The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-09-15


to explain accurately and consecu-
lively what happened in the first
round OF that sensational fight Il
was patterned after that famous first
round at Toledo. when Dempsey
f1oored the giant, Jess Willard, seven
times.
True to Name
Willard did not fight back but Firpo
got up seven times and went back to
the battle like the wild bull ne has
been called. Willard struck hardly
a blow in defense, but Firpo dashed
out in a frenzy Of anger and despera-
ton and three times he did what no
other fighter has been able to do since
Jack Dempsey became champion. He
felled the champion three times.
Three times F4rpO was within one
punch Of the title and it's million dol
lars in assets. Three times he had
ire champion, punch-drUnk, weaving
around on the ropes, groggy and al
most defenseless.
Three times with the crown right
in his hands, Firpo lacked the tech
nique to finish it. He Iashed out
wildly and missed. Those misses
cost him the championship.
Dempsey was never nearer 10 be
ing knocked out in his life. He viii
never come closer than he did, and
escape.
The very first punch Of the fight
a staggering right hand. that seemed
TO come up from the floor, caught
Dempsey on the Jaw after ne had
missed q left hook and the champion
went to one knee.
Science Abandoned
Dempsey came up dizzy and he
fought the rest of the round a.
though he were out of his head.
He threw caution to the winds.
he abandoned all ideas of defense
and tore wildly into the South
American. The round developed
~lintO the eIneSE savage exhibition
of free handed hitting that ever
has been seen.
lShowins great stamina and a heart
stouter than he had been thought to
pdssess, Dempsey tore in and turned
the tide Of the battle when So. 900 wild
yelling fans jumped to their feet and
Under short left and right hooks
to the jaw and right hands that
threatened 20 tear his heart out, Firpo
went down often in that first
r5und. He came up each time. not
covered in defense. but lashing ike &
Wild beast in a jungle fury
lAnother tremendous right hand
swing caught Dempsey on the Jaw
and hurled him clear out Of
the ring. Dempsey landed on the
shoulders of one Of the judges.
down. fl the press pit. The
count went to niI,e before the cham
pion was able to pull himself UP and
back in the ring.
Dempsey FIOored Again
Dempsey flung out a crashing left
hook and F'irpo went to the floor. The
South American rose. flung himself
again into battle and dropped Demp-
sey to one knee with another right
that was flying around Ike the f1anges
on a giant fan.
d Dempsey was weak lneed and
fgroggy. His corner was panic
stricken and from the other side
Jof the ring frenzied instructions
were being hurled at FiIpO in
Spanish But if FfrpO heard he
afaiIed to respond.
Jimmy. De Forest, who trained
Dempsey into the title and started
xNirpo, said the South American could
ave won with one short punch while
Dempsey was on the ropes, but Firpo,
as experts had predicted, lost his head
in,fthe heat of battle and did not know
how to get over the one punch.
Dempsey was so obviously fighting
out Of his head he hit Firpo twice
on the jaw with short right hooks
after the bell rang.
He seemed to know the round had
ended only when the referee grabbed
him and pushed him headlong across
the ring into his corner.
- Champion Revives
aszThe champion has always shown
great powers Of recuperation and he
revived under the treatment of his
seconds. He came out cool-headed and
savage in the second round and in
iffty seconds Of fight he bat
tered Firpo twice to the floor with
a left hook and a right to the jaw
that landed almost simultaneously on
the target.
The second time F1rpo went down
he stayed He was counted out not
because his heart failed him, but
because he was physically unable to
follow his desire and resume fighting.
Firpo was dragged back to his cor
ner and 1t was almost a minute be-
fore he seemed to realize the
fight was over.
No more severe fight ever was
staged. Two heavyweights never
crowded into less than a round and a
third more real fighting than Demp-
Hey and F1rpo.
Dempsey was thrown clear Of
the fight that he had planned
when he was cracked on the jaw
"a. and dropped to his knee. His box
Ing left him, his ideas of science
were forgotten and he became a
wild fighting man just like Ffrpo.
The champion beat Firpo at his own
game and he retained his title be-
cause he punched shorter, more fire.
quently and with more accuracy than
the South American.
Firpo's dream of becoming the
heavyweight champion was only for