DEMPSEY WINS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2634, 18 September 1923, Page 3

DEMPSEY WINS.

FIRPO KNOCKED OUT IN SECOND ROUND.

New York, September 14

Dempsey and Firpo entered the ring almost simultaneously, there being present 90,000 people to witness the contest. The challenger scowled at Dempsey, who appeared not to notice him. Then Dempsey was given an ovation as he prepared for the contest. Firpo also had a tremendous reception as he bowed to the crowd.

As the fight started, Dempsey missed with a right, and Firpo dug his right to the body. Then Dempsey floored Firpo with a right to the chin, hut the challenger was up immediately. Firpo went to the floor again under a hard right, but did not take the count. Dempsey bowled Firpo over again and when lie got up, Dempsey chased him about the ring. Dempsey caught and floored him a fourth time and Firpo then knocked Dempsey through the ropes.

Dempsey came hack groggy, and Firpo pounded his jaw with a sled-ge-hammer right, bringing blood. Firpo was again sent to the floor. Dempsey hooked his left to Firpo’,s chin and then drove both fists to the body, and Firpo fell to the floor, bleeding and groggy. The Argentinian staggered to his feet and Dempsey landed left and right hooks to the chin, knocking his opponent flat on his hack. The referee began to count and Dempsey, who appeared to he nervous, rushed over and aided Iris fallen foe to rise. He then trotted to his corner.

One description of the first round states that a pair of Mnstodonie animals let loose in a barred arena could not have given the crowd a more unexpected spectacle. The two men literally haltered each other as with a pile-driver, with blows llml seemed beyond human strength to withstand. It was without precedent in ring history to see so much tremendous hitting.

From the verv start,. Firpo was floored so many times that it was extremely difficult to keep count. He thudded to the padded floor like a fallen tower, only to rise again sometimes with surprising speed, whilst at other times be slowly took tlie count to nine, and then showed what a machine could do. Even when impeded, he lashed out with 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 through the ropes amidst frenzied shrieks from the feminine part of the gallery and showed that lie had withstood any real harm. Then for the pause of a minute it seemed not that two trained pugilists were exhibiting their skill, hut that two maniacs had been unleashed against each other. Every precept of fighting strategy or poise seemed forgotten. They' attempted to mount eaeli other and tear each other apart.. The referee himself seemed (lazed, but he made no attempt, to separate them. Any such attempt would have been useless. The fighters separated for a moment and (hen began an exchange of blows from a distance of a few inches. Each thud resounded like a cannon ball landing. Lefts and rights from Dempsey, in a simultaneous twolist assault, fell like hail upon the South American, who was intermittently the favourite with his crunching rights. As the bell rang the Argentinian bad Dempsey against the ropes and was pounding him at will. Both men retnrned to the fray in the second round, in which more action had been crowded into one round than seemed possible. Both were weary men, over whom the seconds had worked desperately between the rounds, but both were as untamed as ever. They showed a determination to indulge in unmitigated slaughter, and proceeded to pound each other with unabated viciousness. Both landed with every lead.

The Argentinian then landed a tremendous rigid that caused the champion lo quiver and lurch into a clinch, from which he pushed him-s-elf vigorously and landed a. short right to the heart. The Argentinian dropped straight from his feet to the lloor, and it seemed that he had .-liceumbed, but tie rose, staggering. The Argentinian’s knees sagged. He. was literally out, yet on his feet. Then the champion showed the first, evidences of boxing tactics. He pulled himself together, although lie was sadly battered and benumbed. Carefully measuring his opponent, Dempsey landed right- and left, seeming to land simultaneously on Firpo’s jaw, and Firpo went over backwards while the count of ten was tolled over him. He was unconscious for one minute and then sprang to his feet, thinking to resume the fight, but he was too late. The champion stood smiling and the Argentinian, shaking his head and with a twisted smile, went forward and shook the victor’s hand. Firpo’s knock-out occurred fiftyseven seconds after the second round began. Dempsey said: “Firpo is a terrific hitter. He hit me harder than any fighter has ever done before. He left no room for doubt as to his gamencss by coming hack repeatedly when I knocked him down by the hardest blows I could deliver.” Firpo said: “I tried and lost. I said before the fight that if I were knocked down I would get up and fight. I did as I said I would.” Firpo has added to his distinction by the fact that he was the first man

to knock Dempsey down since the latter gained the championship.

JACK JOHNSON’S OPINION.

New York, September 36,

At Newhaven, Connecticut, Jack Johnson, the former heavy-weight champion, declared that Firpo’s improper training had lost him the tide, which was almost thrust upon him on Friday. Firpo made a fatal mistake when he stepped hack as Dempsey re-enlered the ring after being knocked through the ropes. If Firpo had then advanced and planted another blow Dempsey would again have toppled helpless over the ropes. Given another year’s experience with a competent trainer, Firpo would yet defeat Dempsey.

Newspaper men who saw the Dempsey-Firpn fight in slow motion pictures re-observed the details, which actually were so swift and furious that if was impossible to grasp them. The pictures showed that Firpo was knocked down seven times in (he first round. As he started to rise after the sixth knockdown, Dempsey circled cat-like. Firpo tried to face Dempsey as he rose but Dempsey kept behind, and when he saw Firpo’s hands leave the floor he knocked him crashing to the canvas again. The pictures indicate that the eighth blow from Firpo nearly finished Dempsey. Had he allowed Dempsey to drop lo the canvas the newspaper men believe he might not have got up. When knocked out. of the ring Dempsey half crawled hack through (he ropes and was pushed the remainder of the way by the newspaper men.

Firpo is no mean eater. His breakfast consisted of a whole family porter-house steak, six eggs and seven glasses of milk. Tie thought so well of this selection that lie repeated it for luncheon.