San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-11
Scrapper Trained
in Secret for Left-handed
Defense Against Willard,
Used Southpaw for Moth
ing Else Until Signal and
Then Trimmed Jess With
1t.
By ROBERT EDGREN.

IlUs, lOW ttAS IL Vul AheN hN PAN
something new over on jess Willard
and the spectators at Boyles Thirty
Acres when Luis Angel Firpo knocked
the big fellow out. De Forrest traded
Firro's eft arm Cor Wizards right.
Willard wasn't consulted. This is the
inside story.
Everyone around thu ring that night
was wondering what had become of
two much-advertised punches, Firpo's
"ncw" left and Wizards deadly right
uppercut.
Firpo used only one effective left
hand punch up TO the last round, and
Wizards few straight rights and right
uppercuts hardly attracted attention.
In his fight two months before.
Willard fairly slaughtered Floyd John
son with his right hand. Yet after
the first two or three rounds he de-
pended entirely on his left TO reach
Firpo.
Firpo used a good lift for the body
against McAuliffe in May, and in all
his training for the Willard fight he
used the left as mucf as the right.
He seemed to be developing very
fair punch with his left hand, good
long left, with stiff, Earring snap at
the moment of delivery. Naturally.
everyone who watched him at work
thought he'd use that left on Will
lard.
Where These Hands Went.
This is what happened TO Firpo's
left and Wizards right. due TO the
crafty planning of Jimmy the Fox DE
Forrest.
Jimmy had Firpo in secret train
ing for an hour each morning. In
the afternoon Firpo showed the news
papermen and other spectators his
beautiful new left jabs and hooks.
But il the morning, with only Firpo
and DE Forrest i'll the room, there was
no left jabbing or left hooking.
Instead, DE Forrest had Firpo hold
ing his left arm horizontally before
his chest. elbow elevated, lifting the
arm suddenly or striking down with
it to block or slap aside two blows.
The first movement was designed
to break the force of a high down
curving right, the punch with which
Willard knocked johnson dizzy in the
second round and kept him that way.
The second movement-a downward
sweep of the horizontal left forearm
was to strike and break the force OF
a long uppercut deliv red almost at
arms length. the blow that is Will
lard's specially, with which he gave
Floyd the coup de grace.
Just Snapped Hand for Hand.
In short. Jimmy DE Forrest worked
out one of the foxiest plans ever ussd
in the ring. Firpo's poorest hand was
his left. still only half educated. Viii
lard's best hand was his right, which
was his only knockout carrier, his
long left being merely good for teas
ing end Earring and annoying until it
made an opening for tie right.
If Firpo used his newly-discovered
left lead he'd surely leave himself open
for Wizards crossing right or the
right uppercut. No nourishment in
that,
So De Forrest planned trade. He'd
,, give Firpo's left arm for Wizards
right.
That would leave Willard only his
left hand to fight with, Firpo only
his right. But Firpo's right was his
natural fighting hand anyhow. The ex-
change was all in his favor.
OF course. Willard didn't know
about the trade. That's WHY Firpo
was trained in private an hour each
morning. If Jesse knew there was a
trade going OH he might find some way
to break it up. 1t was n one-sided
trade.
In short, Firpo was coached to CO..
tinually use his left arm TO block or
strike down two blows. Wizards
straight right and Wizards right up
percut. Meanwhile FirpC was to use
his own right hand as effectively as
possible pounding at Wizards ribs as
near the heart as he could reach.
Had to Stick to II.
He was not to use the left for hit
ting under any circumstances until
De Forrest told him TO. The success
of his plan depended upon sticking
to it. One Of Wizards uppercuts,
coming through n wide 'pening, might
upset everything.
That is why, all through the fight,
we were all wondering what had be-
come of Firpo's left. It's true he
seemed to be using it to slap blows
aside. but he never Strengthened his
arm 10 hit. Only once, in a mixup.
he drove a hard left into Wizards
body. Perhaps for the moment he
/ forgot.
Time and again. trying to shoot
over a straight right or whip an up-
percut TO Firpos chin, Willard felt
an iron forearm strike eavily against
his wrist, dashing the blow aside.
And at the same Loment Firpo
would Iunge in with a fierce smash
at the giants body.
Those punches along Wizards side,
Just clear of the pro Getting left ell
bow. also made il hard for him to
use his right hand freely. To use the
right he'd have to turn his body
toward the front. I'D turning that
wey might let Firpo sink one into
the pit of Wizards stomach instead
of landing it on his much harder ribs.
Before leaving he dressing room for
the ring De Forrest talked earnestly
to Firpo. He didn't need an inter-
prefer for what he sa a., FirpO know
that much English. 1t wa. just "Nev-
er the eft. Luis-never tine left." 1t
was still secret instruction. of course.
lust between Firpo and De Forrest.
No LET'S Until Seventh.
sat close TO Firpo's corner. De
Forrest. talked to FirpC between
rounds, advised him briefly. But up
to the seventh he never told Luis to
hit with his left hand.
Luis was using that perfectly ac-