San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-23
F|RP0- IN SIX
MONTHS MIGHT
!. BEAT DEMPSEY
Man From Argentina Un-
doubtedly Best Jack
+ Has Ever Beaten.
HAS LOTS TO LEARN
capable Training to De-
/. velop Left Will Make
" Him Truly Great.
HAS LOTS TO LEARN
By ROBERT EDGREN.

Iusttdu VI NAPiOnihS WAN $780,
bang Luis Firpo of the Argentine
established himself as the most dan
| gerous rival Jack Dempsey has fo'
. his heavyweight crown.
Dempsey Knocked Firpo out, but
didn't get rid of him.
Firpo is the first man Dempsey
1 has met since his novice Gays who has
/ knocked him down. Firpo knocked
| Dempsey down once in the ring. and
the second time knocked him clear
out of the ring.
Wonder what Dempsey thought o:
ropes and landing on the heads OF the
men inthe front press row?
Firpo is the first who has stood VI
| toe to toe and punched the champion
| groggy. He is the first who has bee.
able to stand up and sock with Demp
scy. landing as hard as Dempsey did
He is the first man who ever had
the ringsiders up on their feet won
dering if the champion was going IL
be knocked out.
The fight at the Polo Grounds Sep
tember IA was the fastest and most
furious battle ever seen where heavy
weight championship was at stake.
Best Man Jack Ever Licked.
Half the credit for that belongs to
Firpo. Dempsey went after the Ar
gentine giant intending to knock hin
out in the first ten seconds of fight
ing, and Firpo met him with righ'
hand punch that made his knees SAG
He kept on punching with tina;
right. and for time it looked as II
his single effective blow would offset
even Dcmpsey's tremendous speed ana
two-hand punching.
Six months from now, il tirpc
takes up American methods in MS
training, he'll be entitled to anothei
esatch. and he won't be any three-to
one, short-eEder.
Firpo showed surprising speed. Hi
had fighting spirit TO match Demp
sey's. And be was game all the wa!
through.
He is by far the best man DempseJ
ever defeated.
Firpo might have beaten the cham
kpion il he had known the game bet
2ter. He lacked experience. And he
wasn't advised and handled effec
lively.
Luis Has Lots TO Learn. -,
First he forgot he had left hand
His arm hung at his side half the
time when he might have used it tc
stand Dempsey off and get time to re
cover. He'll have to use that left ham
long time to make it MS effective as
his right. But with two good hands
Firpo would be some fighting man.
Firpo hasn't been drilled in thu
most important rule of boxing-tt
keep his eyes on his opponent.
There was a furious mixup in the
middle Of the fight. For ? moment
the men were close together and ths
referee called out an order to break
Dempsey stepped back. Flrpo, prob
ably puzzled by the English words
that he didn't understand very well
turned his eyes toward the referee.
Instantly. Dempsey lcaped in witt
hard blow and Firpo was Knocked
down. He got up. but he might hav:
been knocked out. and the knockdowi
didn't do him much GOOD.
Not Used to u. s. Seconds.
Luis was knocked down nine times
He took the count only once in the
first round, when he was Knocked
down SO hard that he wasn't able to
get I'D before the end of nine seconds
The other time. except at the knock
out, he jumped right up without wait
ing for any count at all. although
Dempsey was waiting and ready &c
*. after him the moment he was oil
~ floor.
When he got up and began fighting
again he fought without any guard
at all. He didn't even use the lef:
arm to block with the way he did
against Willard. But perhaps thai
was because Dempsey was about O
million times faster than big, slow
Jess. and Firpo couldn't block hi
blows anyway.
Just before the fight a cablegran
came to Firpo from the Argentine
It advised HIM to remember that "thf
honor and glory of his country was
at stake" A fine thing to pile on
fellow just as he's about to get into
the ring to fight Dempsey,
In his corner Firpo had couple
Of experienced American managers a.
seconds. That would have been al
right il he had been training under
their direction, so that they'd know
all about Firpo and Firpo would un
ierstand their advice.
But he had been training with se7
erai Argentine friends Gaming owe
me ropes and advising him. He WASH;
used to his seconds.
Dempsey showed a few new things
himself. He was faster than ever be:
fore. and he was hitting harder and
more accurately.
He was prepared for tough battle.
he knew all about Firpo. He knew
Everything Firpo does in the ring, and
has prepared for it.
Dempsey mt Best in Danger.
But he underestimate tirpo
tight hand and his speed, and cam+
hear paying for the mistake. He
ought recklessly, dashing in constant
to beat Firpo to the punch and run
bling into right-handers that knocked
him dizzy.
But Jack proved that he has plenty
Il stamina and recuperative power:
or he came back fighting harder AMI
Ester when he seemed IN the greatest
anger.
The big Argentine fighter has shown
hat he has everything a fighter need
kept experience and coaching. Give