, 1923-09-15


rasp-more glorious in defeat than
ever he had been in victory.
Knocked out in three minutes and
81 seconds of the most furious fight
ing ever recorded in ring history
in which he was floored seven times
but managed to send h champion
crashing clean through the ropes
after battering him to his knees. the
sturdy son of the Argentine still
gazes with determined eyes on the
crown which Dempsey barely saved
by a right uppercut which stretched
Firpo flat on his back.
"In a year I'll be back again." he
declared. when, lifted to his feet by
the man who had floored him. he
staggered uncertainty to his dress
Ing room.
Losing fighters have made that
statement before, and been laughed
at for their pains. But not so with
Luis. A vast majority of the $4,000
who Witnessed the battle believed
him, and Tex Richard. the men.who
put on the fight declared he was
ready to stage another Firpo-Demp-
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the Argentine tomorrow aginst Har
ny wills, the hard hitting negro, who
has been itching for a fight with
Dempsey,
.'Firpo is not done for yet" as
serted Richard. He will be heard
from again. He is q big, strong,
young fellow and a terrific fighter
Tho battle was perhaps the most
dramatic in tho history of pugilism,
even eciipsing the terrific fray in
Toledo in 1919, when Dempsey tore
the laure's from the bloody head OF
Jess willard. In less than four
minutes was crammed more action
than usually is spread over 16
rounds. The crowd realized they
were gazing unpon no ordinary box
ers; they were witnessing an ele'
mental, gripping. nerve-shaking bat
tie between two great lion hearted
fighters, to whom the verb ito quit
was unknown.
The challenger made as fncon'
~spicuous entrance as could be eff
fected in his staggering bathrobe OF
purple. gold and black. He slipped
into the arena while the last round
of the last preliminary was nearing
its tiresome finish and dropped into
n front row seat surrendered to him
by a spectator.
He was first into the ring. A
burst of applause greeted him. Nc
flicker of emotion slipped across his
face.
A minute later Dempsey jumped
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trunks. a white sweater buttoned
over his shoulders. He was a buo'
yant Dempsey; a laughing. confident
Dempsey; a Dempsey far different
to the champion who two years ago,
with worried glances from side to
side, stepped into tho ring in Jersey
City to face the renowned Georges
Carpenter Of France. He received
q laundering welcome.
Luis sat in his corner, as watchful
as a beast OF the Jungle with the
combat impending. He scowled as
Dempsey took his corner. Not for
a moment did he take those keen
eyes from the face OF the champion
His handlers loosed a d~eafenins
volume Of advise but F1rpo never
heard them,
Jack. squatting on his stool with
IN army blanket draped across his
knees, cast sidelong glances at the
crowd while his seconds rubbed his
muscles and fondled his ears as q
trainer might caress a race horse,
Once he jumped from his stool ane
danced up and down his corner tc
timber his leg muscles
Then the champion and challenger
were called to the center OF the ring
for q conference. a conference pro
tracted by Firpo's need OF an inter
pretor. They grew restless az tech
nicalities were expounded to them.
Then the gong.
The fighters New ut one another
like savages. Dempsey hurled him
self across the ring. slipping to on,
knee with the fury Of his rush which
the ropes Then a right to the body
and a left to tho jaw and the chal
lenger crashed TO the canvns
A short count and Firpo was agar
on his feet. His eyes shone witt
the fire OF battle as he iunged a
the man who had felled him.
Dempsey stood his ground. Fol-
the second and third times he
knocked his heavier opponent to the
floor. Firpo's mouth gushed blood
but tho champions ribs weatheret
from out
He drove his siedgehammer right
into Dempsey's ribs with a thud thai
could have been heard a block away
but the champions rigs weatheret
the blow and he returned the attack
with a fury that sent Firpo TO the
floor for a fourth time. A few
seconds and he was down again. thi,
time In Dempsey's corner. Thii
time It seemed as II he could moi
rise again. The champion stepped
over the fallen body OF his adversary
looking as II he thought the fraS
had ended. But Il hadn't.