The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-09-03
By FORD C. FRTcK.

him champion" about the Argen-
tinian today. He's just a kid, mop.
Ing in the corner, pining for the
white lights and the glamor Of
For q cave man and a
Luis has learned
his lesson very quickly indeed.
He's only q homesick kid, wear.
led Of the routine Of camp life,
sickened Of the boredom of still
nights and whispering pine trees;
a bit unnerved by the long hours
Of utter idleness that bring their
Of legal entanglements
and Canon Chases to hover over
him.
It's too bad.
But unless this writer misses
his guess entirely il will take the
combined efforts of Tex Rickard,
Frank F1ournOy and all the
Firpoian hackers to keep the erst.
while caveman In camp until
time for the Wills fight. He
wants Broadway and the white
lights, and he has given notice
that he intends to clear out and
finish his work somewhere on
FOrty.second street" just now
a twenty.fOur hour truce pre-
walls, but after that?
Hoy es hoy! Manana, quien
sabe?" as we say in the Spanish.
Don't misunderstood us. Luis
Firpo is taking the Wills fight
seriously. His star Of destiny wal
a bit upset by that Dempsey battle
but his personal pride was hurt
and he demands revenge. Wills
Is a stone in his path Of progress
and must be removed.
And once in the ring, with thu
smell, of blood in his nostrils ant
the grind of resin beneath his feet
he's the same old Firpo. Thi
writer watched him yesterday
watched him through four desul
tory rounds with his husky spar
ring partners and back again Their
came flooding the vision of tina
hectic September night when Lui
Firpo reached his greatest glory.
There's the same intentness o
attack, the same bulging tangle o.
striving muscle, the same CLEAN
ing eyes that peer like glowing
Goals through the shroud-like mas
of his face.
Dead Pan Louie" Tad called
/ him, and what an apt name 1t Is
There in the ring, sparring, slash
/ ing. driving; blocking, his plaste
face has all the expression Of l
painted horse on a fair groun
! merry-go-round. Going in or step
ping back. hitting or being hit
that face never changes expression
1t Is immobile as a stone statue
as expressionless as marble slal
with cheese cloth. .
FhpO has improved, though,
since that Dempsey fray. He has.
first Of all, adopted q sort Of
Dempsey Weave-crude and unde-
vel0ped, but none the less useful.
! And he has learned something
about protecting himself in the
clincheS, though compared to an
expert boxer he has the grace Of
an elephant sparring a gazelle.
But he's improving-and he's i
deadly earnest about the figh
What is more he lends ear to tn
advice Of his handlers and seem
willing to be taught. For tw
rounds yesterday he worked wit
his left hand and he used it IL
something more than a POST Q
steering rudder for his pondero j
bulk. too.
His right, Of course. is TYPICAL
Firpo. The swing that broueh
cocoanuts hurting out Of trees |
another age is inbor1 in the FL
poian makeup. You may as we
try to stop Niagara or jump til
Grand Canyon with a vaulting pei
as attempt to change that.
But he's an interesting chAract
is this Luis Angel Figpo --in:eret
ing and unusual. And he's a figh
er, too, make no mistake abo,
that.
It's too bad. though, about tn
| touch of Americanism. 1t b,
spoiled him in many ways. It hi
stolen away his color and his pc
sonality, It has made him a b
6rab and childish. You can't civiln
race in q century. but you ca
ruin a cave man in q generation.
The Wild Bull Of the Pampas-