The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-09-16
CRITICS HAIL LUIS FIRPO AS MOST DANGEROUS MAN
 DEMPSEY HAS EVER BOXED
Dempsey Fought Best And Most Savage Fight Of His Career, RingSiderS All Agree

ciated Press. )--Jack Dempsey and Luis Angel Firpo have not settled their title feud despite the worlds champion smashing victory over hls Argentine rival last night at the Polo Grounds in swirling, cyclonlc drama unparalleled in ring annals.
 Firpo, in defeat, was acclaimed by critics as more dangerous challen- ger than ever and tonight Tex Rick ard announced he already had plans under way for second championship light between these two mighty eladiators. 1t cannot take place be- lore next summer, the promoter de- cared, but if 1t materializes, he hopes to stage the match about July 1, 1924, probably in New York.
 Meanwhile Rickard added, he is ready to Caatch Firpo and Harry wins, New Orleans negro, who has been clamoring for a title maton with Dempsey TOT more than a year. The promoter who has already signed firpo to contract to fight Wills, preferably next April In the Argen- tine. said he would seek Wills sig nature to a check and guarantee the victor d bout with Dempsey. Wills so far, however has turned a deaf to Richards proposal preferring to press his claims tor a fight with the champion.
 One factor - inexperience = was chiefly responsible for Firpos down fal, experts agreed today, and the giant south American, recognizing his own short comings, intends to take no chance of being unprepared again.
 T will want at least three months of training before l fight anyone" said Luis today. as he sat with a few friends in an apartment ae Fifty first street and Broadway while a throng of 1000 massed themselves n r,I Ia e nf inc blocking traffic for blocks in their eagerness to catch sight of the Argentine: Do l want to fight Demp sey again? Certainly" declared FIrpo, but I will be ready next time and-who knows-there may be a different story"
 The Argentine's own summary of his case dOvetailS with the consensus of expert boxing opinion tonight. Had F'irpo possessed the ring knowledge, the experience to have followed up swiftly and accurately his advantage when, after being himself fIoored five times. in the first round he lifted Dempsey from the floor with ter rife right and sent the champion flying through the ropes-had the challenger shot home but one sure punch us the title holder reeled on the brink of defeat, new king might have ruled the heavyweight domain today
 Dempsey was never greater, ob- servers are convinced. The champion fought and won savage, furious battle in manner that stamped him among the greatest ring men of all 1ime-a master stretigist, Tightening light on attack and deadly in the power of his short ripping hooks, ueliVered from any angle and with either fist Dempsey had two weap- ons 10 kirpo's one and he made good use of this advantage.
 But for that fraction of the first round when he was beaten first to one knee by powerful right and then hurled through the ropes on top 1 of newspapermen ringing the ring with another banishing swing, he was closer to losing his crown than at any time in the tour years he had held it. Willard had shaken Demp- | sey with a right upper cut in the third round of their title fight at Toledo in 1919, Carpentier, the idol of France, sent the champion back on his heels with famous right" at Boyles Thirty Acres two years ago, but last night Dempsey was within an eyelash of being out for the final count.
 No more convincing proof of the gripping tensfty, .the whirlwind slashing pace set by 4the 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 57 seconds of fighting.
 Veteran newspapermen, ring fol- lowers, for score or more years, sat spell bound and inarticulate at the amazing spectacle unfolded before them Such action was impossible for the human eye to follow and rec ord accurately and thus today there axe many and varied stories of some of the tensest moments of the strug
 
 only hhe unerring cameras eye will discose all that was packed in that round and a third of epochal fighting.
 Experts generally agreed however, that Tirpo was knocked down for counts, five times in the first round and twice in the second round, be- fore final right hook sent hIm spraNling Dn his back for the eight and last time. Some credited the champion with scoring seven knoc1<- downs in the .irst round, including two when 1t seemed the challenger sagged tt the knees, but did not go down for the count.
 Firpo, 1t was revealed today by promoter Rickard, fought Dempsey with the. handicap of an injured left arm that had bothered him to such an eN Ntent three weeks before that the challenger wanted to postpone the match. The exact extent of the injury, which developed while Firpo was in trAinins at Atlantic City has not becG determined but 1t IS be- levcd tp be a contraction or the muscles or fragments at the elbow.
 The brief let-up in Fiji pos train- Ing program, Was due, Packard de- clared 70 a desire by Trainer LaVelle to attem9to to bring rne arm around into Condition by giving rest, and though little improvement was shown m .riliSt was peTsuadCd that a de- ] Jay in the fight was not necessary on that account. throughout the lat ter part of his framing. Flrpo suf- | fered intense pain from his arm in | lparing workouts and last night his left, though it never has been the | strongest poirt his defensive or of- fensive armor, was practically use- less.
 This afternooo Firpo bared his arm 10 show how it was swollen and | stiff He conld rot bend it naturally | without distress. He intends to have | an X-ray examination made tomor- | TOW and consult q specialist as to the | best treatment it needs Until it Is | Thoroughly mended he will do no more fighting, he declared.
 But aside from his arm, Firpo bore | no mark of battle except for a slight | swelling where his lips were cut | The champions body blows never | harmed him the Argentine said. It was the fussilade to his chin and head that brought him down at least l eight times.
 Dempsey, who indulged in busy dAy in contrast to the seclusion his antagonist sought, bor9 q diseolored eye as evidence ot the cofnllct. but otherwise was unmarked The cham poin, followed by cheering throngs wherever he went. devoted most of f<,st f a