The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-11-06

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their whizz-bang of battle.
It is all the more evidence of q
true champion, however, when a
man getting such jolts dogs past tbs
shock and takes the lead Of the
fighting again, forcing it to a sue.
cessful conclusion for himself.
But 1 digress. This article is
about "Firpo, the Man With 2
single Punch"
I'll never forget the first time ]
saw Firpo. 1t was down in a dark
cellar in Newark, and when / came
upon him he reminded me ever 80
much Of my childhood conception oi
the giant in Jack and the Bean
Stalk"
Firpo was stripped to the waist
and he was boxing-no. that isn't
the word-he was mauling a husky
negro who was acting as his sparrins
partner, named Respess.
You see, had been tipped off
that there was big South Ameri-
can In town who had all the ear
marks of 3 fighter. He was big
and powerful, and could chit like
. whole flock of piIedriVers." And
when walked in on him and he
suddenly doomed darkiy before me,
he certainly did impress me as .
dangerous looking customer.
One of the first things about him
that impressed me was his grim
ness. He had the look of a man
who had set his mind on accom-
plishing something, and had deter
mined to let nothing swerve him
from that accomplishment.
watched him in his workout
OF course, / saw a million and one
things that he was doing wrong, OF
that he was neglecting to do, but
also saw that he had a great
natural, powerful right. hand. II
showed promise. Among the fifth
the fourth. the third and even the
second-raters i could see that il
would create havoc.
Acting on my advice, Firpo was
taken down to Nutley, N. J., and
here he got his first rudiments OF
training as boxers do in the United
States. There always is a demand
for hard-hitting heavyweights. nc
matter how crude they are. They
can be used in prelfminaries and in
the smaller clubs.
just about this time there was
an epidemic of hard hitting bat
raw heavyweights in this neck OF
the woods. They included Sailor
Maxted, Joe Mccain, Italian JACK
Herman-these especially had dem
onstrated that they possessed ter
rifle lawmakers.
Maxted wanted to get on g
match and was willing to meet any
body. So it was an easy matter
TO get Firpo on with him. You
know, Firpo wasn't in the million
dollar gate" class then.
Well, It took Luis six rounds
20 get his waIIop over, and then
IL was goodnight. This was
great, and it was decided 10
nurse him along on the others
In that class. He had a little
more training and then took on
Mccain. Mccain had a terrific
haymaker at that time, and he
landed 1t on Luis and Topped him
to the canvas. For q while IL
looked like curtains for the Ito
reader" but our brave Luis got
up, forgot everything except to
lash out with his right, and he
dropped Mr.. Mccain as If he had
been pOle-axed.
Then came the first ''big dough,
This was offered to him by Dave
DriscolI, who was promoting bouts
at Ebbets Field at the time. D
course, Luis didn't get a forum,
for this battle, but it was in tn,
neighborhood of $1,000. and tina
was "beaucoup jack for Luis &
those days.
I'm not going to review Firpo'
career here. 1t is well known from
this point on.
Firpo is not as dumb as he looks
No disparagement is meant.
mean he is not as dumb as h
looks to us. Naturally, any on,
who cannot understand our tall
or whose lingo we can't readil!
understand, seems dumb" to US
But Firpo has studious mind
and he thinks good deal.
For instance, Ffrpo made it [
point to know all the hard hitters'
and all the eight hitters" among
men whom he Nigh be called upoI
to meet. He had a list of thes
heavyweights, and had them tab
uldISO ana CEdSSlIleO. ne kept Uni
list and studied it carefully, jus
as a good pitcher, imagine, Nigh
study the weaknesses and stronl
points of batters.
Perhaps 1t was his intention to
be careful in his selection Of Cd
pOnents. For Luis, it must be
recorded, had tasted the old X.
D. wallOp before Jack Dempsey
hung it on him. He was knocked
out by one Rodriguez i'm his own
Argentina. But this was early In
his fighting career.
Firpo is the greatest one-punc
fighter that ever lived. That's a
he has, a single punch, but it is
snasher, and it certainly has ca
ried him nearer the great goal {
the championship than many me
with twenty times his stuff in til
way of skill
When Firpo came under m
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