ming. ] don't want to talk about myself
that way much, but you see what
mean"
Looks Like Dempsey
Firpo looks oddly like Dempsey him
self-that is to say, there Is kind O.
general resemblance in their swarth,
compilations, their shocks of coarse
black hair. their rather large and bril-
liant black eyes and in their genera
makeup a little more massive. thougl
actually weighing less than the am
bilious youngster from South Amer
lea. In conversation he has decidedly a,
amiable expression for a business maj
Of the ring. and he smiles frequently
easily and brilliantly.
"My nationality" he asked. "Well
suppose | am Spanish. but I don
know. My father was an Italian-henc
the name-and my mother was Spanish
It's good combination, though ] ncvo
heard of n professional Iugilist comm,
from 1t before. 1t ought to be as goo'
as the Irish, which Dempsey is, I be-
lievc."