Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-12
BY TEX RICHARD.


~ NE of the most picturesque fig
ures to loom up in boxing for
many years was Luis Firpo,
~ the Argentinian. There was
much discussion and big di-
vision of opinion whether he was real
fighter with championship possibilities,
or merely a spectacular flash in the pan.
Nature gave Firpo the build and con-
! stitution of giant. don't think there
! was any doubt about Firpo being level
headed. There certainly can be no
question that he was game.
Damon Runyon, the sports writer,
dubbed this giant South American THE
Wild Bull of the Pampas." AS matter
of fact Firpo is a city-raised fellow and
I doubt If he knows much about the
PampaS Just the same, it was Won
derful name. It added all the more to
the picturesqueness of the big fellow. 1t
helped to make him a drawing card.
Firpo, by the way, was good Illus
tration of the fighter who always at
| tracts attention whether he be a really
great fighter or not. Long before the
big fellow had developed enough ability
| to compel fight with the champion
the public was growing more and more
anxious to see him. Any one reading the
newspapers and listening to the COM
| ment of boxing fans could sense that.
| The international flavor was always a
/ big factor in his drawing ability.
From the promoters point OF view
| Firpo was the richest looking prospect
! in the field at the time. was deter
mined to invest in him for big profits
sooner or later. The time arrived
sooner than expected.
Needed Little Boosting.
/ There has been much said and written
about the 'build-up'' for Firpo-that is,
the gradual talking up of fight to get
| the public interested. There was Moth
ing particularly brilliant or skillful in
building up interest in the big South
American. He built up himself by MS
ability to attract attention.
Incidentally, I have never known
anybody to have reputation without
having done something to earn it. A
man may live long on an established
reputation, but he must have done
something to get that reputation In the
beginning. The thousands of men who
have tried all their lives to get repu-
tation only to meet with failure can
appreciate this.
When we first heard the rumbles OF
the giant Argentinian, we thought 1t
Just another one of those things, as
they say in boxing vernacular. But
the IEulDlGS pcIoAStCO. WHICH CAAC SAnaAo
finally showed up, everybody was talk
ing about him Some attempted to
treat it. as a josh. Just the same. the
fans wanted to see him.
To feel the situation out we put
Firpo through preliminarieS. AS usual
these wound up eventually in a bout
with Bill Brennan, famous trial horse.
I wonder if boxing fans ever stopped
to think how valuable to the game Is
a man like Brennan. just short OF
q champion himself. Brennan was right
to put the stamp on somebody else.
Any man who could beat Bill Brennan
was pretty good.
We arranged a fight between Firpo
and Brennan at Madison Square Gar
den, March IL. That opened the eyes OF
the doubters The betting was 3 to /
against Firpo, and have heard Bren-
nan himself bet $500. The Argen-
tinian got. quite razz at the start
that night, but when the fight was over
thousands went away predicting that
he would be the next contender Tor
Dempsey's crown.
Made Firpo Mad.
In the fourth round Brennan landed
/ q vicious right on Firpo and then but
ted him over the eye. That bothered
the big fellow and he was pitiful
sight starting the fifth round. This
| happening had aroused Slumberlng
| giant as Brennan was soon to know.
'The Wild Bull of the Pampas" began
/ to roar. Still, Brennan, the skillful
old war horse, looked like winner
up to the twelfth round, then some
/ thing happened.
! Firpo rushed from his corner and
fairly snothered Bill with an attack.
Brennan could hardly get his arms up
! to ward off the assault. Finally Firpo
! landed a right on his jaw. AS Brennan
ducked Firpo cracked him behind the
ear with the rabbit punch, knocking
! him cold. Oddly enough, this was ex-
! actly the same punch, delivered in the
same round, that Dempsey had used to
I knock out Brennan.
Firpo was now a drawing card. How
! big figure he became in the hight
world every fan knows.
! copyright, 1929, by North American News
paper Alliance)