San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-15
Nine Knockdowns in Three
Minutes and 81 Sec
onds Of Battle.
LUIS LOSES LIKE MAN
Floored Time and Again,
He Sends Conqueror
Through Ropes Once.
By the Associated Press.

NOW lOfk, Sept. Io.-Jach Temp
sey and Luis Firpo fought last night
for the heavyweight crown of the
world as two cavemen in prehistoric
days might have battled on the edge
of cliff-and Firpo lost.
But he lost like a man, fighting
TO the last agonizing gasp-more glor-
ious in defeat than ever he had been
before in victory.
Knocked out in three minutes and
So seconds of the most furious fight
ing ever recorded in ring history. in
which he was floored seven times but
managed to send the champion crash
ing through the ropes after battering
him to his knees, the sturdy son OF the
Argentine still gazes with determined
eyes on the crown which Dempsey
barely saved by right uppercut
which stretched Firpo flat on his
back. -.
"In a year I'll be back again"
he declared. when, lifted to his feet by
the man who had floored him. he stag
xered uncertainty to his dressing room.
Losing fighters have made that
statement before, and have been laugh
ed at for their pains. but not so with
Luis. A vast majority of the $4,000
who witnessed the battle believed him.
and Tex Richard, the man who put
on the fight, stated he was ready to
stage another Firpo-Dempsey battle
next summer, or match the Argentin-
can tomorrow against Harry Wills,
the hard-hitting negro who has been
itching for a fight with Dempsey.
VIII BE Heard From.
"Firpo is not done for yet" assert
ed Richard. "He will be heard from
again. He is big, strong, young fell
low and terrific fighter"
The battle was perhaps the most
dramatic in the history of pugilism,
even eclipsing the terrific affray in
Toledo in 1919 when Dempsey tore
the laurels from the bloody head Of
Jess Willard. Into less than four
minutes was crowded more action
usually than is spread over Is rounds.
The crowd realized they were gazing
upon no ordinary boxers; they were
Z witnessing an elemental, gripping,
nerve-shaking battle between two great
fighting men, to whom the verb "to
I. quit" was unknown.
{ The challenger made as inconspicu-
Gus an entrance as could be effected IN
his staggering bathrobe of purple,
yellow and black. He slipped into the
/ arena while the last round of the last
| preliminary was wearing to its tire
/ some finish and dropped into a front
| row seat surrendered to him by a
! spectator.
! He was first into the ring. A burst
| OF applause greeted him. No flicker
! of emotion slipped across his face.
I A minute later Dempsey jumped
through the ropes, clad in white
trunks, a white sweater buttoned
4 over his shoulders. He was a buoyant
Dempsey; laughing, confident Demp-
eey: a Dempsey far different to the
champion who two years ago. with
worried glances from side to side STEP
ped into the ring in Jersey City to
/ face the renowned Georges Carpenter
of France. He received laundering
welcome.
l.. Just Gazed at Dempsey.
P Luis sat in his corner as watchful
! ms a beast Of the jungle with the COM
bat Immediately pending. He scowled
as Dempsey took his corner. Not for
I a moment did he take those keen, dark
ewes from the face of the champion.
| His handler, too, said defeaning
( volume of advice, but Firpo never
heard them.
Jack, squatting on his stool with an
army blanket draped across his knees
cast sidlong glances at the crowd
while his seconds rubbed his muscles
and fondled his ears as trainer might
caress a race horse. Once he jumped
from his stool and danced up and
down in his corner to timber his lee
muscles.
Then champion and challenger were
IL 81 nf 4 h faNs O
conference, conference protracted by
Firpo's need of an interpreter. They
grew restless as technialities were ex
pounded to them.
Then the gong.
The fighters flew at one another
like savages. Dempsey hurled himself
across the ring, slipping to one knee
with the fury of his rush which car
ried the South American against thu
ropes. Then a right to the body ant
left to the jaw and the challenge
crashed to the canvas.
A short count and Firpo again wa
on his feet. His eyes shone with tn
fire of battle as he lunged at the mai
who had felled him.
Dempsey stood his ground. For tn
second and third times he knoc&e
> his heavier opponent TO the floor
Firpo's mouth gushed blood. blu
though stunned, he was far from out
He drove his sledge-hammer RICH
into Dempsey's ribs with a thud tina
could have been heard a block away
But the champions ribs weathere
the blow. and he returned the attac
: with a fury that sent Firpo to th
floor for the fourth time. A few sec
onds, and he was down again. thu
time in Dempsey's corner. This tim
IL seemed as II he could not rise agai.
The champion stepped over the fallei
body of his adversary looking as
he thought the fray had ended.
But it hadn't. With the count o