San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-30
Champion Admits He
Didn't Know What Was
| Going on Part Of Time.
TELLS GRAPHIC STORY
Jack Says Well Trained
/ Legs Saved Him When
VI His Head Failed. 81
By ROBERT EDGREN.


Here is Jack Dempsey's own story
of the great fight with Firpo of the
Argentine.
It il dramatic, and in spite Of the
millions of words written about the
fight by men who looked on, it shows
a completely new angle that will as
tonish many other people as much as
it astonished me.
Dempsey's own story Of his sensa-
tons and of what happened in the
ring has not been printed before and
there are many things in it that no
one but Dempsey has known up to this
moment.
The champion told it to me as we
sat in his room at the Belmont Hotel
in New York, a few days after the
battle. He was looking in perfect
trim except for a slightly discolored
left eye, and as he talked he chuckled
over his own description of his expert
ence.
"You didn't know I was knocked
out in that fight, did you?" asked the
champion. "Well, was knocked out
by the first punch Firpo hit me, and
what kept me on my feet and fighting
] don't know. 1 just remember things
in spots. / was nearly out all
through the first round and didn't
know what was happening half the
time.
Il never went into a fight before
with the same feeling that l had in
this one. All the other fights, even
for the championship at Toledo, were
just business. was thinking OF the
money could make by winning. 1
thought about the money in this fight
at first, when I was up at the train
ing camp. Doc and I had my fight all
figured out. / thought I knew all
about Firpo.
Planuned to Start Fast.
A funny thing happened to me when
got into the ring. Nobody razzed
me. want used to that. Then 10
Humphreys gave me that fine intro
duction, and the crowd cheered for
me. It's the first time I've heard a
cheer like that since Toledo, a cheer
that sounded as if everybody meant it.
"An of a sudden all thought of
money and success and what it meant
to me to win, for myself, went right
out of my head. 1t came over me
that here was a big, powerful fellow
who had come from another country
to beat me and take the championship
away from America. / was the Amer
lean who had to beat him.
1T was all up to me, and those
people all around as far as could see
were with me and wanted me to win.
1 never thought whether was fight
ing for nothing or for a million dol
lars, and it wouldn't have made any
difference. / just had to win. l
couldn't lose and let the fellow from
the other country 90 back and say
he'd beaten the American champion.
my plan was to start fast, but
watch Firpo's dangerous right, get an
opening as soon as l could, and every
time got a sure opening drive a
bard punch through without letting
him reach me with a counter.
Now / added to that plan. I con-
centrated my mind on driving the
Knockout punch through the first
opening. l would knock him out with
one punch in the body-that's the
surest knockout punch if you can get
1t in right.
The bell rang and / went out fast
Firpo came out and l saw an opening
for a left hook at the boy, just what
/ wanted.
IL dived in and hit with all my
strength. Firpo circled a little bit
to my right and / missed him.
Fought Through a Haze.
Just as l realized / was missing,
he hit me with something! / don't
know what it was. Don't know where
the blow came from or where it
landed.
"They say it was a right upper
cut. never saw it. My knees
hit the floor and in the same motion
l was up and my rush carried me
on against him.
"Thats all l knew for a while. /
was out on my feet, don't know
what was in me that kept me fight
ing. l was in a haze.
"Then, through the haze. I saw
Firpo and he was on the floor.
don't know how he got there. His
eyes were shut.
81 saw him open his eyes and jump
up without waiting for a count.
Il saw him on his knees again, and
rolling on the floor, but L don't know
how many times he was down except
what they tell me. / was still al
most out myself.
Il can only remember it in little
flashes. The rest is a blank. Firpo
must have been as bad as / was, OF
I'D have taken a count. / don't take
ny stock in the story that he had to
up because he didn't understand
ccount in English. He's been here
ar and he isn't boob. i could
to count ten in Spanish IN a
IF was in the Argentine. and
all he'd need to know. In fact.
count ten in Spanish now.
some Spanish when I thought
fight him down there. and
hit dumb any more than
ySSemember bearing the ref
s 70 20 to my corner when
$Sfadel