BOXING.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 September 1923, Page 4

BOXING.

J'TRPO OPTED IN SECOND ROUND. DEMPSEY'S SPEED DECIDING FACTOR. AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. NEW YORK, Sept. It. The light between Jack Dempsey of U.S.A.. and Luis Firpo, from Argentina, resulted in Dempsey retaining his title as champion boxer of the world. Dempsey knocked mil Firpo in the second round.

Few fights, with perhaps the exception of Dempsey’s encounter with Carpontk’r, have carried with them so much of the psychological element as the Deinpsey-Firpo contest. Firpo is a man whose leputation rests on his nervelessness, and his utter lack of sensibility. which is only occasionally broken through by an unforseen, incomprehensible llasli of demoniac ferocity. Dempsey, on the other hand, is an individual who is known to light olton sheerly on his nerve.' The situation in the contest, consequently, was one truly comparable to the onset of a macniim against a human being, the single point of similarity between the

pair being the contestants’ vast strength, and even in this respect, the men differ in the matter of control, Dempsey having a superiority. It was this fact, perhaps, more than anything else which centred the interest of the world on both men as they entered the ring to-night. Tlieie v.as a good deal of disorder among the croud, who were trying to break the police line and both foot and mounted police acre obliged to use their batons freely, before order was restored. A i'KELIMIN'A RY. The first preliminary bout was between Dan Bright, an English heavyweight, and Leo Brown, of Australia. Bright knocked out his opponent in 5S seconds, with a right to the jaw, MEN ENTER THE RING. Firpo came to the ringside while the

; last round of the preliminary was end- ) ing. The challenger was received wit! . some slight cheering. It is estimated that there were ninety thousand people present. Dempsey and Firpo entered the ring almost simultaneously. The challenger scowled at Dempsey, who, however, appeared not to notice him. Then Dempsey was given an ovation as he prepared. Firpo also bad a tremendous reception, ns lie bowed to the crowd. As soon as the light started, Dempsey missed with bis right, and thereupon Firpo dug bis right to Dempsey’s body. Then Dempsey floored Firpo with a right to the cliiit. but the challenger came up to his l'eet again immediately. Firpo went to the floor again under a hard right, but did not take the count. Dompse.v bowled Firpo over again and when lie got up. Dempsey chased him about the ring. Dempsey caught and floored him a fourth time. Firpo then knocked Dempsey through the ropes, and from the effects of that punch

. , Dempsey came back into the ring grogJ gy. Firpo then found his jaw with his , j sledgehammer right, bringing the Mood. ; Firpo however, was again sent It) the floor by Dempsey. When he got up, ; Dempsey hooked his left to Firpo*s chin. ; then he drove his fists to Firpo’s body, and Firpo fell to the floor. Bleeding and groggy the Argentinian staggered to his feet. Then Dempsey landed left and right hooks to the chin, knocking his opponent tint on his hack. The referee began liis count. and Dempsey, being nervous rushed over and aided his fallen foe to rise. Then Dempsov trotted to his own corner. ROUND ONE. One description of the first round says:—A pair of mastodonic animals. I let loose in a barred arena, could not j have given the crowd a more uncxFooted spectacle than these two men. I They literally battered each other as j with pile-driven blows, that seemed beyond human strength to withstand. It was without precedent in ring history to see .so much tremendous hitting from the very start. Firpo was floored so many times that it was exactly difficult to keep count. lie thudded to the padded floor like a fallen tower, only to rise again, sometimes lie rose with surprising speed. At other times he got up slowly, taking the count cf nine, and then lie showed what- a machine could do. Even when impeded, lie lashed his fearful right which, though slow moving, caught Dempsey, and sent his hulk sailing through the air like a boulder released from a catapult. It was incomprehensible that Dempsey could live after such an assault, but be clambered back through the ropes, amidst frenzied shrieks from the feminine part of the gallery, and showed he had withstood any real harm.

Then, for a pause of a mimic, it seemed not- that two trained pugilists were exhibiting their skill, but that two

I maniacs had been unleashed against 1 each other. Every precept of fighting ■ strategy or poise seemed forgotten. I They attempted to smash each other J apart. The referee himself seemed daz- | ed. He made no attempt to separate j them. Any such attempt would have ' been useless. Then the fighters separated for a moment, and began an oxI change of blows from n distance of a ' few inches. Each thud resounded like a cannon ball landing. Lfefts and rights from Dempsey fell like hail upon the South American, who replied intermittently with crunching rights. As the bell rang, the Argentinian had Dempsey against the ropes, and was pounding him at will.

ROUND TWO. Both men returned to-the fray, in which more action already had been crowded into one round titan seemed possible. Both were weary men, over whom their seconds had worked desperately between the rounds; but both were as untamed as ever. They showed their determination to indulge in unmitigated slaughter, they proceeded to pound each other with unabated viciousness. Both landed with every' lead. The Argentinian then landed a tremendous right that caused the champion to quiver and lurch into a clinch. From this clinch, however. Dempsey pushed himself vigorously. Then he planted a short right to the heart. The Argentinian dropped straight front his feet to the floor. It seemed that lie had succumbed, but lie rose staggering. The Argentinian's knees sagged. Firpo was literally ‘out” on Lis feet. Then it was that the champion showed the first evidences of his boxing tactics. He pulled himself together although he was sadly battered and benumbed. Carefully measuring his opponent, DempSey landed a right and left, the blows seeming to land simultaneously on the jaw, and Firpo went over backwards, while tho count of ten tolled over him. He was unconscious for one minute. I lien Firpo sprang to his ieet, thinking to resume tlie tight, but it was too late: The champion stood smiling, and the Argentinian, shaking Ids head, and with a twisted smile, went forward. and shook the victor’s hand. Firpo’s knock-out occurred 5i seconds after the second round began. Those who attempted to keep a tally declare Firpo was floored twelve times in less than 3 minutes. Firpo earns distinction by the fact that he is the first man to knock Dempsey since the latter gained the championship. Veteran sport commentators deelaie that it was the most sensational bout seen in modern ring history. The audience won’t wild with excitement, and they clambered into the ring and attempted to carry Dempsey out, hut a. large group of police, who surrounded the ring, drew their batons, and drove off the champion’s admirers. DEMRSEY'S TRIBUTE. ‘You are a great tighter, Luis.” said

Dempsey, just lie fore they left the cleared ring. Firpo, as usual, seemed speechless. The emotional tensity ol the crowd was clearly evidenced as the rather lengthy preliminary bouts wended their weary way. Prominent Americans, interested in l.a t in-American affairs, during the past week' asked the pouhtce to give Firpo a fair deal, since it was astonishing to note how the public sentiment, which favoured Tom Gibbons before the latter’s light, was now unanimously for Dempsey. The crowd to-night, which was a heterogeneous one. to the extreme, seemed to hold itself in during the tedious wait for the main hunt, hut when the semi-final was drawing to a close, tho crowd, forgot their impatience, and their partisanship cheating Firpo and Dempsey ro the echo when they entered their dressing rooms. While the predicted icsult occurred, it came not after the fashion prophesied by the experts. They bad it tlial it would' be a case of skill and strength alone. It appears from what happened that it was a ease of strength against strength, and that Dempsey was a little the faster, he landing the oftener. Both men seemed equally able to assimilate a vast amount of punishment. Both demonstrated their ability to hit with vast strength. The story could he told in these words: “Dempsey hit

the oftener: theicfore he won.” A PRESS OPIOXIOX.

Spotting editors of New York newspapers indicate one interesting fat. it which apparently was met'looked during the progress of the bout. Titov state that ii' the first rotund had lasted anot'te; I rdf a minute, Firpo would tindotifit illy have been the "inner. Dempsey was hanging to the rope.-, and was being itnmctciftilly pounded when the gong tmg. He was helpin's from the effects of his being tossed from the ling. It was only a daze, however, because ho returned lor the second round full of force. The element of chance entered into the contest. Tlni-e who conceded the possibility of a victory for Firpo by a luckly blow did not foresee the possibility of His Mow coniine a trifle Loo late to permit a stlcccs.-fill follow up with a knock-out. WH AT TH E FIGHTERS THINE. Statements by the fighters, although adding nothing in tho way of revela- j lions, have • confirmed expressions of outsiders. Dempsey said : ‘‘Firpo is a terrific hitter. He hit me harder than

any fiyhler before. Ho loft no room lor don lit ns to his {lameness. by cumin" back repeatedly. when knocked down by the hardest blows I could deliver !" Firpo said : ''l tried and lost ! I said before tbe liohi. that if I were knocked down, I would cot up and li"ht. J did ns [ said. I would.’’ PERFECT ATHLETES. new voinv, sort, it Dempsey and Eirpo weighed in on Fi id ay afieinoon at 102} pounds and 21(1} pounds respectively. Tbe examining physicians prononnred both to be perfect athletes. Dempsey heine; a shade tbe better.

AUSTRALIAN BOLTS. SYDNEY, Sept. Id. At llie Slndium the Queonslandoi Williams had Corrigan (a South Alriean), at his mercy in the sixth round when the referee stopped the fight. The winner had the upper hand nil through, and twice floored his opponent in the last round. MELBOURNE. Sept. 10. Ristuccia. proved more than a match for Jack Green, and downed him in the third and fourth rounds, and twice in the fifth, when the police stopped the contest. PALMERSTON AMATEUR EVENTS PALMERSTON N., Sept. Id Following were the results of an amateur boxing tourney:— Flyweights.—Evans defeated Perrin. Light: weights.—Waldon defeated F pi on. Feather.—Pot bury defeated Heaphy. Bantams.—Crigluon defeated Derrick. Middle.—.T. O'Keefe defeated Strange. Welters.—B. O’Keefe defeated Toon. Clinton and Brown, the feather champions of Manawntu and South Auckland respectively, fought a six rounds draw. All were points deeisiu ns.