Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-13
BY TEX RICHARD.
Tin collaboration with Bozeman Bulgel

New York Polo Grounds fight
Il when knockdowns between
Dempsey and Firpo were so fire.
quent that nobody was able to count
them.
And the greatest thrill of all was
when the big, hairy-chested South
American actually knocked the Ameri-
can champion out of the ring, clear OF
the ropes and into the laps of news
paper men who were trying to describe
over the wires what was going on.
This thrill was even greater than the
sigh of satisfaction when Dempsey
finally floored the Argentine giant and
saved the championship.
When the knockout came the inten-
sity of the excitement had slightly SUBJ
sided. To this day I doubt if anybody
knows Just how many knockdownS were
scored. For the newspaper men-even
the coolest and most expert--to give a
clear account of that battle as 1t pro-
gressed was almost impossible.
Never yet have found boxing en-
thusiast who did not say that was the
greatest thrill of his life as a fight fan.
The whole thing burst on the fans be-
fore they were prepared for 1t. Instead
of trying each other out, proceeding
cautiously, these two men waded into
each like cave men swinging stone axes.
There was no fine art, no entertaining
exhibition of skill 1t was sock, sock,
sock, and devil take the hindmost!
had expected Firpo to put up bet
ter fight than many others predicted. l
never dreamed of anything like that,
though.
All Lost Bearings.
know very we'll that I completely
lost my hearings Thrills came SO hard
and fast that there was no time for
analysis. Right near me sat veteran
fight reporter For an hour he had
been pecking away on small, portable
typewriter. Suddenly there came a
kiockdown. The fighter got up, and
swinging from his shoestrings, hattened
his opponent. Again and again this
was repeated.
Some say there were seven distinct
knock5owns, Other say more and
others say less. I am of the opinion
that nobody knows.
AS If raised by some forced beneath
up the whole crowd was suddenly lifted
to its feet. Two men landed on the
somewhat .rickety table, on which the
reporter had his typewriter. In q second
the typewriter, bent and twisted, was
hurled across the benches and beneath
the ring. Men were walking on each
others heads and shoulders. The
seconds were yelling and bowling.
In what is the regular press box OF
the Polo Grounds, we had seated a
number of the extra newspaper men
writers for whom there was no space
Immediately al the ringside. I hap
pened to glance over that way.
There Is wire screen IN front OF
this regular press box. Even in the
r - n k<x5
of newspaper n1en-fellowS who seldom
show excitement--ha climbed up this
wire screen. BY their fingers they were
hanging and scratching trying TO get
q better hold.
One friend of mine, a regular boxing
enthusiast. who is lame, sat in an ex-
pensive seat few rows from the ring
side. He had no chance at all.
1T was a great affair" he told me
afterward, ssbut ] never did see any part
of the fight. When the big excitement
started, people crawied all over me.
: With my lame leg couldn't compete
with them, I simply sat there. help
Ing to hold up The boys who had gone
cuckoo / always viii regret not hav-
ing seen that fight"
Jack Socked From Ring.
There are some who insist to this
day that Dempsey was pushed out OF
the ring. Others say he was hit a
terrific blow that actually lifted him on
his feet and over the ropes, ] am In
clined to lean to the latter opinion,
especially after my talk with Jack
Dempsey. There is no doubt about
Dempsey having been hit.
For years to come suppose the argyll
ment will continue whether Dempsey
got back into the ring himself or.
whether he was assisted by newspaper
men into whose laps he had fallen
The Firpo adherents say that Dempsey
should have been disqualified because
he didn't get back into the ring with
out assistance. I give it up. ! don't
know. What's more don't think any,
body else knows II do know that Demp-
sey scrambled back. and Immediately
started seeking again. Dempsey HIM
self has no clear idea how he got back.
To him the rest of the fight was a
blur, perhaps even the victory.
I have not Dempsey's word for it
that he did not know he had won the
fight until told about it in the dressing
room-but I understand that a news
paper man was present when one OF
Dempsey's seconds remarked, patting
the champion on the back:
Boy, that was fght"
The dazed champion is said to have
asked his second, who won?"
Dempsey Didn't Know.
According to the story, Dempsey had
q kind of half-conscious feeling that
the championship was slipping away
as he took that header out Of the ring.
1t is said that he fought instinctively
and that he was still uncertain about
things when it was all over.
This ! regard as the best evidence
in the world that Jack Dempsey was
the greatest fighting man: of his size
history has ever known. Not only Is
he clever fighter, but he is an in
stinctive fighter. Even with his mind
in blur he goes right on through the
mechanical motions. He Is fighter
at heart. Dempsey knows no such thing
as being licked as long as he can move
his arms and legs.
Yes, the thrill of the Firpo-Dempsey
fight will last me as long as live.
never expect to see anything again like
that scene at the Polo Grounds that
Summer night.
tcopyright, 1929. by North american News
Next: why Rickard Opposed q
Dempsey-Wills Fight. The First Demp-
sey-Tunney Meeting"
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