Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-09-16
FURY OF BIC BOUT
Shown IN MOVIES
Firpo Hit Champion Nine
Times With Right-Demp-
sey Helped Back to Ring.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, September 1.-THE
greatest battle in the history Of pu-
gilism was refought tonight. The
great first round Of the bout at the
Polo Grounds last night was shown
to newspaper men In slow motion
pictures, giving them a chance to re-
observe every detail of the battle
that in actually went so swiftly and
furiously that it was impossible to
keep account Of everything that hap
pened.
The pictures showed that Jack
Dempsey knocked Luis Angel Firpo
down seven times in the first round
Once the Argentine was fiat on his
back for the count of nine; another
time he was knocked to a sitting
posture and the other FIVE times he
was either on his hands and knees or
his hands alone touched the canvas.
On these five knockdowns Firpo did
not take count. 1t was explained
that he could not understand English
ard he was taking no chances on the
referee reaching ten before he was
on his feet again.
Dempsey Tigerish.
Dempsey fought like tiger in that
first round, taking every advantage
of his South American opponnt-
Scarcely had Firpo's hands left the
canvas when the champion rushed In
and pounded him with those terrific
hooks that crashed again and again
against Firpo's skull. When Firpo
was knocked fat on his back he lay
near a corner. The champion stepped
over his PROSTATE form waiting. AS
Firpo' started to rise after the sixth
knockdown, Dempsey circled around
him like a great cat. keeping behind
his adversary. As Firpo turned and
tried to face Dempsey as he rose,
Dempsey kept behind, then when he
he sprang at his opponent, soon send
ing him crashing to the canvas again.
The pictures also show the tremen-
dous power that lay behind that right
of Firpo's. The first blow Firpo hit
Dempsey caused the champions
knees to sag. Firpo hit the cham
pion nine straight times with his
right just before Dempsey went
sprawling through the ropes and into
the laps Of newspapermen. Those
rights came one after another, re-
lentlessly powerful, each driving the
champion nearer and nearer to the
edge OF the ring. AS the eighth
crashed into Dempsey's jaw his head
dropped and his knees wobbled.
From the pictures it appeared that
the eighth blow had finished Demp-
sey. Many of those who saw them
believed that had Firpo let the cham
pion go on to the canvas after that
blow. he might not have gotten up.
At least. they said, it would have
given the challenger an excellent OPP
portunity to let loose with another
smashing blow that could have writ
ten dnis to the struggle when the
champion was on his feet again.
May Have Been Shove.
But the ninth blow sent Dempsey
into the realm of the spectators and
1t was agreed that a newspaper mans
lap is softer than the floor of prize
ring. There was much controversy
Immediately after thet fight as to
whether It was a push or punch that
sent Dempsey, with his arms and
legs flying in the air. out of the ring.
It was hard TO tell, even from the
slow pictures. II was not a swift,
decisive blow such as the others that
had come In contact with the man
killer, Yet, 1t was not a shove. To
the average man 1t would have been
swift and decisive enough, but to
Dempsey-it may have been a shove.
The real showing came as Dempsey
struggled back into the ring. He
half crawled through the ropes and
the newspaper men who sat with
their heads just above the level of
the floor, pushed him through.
Once in the ring again and facing
the wild BULL" Dempsey took thirteen
straight blows before he was able to
return one. Firpo sent one after
another at the champion who finally
fell into a clinch and swung rights
(continped on Page .. Column 81