Evening star., 1923-09-16


chiefly responsible for Firpo's down
fall, experts agreed today, and the
giant South American. recognizing
his own SHORTCOMINGS. intends to take
no chance of being unprepared again,
81 will want at least three months
or training before | fight any one,
said Luis today, as he sat with a
few friends in an apartment at 51st
street and Broadway while a throng
of 2.0O0 masSed themselves around
the outside of the building, blocking
traffic for blocks, in their eagerness
to catch sight of the Argentine.
DO l want to fight Dempsey
again? Certainly" declared FirpO,
but I will be ready next time and
who knows-there may be different
story"
The Argentine's own summary of
his case dovetails with the consen-
Eus of expert boxing opinion tonight.
Had Firpo possessed the ring knoWl-
edge. the experience to have followed
up swiftly and accurately his ad-
vantage when after being himself
fioored five times in the first round.
he lifted Dempsey from the floor with
terrific right and sent the champion
flying through the ropes--had the
challenger shot home hut one sure
punch as the titleholder reeled on the
brink of defeat new king might
have ruled the heavyweight domain
today.
Dempsey was never greater, OBJ
servers are convinced. The champion
fought and won savage, furious
battle III a manner that stamped him
among the greatest ring men of all
time-a master strategist. lightning
like on attack and deadly in the
power of his short ripping hooks. de-
lfvered from any angle and with
either fist. Dempsey had two weapons
to Ffrpo's one. and he made good use
or this advantage.
But for that fraction Of thu
round when he was beaten first to
one knee by a powerful right then
hurtled through the ropes on top OF
newspaper. men fringing the ring,
with another bone crushing swing. he
was closer to losing hiszerown than
at any time in the four years he has
held it. Willard had shaken Dempsey
with right uppercut in the third
round of their title fight at Toledo in
1913; Carpenter. the idol of France,
sent the champion back on his heels
with a famous right at Boyleis
Thirty Acres. two years ago. but last
night Dempsey was within an eye
lash of being out for the final count.
Ringsiderx Were SpeIIbOund. =
No more convincing proof of the
gripping tensity. the whirlwind,
slashing pace set by the two battlers
in the first round can be gained than
the fact that no two ringsiders agreed
as to the exact details of the three
minutes and fifty-seven seconds of
fighting. Veteran newspaper men.
ring followers for score or more
years. sat spellbound and inarticulate
at the amazing spectacle unfolded
before them. Such action was impos-
sible for the human eye to follow and
record accurately and thus today
there are many and varied stories of
some of the tensest moments of the
struggle. Only the unerring cameras
eye will disclose all that was packed
IN that round and third of epochal
lighting.
Experts generally agreed that F'irpo
was knocked down for counts five
times in the first round and twice
in the second round. before a final
right hook sent him sprawling on
his back for the eighth and last time,
. Some credited the champion with
scoring seven knockdowns in the first
round, Including two when It seemed
the challenger sagged at the knees,
hut did not go down for a count. y
Firpo. it was revealed today by
Promoter Rickard, fought Dempsey
with the handicap of an injured left
arm that had bothered him to such an