Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-07-13
FirpO Reaches Goal

LUIS Angel FlrpO, the dark proved
mauler from the Argentine. closed
the door to Wizards, attempt to re-
turn to fistic fame by knocking out
the giant former champion in the
eighth round Of a slashing battle
one of the greatest in recent heavy
weight history. Incidentally he
reached the goal at which he has
aimed for the past year of his
meteoric rise to prominence-a
match for the title with Jack Demp-
sey.
There was no question of the SUI
periority of the brilliant Argentine
! battler tonight. Wizards superior
weight, height and reach enabled the
big kansan to check Firpo's rushing
attacks in most of the early rounds
but. despite the Americans gameness
under fire, the tide of battle swung
inevitably in favor of the younger,
more rugged fighter.
The final round opened slowly
They spared at long range and there
was little hint that the end was near
But suddenly Firpo unleasheds saw
age drive to Wizards head and body
The fury of that attack had never
before failed to bring down the South
Americans quarry and Big Jess, de-
spite his towering size and stamina,
wilted. Step by step Willard gave
ground. trying almost blindly TO ward
off the volley of jolts to his head and
body. Backed up against the ropes
his head sank, then a right shot to
the head sent him to his knees. He
kneeled as Referee Harry Lewis
started counting. shaking his head
and trying to lift himself up. But
the waning strength in that great
hulk was unequal to the task and he
sank into the arms of his handlers at
the final count.
Four years ago Willard came up
after being knocked down seven
times in the first round of the fight
in which he lost his title to Jack
Dempsey. But while the same cour-
age remained today he could not
4: muster the strength to arise after
that devastating attack of Firpo's.
Firpo's greater speed and ability
J to attack his big target at more an
giles gave him an early advantage.
But the South American often dis
played bad judgment of distance and
this. coupled with Wizards ability to
block his opponents rushes, resulted
in little effective battling.
Willard, except for an occasional
| jab with his left, stayed on the de-
! fensive, waiting for a chance to shoot
in an uppercut. But Firpo, shifty
| object. gave him few opportunities.
! In the first Firpo cut Wizards ear
| and in the fourth he pummelled the
| big kansan about the ring with a
drive to the head. Jess absorbed
| heavy punishment but came back in
the next round with his only real Of
! fensive.
| Firpo backed to the ropes under a
| barrage of blows to the head but
| Willard failed to follow up his ad-
| vantage, brief as it was. He seemed
lethargic and hesitant to carry the
fight to his opponent.
| After that one flicker Of fire, Will
lard subsidized. Firpo paved the way
| for the end with a slashing attack in
the sixth, weakening the big KAN
san with rights to the body. Willard
| showed a few flashes of form in the
seventh but they were ineffective and
the end came in the eighth after one
minute and fifty-five seconds of fight
! ing.
| Thus ended a fight that has no
parallel in ring history for a boat in
which no championship was at
tached. But the fact that two Of the
most picturesque figures the game
has ever known-one a veteran trying
to scale the heights again and the
other a rugged. brilliant youngster-
were to fight for chance at the
| thrown now occupied by Dempsey,
| proved the greatest magnet of any
match in history.
| The main bout of the evening was
followed by flash of drama which
| on another occasion would have at
| tracted greater attention.
! Jack McAuliffe of Detroit. matched
to meet Floyd Johnson, the flashing
! heavyweight from Des Moines, was
/ knocked out in the first round of their
bout after a minute and four seconds
of fighting.
! johnson few from his corner at his
| opponent. There were a few slashing
blows. nearly all of them delivered by
Johnson. McAulffe retreated, but
Johnson caught his quarry and in an
! instant McAuliffe was fiat on his back
| He arose, only to be knocked half
! through the ropes in a sitting posture
by right to the jaw. Crawling back
into the ring he crouched by the ropes
and was unable to rise until Joe
/ jeanette. negro referee, had counted
| him out.
While he was crouching his handlers
| showered him with water and when the
bout ended hardly before it began
! numbers at the ringside thought he had