The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-09-12
Chin
Title Race
Is Started
Dempsey and Firpo Quit
Shaving Until After Friday
Bout-Bull Of Pampas
Is Grunting Champ.
Kearns Counting Coin
BY FRED S. HUNTER.
Staff Correspondent The Omaha Be


pendous importance came out OF the
rival training camps today, and
sporting circles here are all aflutter
Dempsey and Firpo have quit shaw
ing until after the fight. Thus will
the first skirmish in the conflict fol
the heavyweight championship of the
world go to the gladiator who sue
ceeds in propagating the most fero
cious looking whiskers.
Students of pugilism tell us that
there is sound reasoning behind this
scheme of outrageous hirsute adorn
ment. They say that a stubble OF
black beard helps prevent annoying
cuts in the face from chopping blows
Yet, we recall distinctly that Tommy
Gibbons not long ago came into q
20-foot ring Chats correct, that's al
the law allows in MontanaO with the
clean, pink tinted cheeks of baby
and he didn't fare so badly.
Dempsey Has Experience.
But no matter. Dempsey and F'irpo
are determined to fight 1t out for the
whisker championship, and no doubt
the race will be close, although the
,,odds probably are with Dempsey, who
has had much experience in this line
There is one honor. however, thai
we venture to predict Firpo will re
tain without greatly exerting him
self That's the grunting champion
ship. We have no hesitancy or feai
of contradiction in right now declar
ing Firpo the long distance gruntint
champion of the universe.
Looie also is no slouch at grittine
his teeth.
Every time the terrible toreado
go, he first grits his teeth. ther
swings and grunts. The swing ma,
miss-most often it does-but tn,
grunt, never. Omaha fans will re
member how Luis grunted in the latt
unpleasantness with Homer Smith
He was big league grunter then
and now he has improved 1000 pei
cent. His grunts in the training
camp at Atlantic City almost drowr
out the boom of the surf on tn,
beach.
Dempsey Outpointed.
Dempsey has been known to d,
some grunting as he slips home hi,
left hook, but it never was in this
class with Firpo's and that's one
point where the champion may as
we'll make up his mind he will be
outpointed.
- A new arrival in New York toda.
was Mons. Jack Kearns, the famous
financier, who did so much to solve
the financial problems of the stat
of Montana. kearns is not expected
to duplicate his Montana coup II
New York. The bucket shops herr
have beaten him to it,
kearns has left the Dempsey CAM
and will remain here until after th'
fight. He has much to do. His mos
sey's end which, judging from thu
advance sale of tickets. probably viii
keep him fairly busy until after Fri
day.
Tapar Off Training.
Both Dempsey and Firpo have be
gun to taper off their training. ant
Wednesday likely will see little rea
work done in either camp. Ther
Thursday, with the exception Of a lit
tie exercise, will be a day OF rest.
Dempsey has been working his heat
Oft in the training camp. whereas
Firpo has been taking things about
as easily as he dared.
Esf,-,o 10. -
tense dislike for training that mos
fighters have. Dempsey, no doubt
possesses the same feeling but he /.
able to overcome 1t, although it i,
true that Dempsey seldom obtains
sparring partners capable OF making
him go at top speed. His sparrinf
partners at Saratoga have been ol
the usual calibre and quite unequa
TO the task OF improving the cham
pion's boxing powers in any way.
l.. The same applies to Firpo's camp
only more so. In addition, Firpo ha,
shirked his other responsibilities, par
ticularly road work. Dempsey doe.
do road work. He goes on the roat
each morning and he runs.
Firpo's Eyes Good.
Firpo has been doing his road work
on the board walk and he merely
jogs along or walks. Mostly he walks
Firpo has keen eyesignt and one II
better able to appreciate the attrac
tions OF the beach at Atlantic City
when proceeding at a most leisurely
gait Firpo also did little exercising
via the wheel-chair route. which Il
admirable exercise for a lazy man OIL
a sufferer from chronic rheumatism
II Friday nights championship
fight Is destined to go the full dis
tance OF Is rounds, it's cinch Demp
sey is the better prepared OF the two
to keep going at full speed.
Like most all other experts, Tom
my Gibbons today cut loose with 9
prophesy on the outcome Of the bout
He predicts the Argentlnian will pass
out OF the picture within six rounds
Tommy declares Firpo is over
matched, that he hasn't had the ex
perlence. that he lacks the speed, etc
In other words. Tommy In intimatinf
that he himself could take Louis An
gel to a trimming. Well. maybe he
can.