Of all the images I've seen of Aaron Pryor, this is my personal favorite, taken in New York, New York, in the 1980s. The taped fists clenched and raised above his head, standing in front of a bizarre background with a shouting expression on his face, it's almost like he's backed into a corner and he's trying to fight his way out. Aaron Pryor lived a wild life, and this photo is sort of a symbolism of his life, it's a chaotic image and a brilliant piece of photography.
Final thought on "The Hawk" Aaron Pryor. He was a bada$$, plain and simple, when you stepped in the ring with him, you had a bonafide $hitstorm on your hands. Don't believe me? Check it out. It's Hawk Time.
You know, I just noticed something, the colors in that Arachnophobia poster match the colors of the Poison in the Junior Jones photo, how cool is that.
Ran across this photo of Buck "Tombstone" Smith today, I hadn't previously seen this photo. He's a fascinating fighter, drove around the country in his car taking fights wherever he could get them, pretty much trained himself but if he caught you flush with that left hook, goodnight.
Luis Angel Firpo, "The Wild Bull of the Pampas", murderous punching Argentinian heavyweight of the 1920s. He famously knocked the great Jack Dempsey through the ropes in their 1923 bout, one of the most violent in boxing history. He was a big guy, 6"3', 220 pounds, extremely aggressive. He got his nickname because that's the way he fought, like a wild charging bull, a very hard hitting charging bull.
LUIS ÁNGEL FIRPO - THE WILD BULL OF THE PAMPAS
Nov 27, 2024
‘Beloved in his home country, a statue of ‘The Wild Bull of the Pampas’ was erected in Buenos Aires following his death and ‘Boxing Day’ in Argentina is September 14th, the date of his valiant effort against Dempsey.’
Long before John Ruiz beat Evander Holyfield to win the world heavyweight crown and become the first fighter from Latino roots to do so, or when Andy Ruiz Jr toppled Anthony Joshua to become the first fighter from Mexican heritage to also win world honours, there was Luis Ángel Firpo. As opposed to John Ruiz and Andy Ruiz Jr who were both born and bred in the USA, Firpo was one hundred percent Latino beef.
When you mention Luis Firpo to the average boxing aficionado, the usual response is some form of correlation to ‘the’ Dempsey fight. The fight which Firpo should have been crowned heavyweight champion of the world. The truth is, there’s so much more to the knockout artist who carried the moniker of, ‘El Toro Salvaje de las Pampas,’ (The Wild Bull of the Pampas) than that one fight and this article will shine a light on the Argentine adonis.
Born in Junín, Buenos Aires province on 1 October 1894, Firpo had hearing issues as a child. This consequently spurred his parents to move to the capital to seek better treatment and in doing so, they decided to permanently relocate there.
As a result of his hearing ailment, young Firpo was exempt from military service and started working in a brick factory. It was here he started to hone his boxing skills, fighting off thieves in twos and threes as they attempted to steal materials. His boss was appreciative of his employee, but he was also aware his fists could get him in a lot of trouble and urged him to use his skills in the square ring as opposed to perhaps getting into trouble protecting the pride of a few bricks.
The start to Firpo’s professional boxing career is a little hazy. Some claim he started fighting in 1917, with a debut fight in Argentina, whereas most records show it was at the beginning of 1918. With near on no evidence to substantiate the 1917 debut, we will work with a 1918 entrance into the sport.
Firpo got off to a bad start, but in all honesty, the matchmaking for the debutant was hardly a gradual approach into the sport of professional boxing. On 12 January 1918, self-managed Firpo took on seasoned pro, Angel Rodriguez in his own backyard of Montevideo, Uruguay. The 23-year-old Argentine was knocked down four times in the first round of the contest, unable to make the second stanza. It’s worth noting that Rodriguez’ record stood at 22 wins, 3 losses and one draw and he would go on to extend this record to 46 victories, incurring only one further loss over the next nine years.
Eight months after his fistic inauguration shellacking, on 14 September 1918, Firpo travelled to Chile to take on William Daly, stopping him in the seventh round. In his next five fights, he fought three times in Chile and twice in Uruguay, winning all five contests, with four of them failing to reach the distance.
On 1 November 1919, at the Hippodrome Circo in Santiago de Chile, Firpo took on Californian, Dave Mills for the vacant South American title…..which apparently North Americans could also fight for. Despite weighing 18lbs more than Mills, the American, with a lacklustre record of six wins, 10 losses and six draws, managed to last the full 15 rounds and take the title on points. Eager to avenge the loss, two fights and five months later, Firpo rematched Mills at the same venue, smashing the American in the first round.
After 10 fights on the road, Firpo was granted the opportunity to fight on Argentine soil, knocking out Anton Jirsa in the opening round. His next contest on home soil, on 11 December 1920 was the rubber match against Dave Mills, with the American intent on showing the onlookers that Firpo’s early stoppage success in their last bout was a fluke. Unfortunately for Mills, Firpo’s destructive hands repeated the same result, obliterating him once again shortly after the opening bell, and by doing so, retained his South American heavyweight title.
In his next two fights, Firpo beat Barbadian, Gunboat Smith in Chile and then in Buenos Aires, followed by a two round destruction of fellow countryman, Ferdinando Priano. With Firpo’s record now standing at 13 victories (10 by KO) and two losses, USA beckoned.
On 20 March 1922, Firpo, now a fully ledged 220lbs fighter, knocked out unbeaten prospect, Tom Maxted at the Maurel Garden, Newark. Over the next seven months, Firpo added a further three knockout stoppages to his resume for 1922, which set him up for his first major fight in America, against Louisville born, Bill Brennan, at nonother than Madison Square Garden.
Brennan was a tough Kentucky cookie who had fought Jack Dempsey twice, being stopped in their first encounter in 1918 ending in the sixth, then two years later, he lasted until the end of the twelfth round, before being halted by the Manassa Mauler en route to defending his world crown. It’s also worth noting Brennan fought the supremely talented Harry Greb four times in six months in 1919, lasting the distance each time, but losing a decision each time at the hands of the Pittsburgh Windmill.
When Firpo and Brennan locked horns at Madison Square Garden, Brennan was the favourite and far more experienced operator. Consequently, when the Argentine stopped him in the twelfth round, the same time it took Dempsey to dispose of his fellow American, this instantly got the boxing fraternity talking about a future clash against the champ. It probably also helped that Brennan, who suffered concussion from the fight, said, ‘Dempsey never hit me any harder than this fellow.’
Over the next five months, Firpo was in explosive form, clocking up seven wins on the bounce, including an eighth-round stoppage over former world champion, Jess Willard in front of 100,000 spectators, in a contest labelled as, ‘The Battle of the Giants.’ Admittedly, Willard was 42 and past his sell-by date, but the victory gained that all important attention to give Firpo traction to climb the rankings.
Then came the date, venue and opponent which would immortalise Firpo – 14 September 1923, Polo Grounds, New York – opponent: Jack Dempsey, for the world heavyweight title.
Coming off the back of an impressive winning streak and possessing knockout credentials in both hands, the first time Latin American world heavyweight world title challenger came into the ring two inches taller and 14lbs heavier than Dempsey. The normal capacity for the Polo Grounds was around 55,000, but for this contest, it was expanded to almost 85,000 to accommodate what was arguably the most highly anticipated world title clash up to that point. And it didn’t fail to deliver. It’s worth noting that over 150,000 people who queued up but failed to get tickets, remained outside.
The opening round was like an old-fashioned gunslinging contest, which saw both fighters throwing leather with bad intentions. Unfortunately for Firpo, Dempsey’s accuracy and speed put him on the seat of his shorts seven times in the first round and it was looking likely the contest was going to be concluded before the second session. However, Firpo had other ideas.
Towards the end of the round, Firpo let loose with a barrage of punches, with the last being a massive right hand, which sent Dempsey through the ropes. In today’s day and age, Dempsey would have been counted out and Firpo would and should have been crowned champion. Instead, he was caught by the reporters who sat ringside and at a dubious count of nine, which was officially nearer 17, Dempsey made it through the ropes, only to receive a further battering of punches. Yet somehow, he clung on until the end of the round. At a later date, Dempsey admitted, ‘I was down, and if it wasn’t for the public throwing me back in there, I would have never gotten back into the ring.’ In fact, whilst he was scrambling around on the floor, the major press outlets, including the New York Times, were already spreading the word that Dempsey had been dethroned and Firpo was the new king. That gives some perspective on the length of time Jack was down for.
Once back on his feet, Dempsey withstood a further battery of punches and made it until the bell. His powers of recovery were incredible and after a total of 11 knockdowns between them, Dempsey mustered enough strength to find a knockout blow and bring the contest to a halt in just 57 seconds of the second round. Unsurprisingly, the contest was Ring Magazine’s Fight of the Year for 1923. Somewhat a heavyweight version of Hagler versus Hearns in the 1920’s. The fight has been immortalised by the vastly talented artist, George Bellows, in an image which still receives worldwide recognition to this day, far beyond boxing’s vast array of admirers. In fact, you may catch a glimpse of it in the background of Goodfellas, as Ray Liotta and Robert De Niro discuss ‘business.’ Bellows sadly died in 1925 at the age of 42 from peritonitis after suffering from a ruptured appendix.
Firpo may have lost the contest against Dempsey, but he won the hearts of millions of people around the planet, especially everyone in South America. To this day, a number of roads, avenues, schools and even football teams, have been named after him, across the continent. It’s also worth noting, Firpo made $156,250 dollars that night. With no management to pay and minimal overheads, I’m sure the life changing sum of cash helped take the edge off the loss.
Firpo returned to a hero’s welcome and his first three fights of 1924 were in his beloved Buenos Aires, all of which he won by stoppage. His intention was always to return to the USA and capitalise on his popularity post Dempsey and consequently, on 11 September 1924, he took on a man who should have been world heavyweight champion for a number of years if it hadn't been for the colour divide. Instead, he was crowned World Coloured Heavyweight Champion on three occasions. The man was Harry Wills.
When Firpo met Wills, who boasted 82 wins, seven losses and seven draws at the time, the Argentine was outboxed and outfoxed in front of an 80,000 strong crowd at Boyle’s Thirty Acres, Jersey City. Two months later he then lost a very wide points decision to Hungarian born New Jersey resident, Charley Weinert (originally Charles Weinsachzyowski), who he had actually knocked out in the second round the year before. Noticing his drop in form, he went into a slow retirement, having just one more fight in 1926 against old foe, Erminio Spanna, beating him on points over 12 rounds.
Firpo did however have one last swansong, returning to the ring at 45 years of age, fighting three times in 1936 in Argentina. He won the first two by early knockout against journeymen and lost the last contest against a half decent prospect in Arturo Godoy. Luis retired with a very respectable 31 wins four defeats, boasting 26 KO’s.
Thankfully, Firpo didn’t squander his money and invested into a number of businesses, including becoming a car dealer for American motor company, Stutz. However, it was his passion for ranching where he made his big money, owning almost 15,000 livestock between horses, sheep and cattle. However, Firpo’s business ethics rose some eyebrows, with claims of fraud hanging over his head relating to the purchase of land, with around a quarter of a million dollars going astray. Despite arrest warrants issued and potential prison time for Firpo, somehow he managed to evade any time behind bars.
After retirement, Firpo kept one eye on boxing at all times and even managed a fighter in 6ft 4inches Abel Cestac, with old foe, Dempsey. Unfortunately, Cestac was neither a Bull or a Mauler and despite mixing with the likes of Archie Moore, he never hit the same heights as his managers.
Referred to by many as the Godfather of Argentinian Boxing, Luis Ángel Firpo passed away on 7 August 1960, at 65 years of age. If you want to bump into a life sized version of one of Argentina’s favourite fighting sons, you may do so by visiting his impressive burial site at Recolata Cemetery.
Luis Firpo vs Jess Willard, "Battle of the Giants", two big heavyweights, Firpo standing at 6"3' and Willard at 6"6'. This one took place on July 12th, 1923, at Boyle's Thirty Acres in Jersey City, New Jersey. This is a program from the fight.
Check out this image of Luis Firpo measuring Willard, about to uncork a right hand, he looks like Little Mac winding up for a power shot in Punch Out!!, what a photo.
Here are the highlights from the Luis Firpo vs Jess Willard fight and you can see why Firpo was nicknamed "The Wild Bull of the Pampas", he charges Willard and brutally knocks him out.
Firpo vs Dempsey, one of the wildest, most violent struggles in boxing history.
The Fight City
Sept. 14, 1923: Dempsey vs Firpo
By: Michael Carbert
After a full century it may be difficult to appreciate the impact of the legendary Dempsey vs Firpo fight and how it transformed the public image of heavyweight king Jack Dempsey, aka The Manassa Mauler. This is because many forget how Dempsey was in fact a rather unpopular figure for most of his championship reign. The all-American celebrity version of Dempsey, likable and endearing, did not emerge until the later years of the great champion’s career.
Before his legendary battle with Firpo, Dempsey’s fame, not to mention the huge gates at his fights, had as much to do with scandal and the dark side of human nature as it did with the popularity of boxing. After winning the world title in 1919, Dempsey was sued for divorce by Maxine Cates, a woman of less than high moral standing, to put it mildly, whom Jack had married during the time when he was riding the rails, fighting in bars and living in hobo camps and whorehouses. The trial and its revelations became a full-blown scandal as it not only brought to light Dempsey’s squalid background, but strongly suggested that the heavyweight champion of the world had perhaps not fully deserved his deferment to avoid the military draft during World War I.
Jack Dempsey
Thus Dempsey became the ‘bad guy’ and wily promoter Tex Rickard took full advantage, most notably in Jack’s bout with French war hero Georges Carpentier. That clash between good and evil created the first million dollar gate but did nothing to rehabilitate the heavyweight champion’s image. For three solid years Jack Dempsey, while without question the biggest name in American sports, had to endure the disapproval of the general public, not to mention taunts of “Slacker!” everywhere he went. That changed after his life-and-death brawl with Luis Firpo.
No one questioned Firpo as a legitimate challenger to Dempsey, though few gave him a chance to win. Big and tough, the Argentinian strongman had defeated Jess Willard and Gunboat Smith, among others, to establish himself as a top contender. Eighty thousand packed the Polo Grounds to witness Dempsey’s fifth title defense and after the referee had delivered his instructions and the fighters had removed their towels and robes, the crowd immediately saw the difference in size between the two men. Firpo outweighed the champion by 25 pounds and had a far bigger upper body. Some wondered if Dempsey might finally have a serious challenge on his hands.
Luis Firpo aka The Wild Bull of the Pampas
At the bell, the champion attacked. He missed a wild left and Firpo, retreating in the face of Dempsey’s assault, countered with a right that landed flush and dropped Dempsey to one knee. The huge crowd roared, rising as one; no one would sit down again until the ferocious battle had ended.
Dempsey lurched to his feet and the two warriors collided again in ring center, muscling each other in close before finding punching room and letting loose with wild haymakers, both men connecting. Twenty seconds in, Dempsey landed his potent left, and the hook sent Firpo to the canvas. The challenger scrambled up and they immediately took up where they left off, grappling and pounding, every blow thrown with intent to render the other man unconscious, the massive crowd going berserk as the fighters mauled and wrestled and punched away.
Firpo down again.
Firpo, while bigger and perhaps stronger, lacked Dempsey’s agility and footwork and this proved key in the knockdowns the champion scored. While attacking and firing with both fists, Dempsey continually whirled and spun, turning Firpo in the clinches and then striking while the challenger was off-balance. Dempsey’s vicious body attack also factored in, with two of the knockdowns courtesy of hard shots to Firpo’s belly. Seven times the challenger hit the canvas and more than once it appeared certain he was finished, but the stubborn “Wild Bull of the Pampas” kept getting up and battling back, despite the fact Dempsey was allowed to hover after each knockdown and strike Firpo the second his gloves left the canvas.
Amazingly, after the seventh knockdown, and with less than a minute left in the round, Firpo somehow gathered himself and launched a ferocious counterattack that almost ended the fight. To everyone’s astonishment he put Dempsey on the run with a volley of powerful rights, driving the champion to the ropes where a final right hand clout detonated on Jack’s jaw and propelled him out of the ring. Few could believe what they were seeing as Dempsey, his feet high in the air, landed on his back in the press section. For a shocking moment, it appeared that Firpo, who seconds ago was picking himself up off the floor, would triumph.
Bellows_George_Dempsey_and_Firpo_1924
Dempsey Through the Ropes: The famous George Bellows painting.
At this time there existed no aprons on boxing rings and Dempsey fell directly onto the table of the ringside press. Several reporters tried to push him back through the ropes, frantically working to get him off their typewriters so they could continue recording what was taking place. Back in the ring and on his feet, a dazed Dempsey backpedaled as Firpo resumed his attack. The Argentinian desperately hammered away with his right, but the champion survived and, amazingly, returned fire with two hard rights of his own just before the bell finally rang.
In their corners, both battlers were suffering the effects of perhaps the wildest round in ring history. Legend has it that a stunned Dempsey, sitting on his stool, was virtually catatonic until Jack Kearns found the smelling salts and put them under the champion’s nose. Dempsey blinked and looked at his handlers, who were frantically slapping him and dousing him with water, and asked, “What round was I knocked out in?”
Dempsey struggles to get back in the ring.
But as the bell for round two echoed in the New York night, it was soon evident that it was Firpo, not Dempsey, who was about to be knocked out. The Wild Bull’s legs appeared barely strong enough to support his weight and his punches were powerless. The champion quickly had Firpo on the defensive and a volley of left hooks put the challenger down for the eighth time. The game Argentinian warrior climbed to his feet yet again and tried one last right hand swing before Dempsey struck with a sharp one-two, the final punch a right to the jaw as Firpo was already going down. The gallant challenger resembled a man having an afternoon nap as he slowly rolled over onto his back; this time he could not rise.
While barely four minutes long, the brief but electrifying brawl had provided more thrills than all of Jack’s previous title defenses put together. And the shock of seeing the heavyweight king pounded through the ropes left a huge impression, winning “The Manassa Mauler” new respect. For years he had been the invincible champion no one could relate to or care about, especially after the scandal of his divorce and the accusations of his being a draft dodger. But seeing him come so close to defeat made him human again.
The final knockdown.
For the next three years Dempsey burnished that more appealing image as he stayed out of the prize ring and instead became a full-time celebrity, appearing in various exhibitions, stage plays and movies, and then marrying gorgeous film star Estelle Taylor. He was more popular than ever by the time he finally fought again in 1926, and in fact his defeats to Gene Tunney only served to endear him all the more to an American public which could not relate to the aloof new champion. And by the time Dempsey retired in 1928 he had become not just a star of boxing and the “Roaring Twenties,” but an icon of Americana.
You know, you have to hand it to Jack Dempsey, the guy was a damn animal, fearless, he'd take on anyone, taller, heavier, didn't matter. He brutalized the 6"6' Jess Willard in 1919, and the 6"3' murderous punching Luis Firpo threw the whole damn kitchen at him, knocked him out of the ring, and Dempsey still came back and knocked Firpo out. And he certainly lived up to his nickname "The Manassa Mauler", he just mauled the ever living hell out of you. I think Mike Tyson put it best when he said about Dempsey, "Jack Dempsey was a killer in the ring. He fought like he was starving—like his life depended on it."
But you have to hand it to Luis Firpo as well, Dempsey beat him from pillar to post, and Firpo just would not go away. He kept getting up, and knocked Dempsey clean out of the ring, reporters and photographers that were sitting ringside actually pushed Dempsey back in the ring, Firpo came that close to becoming world heavyweight champion. Jack Dempsey himself once said, "A champion is someone who gets up when they can't", and Firpo certainly had the heart of a champion.
One of the most famous photos in sports history, Luis Angel Firpo knocks Jack Dempsey through the ropes, clear out of the ring, and onto the laps of reporters and photographers sitting ringside.
Following their brutal 1923 fight, Jack Dempsey praised Luis Firpo as "a fighting bull" and "the hardest puncher I ever faced". Dempsey admitted Firpo gave him his toughest fight, noting that after being knocked out of the ring, "I saw eight million stars when I got that punch on the chin". This is a photo of Jack Dempsey in his later years, posing beside the famous George Bellows painting of Firpo knocking him out of the ring.
This is a really neat collectible, made by Aurora in 1965, "Great Moments in Sport", it's a model toy that portrays the famous fight. The paint is not included in the set, it must be painted separately.
This is a tale of the tape from Luis Firpo's fight with "The Brown Panther" Harry Wills on October 11th, 1924 in Jersey City, New Jersey. Firpo went the 12-round distance but Wills was too slick for him, he put Firpo down with a shovel uppercut coming out of a clinch in the 2nd round and got the better of Firpo. Wills is an all-time great and one of my favorite fighters as well.
Comments
Hall of Famers Alexis Arguello and Aaron Pryor together after their careers.
Great photo. From left: Marlon Starling, Mike Tyson, Carlos Zarate, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, and Aaron Pryor.
It's Hawk Time!
Aaron Pryor reminiscing about his boxing career at his home in Cincinnati, Ohio.
It's Hawk Time!
This is one of the greatest boxing photos ever taken, Aaron Pryor points at the camera with a Hawk perched on his right fist.
A couple more photos and I'll wrap it up, this is an epic photo of Aaron Pryor resting in his corner during the heat of battle.
This is one of my favorite images of Aaron Pryor, he looks lazer focused.
Of all the images I've seen of Aaron Pryor, this is my personal favorite, taken in New York, New York, in the 1980s. The taped fists clenched and raised above his head, standing in front of a bizarre background with a shouting expression on his face, it's almost like he's backed into a corner and he's trying to fight his way out. Aaron Pryor lived a wild life, and this photo is sort of a symbolism of his life, it's a chaotic image and a brilliant piece of photography.
Aaron Pryor's autobiography.
Aaron Pryor, defensive skills and boxing ability.
Final thought on "The Hawk" Aaron Pryor. He was a bada$$, plain and simple, when you stepped in the ring with him, you had a bonafide $hitstorm on your hands. Don't believe me? Check it out. It's Hawk Time.
One of my all-time favorite films, what a fun film.
One of the greatest boxing photos ever, Junior "Poison" Jones, living up to his nickname.
You know, I just noticed something, the colors in that Arachnophobia poster match the colors of the Poison in the Junior Jones photo, how cool is that.
Ran across this photo of Buck "Tombstone" Smith today, I hadn't previously seen this photo. He's a fascinating fighter, drove around the country in his car taking fights wherever he could get them, pretty much trained himself but if he caught you flush with that left hook, goodnight.
"The Ghetto Wizard" Benny Leonard inside a German wheel.
Luis Angel Firpo, "The Wild Bull of the Pampas", murderous punching Argentinian heavyweight of the 1920s. He famously knocked the great Jack Dempsey through the ropes in their 1923 bout, one of the most violent in boxing history. He was a big guy, 6"3', 220 pounds, extremely aggressive. He got his nickname because that's the way he fought, like a wild charging bull, a very hard hitting charging bull.
LUIS ÁNGEL FIRPO - THE WILD BULL OF THE PAMPAS
Nov 27, 2024
‘Beloved in his home country, a statue of ‘The Wild Bull of the Pampas’ was erected in Buenos Aires following his death and ‘Boxing Day’ in Argentina is September 14th, the date of his valiant effort against Dempsey.’
Long before John Ruiz beat Evander Holyfield to win the world heavyweight crown and become the first fighter from Latino roots to do so, or when Andy Ruiz Jr toppled Anthony Joshua to become the first fighter from Mexican heritage to also win world honours, there was Luis Ángel Firpo. As opposed to John Ruiz and Andy Ruiz Jr who were both born and bred in the USA, Firpo was one hundred percent Latino beef.
When you mention Luis Firpo to the average boxing aficionado, the usual response is some form of correlation to ‘the’ Dempsey fight. The fight which Firpo should have been crowned heavyweight champion of the world. The truth is, there’s so much more to the knockout artist who carried the moniker of, ‘El Toro Salvaje de las Pampas,’ (The Wild Bull of the Pampas) than that one fight and this article will shine a light on the Argentine adonis.
Born in Junín, Buenos Aires province on 1 October 1894, Firpo had hearing issues as a child. This consequently spurred his parents to move to the capital to seek better treatment and in doing so, they decided to permanently relocate there.
As a result of his hearing ailment, young Firpo was exempt from military service and started working in a brick factory. It was here he started to hone his boxing skills, fighting off thieves in twos and threes as they attempted to steal materials. His boss was appreciative of his employee, but he was also aware his fists could get him in a lot of trouble and urged him to use his skills in the square ring as opposed to perhaps getting into trouble protecting the pride of a few bricks.
The start to Firpo’s professional boxing career is a little hazy. Some claim he started fighting in 1917, with a debut fight in Argentina, whereas most records show it was at the beginning of 1918. With near on no evidence to substantiate the 1917 debut, we will work with a 1918 entrance into the sport.
Firpo got off to a bad start, but in all honesty, the matchmaking for the debutant was hardly a gradual approach into the sport of professional boxing. On 12 January 1918, self-managed Firpo took on seasoned pro, Angel Rodriguez in his own backyard of Montevideo, Uruguay. The 23-year-old Argentine was knocked down four times in the first round of the contest, unable to make the second stanza. It’s worth noting that Rodriguez’ record stood at 22 wins, 3 losses and one draw and he would go on to extend this record to 46 victories, incurring only one further loss over the next nine years.
Eight months after his fistic inauguration shellacking, on 14 September 1918, Firpo travelled to Chile to take on William Daly, stopping him in the seventh round. In his next five fights, he fought three times in Chile and twice in Uruguay, winning all five contests, with four of them failing to reach the distance.
On 1 November 1919, at the Hippodrome Circo in Santiago de Chile, Firpo took on Californian, Dave Mills for the vacant South American title…..which apparently North Americans could also fight for. Despite weighing 18lbs more than Mills, the American, with a lacklustre record of six wins, 10 losses and six draws, managed to last the full 15 rounds and take the title on points. Eager to avenge the loss, two fights and five months later, Firpo rematched Mills at the same venue, smashing the American in the first round.
After 10 fights on the road, Firpo was granted the opportunity to fight on Argentine soil, knocking out Anton Jirsa in the opening round. His next contest on home soil, on 11 December 1920 was the rubber match against Dave Mills, with the American intent on showing the onlookers that Firpo’s early stoppage success in their last bout was a fluke. Unfortunately for Mills, Firpo’s destructive hands repeated the same result, obliterating him once again shortly after the opening bell, and by doing so, retained his South American heavyweight title.
In his next two fights, Firpo beat Barbadian, Gunboat Smith in Chile and then in Buenos Aires, followed by a two round destruction of fellow countryman, Ferdinando Priano. With Firpo’s record now standing at 13 victories (10 by KO) and two losses, USA beckoned.
On 20 March 1922, Firpo, now a fully ledged 220lbs fighter, knocked out unbeaten prospect, Tom Maxted at the Maurel Garden, Newark. Over the next seven months, Firpo added a further three knockout stoppages to his resume for 1922, which set him up for his first major fight in America, against Louisville born, Bill Brennan, at nonother than Madison Square Garden.
Brennan was a tough Kentucky cookie who had fought Jack Dempsey twice, being stopped in their first encounter in 1918 ending in the sixth, then two years later, he lasted until the end of the twelfth round, before being halted by the Manassa Mauler en route to defending his world crown. It’s also worth noting Brennan fought the supremely talented Harry Greb four times in six months in 1919, lasting the distance each time, but losing a decision each time at the hands of the Pittsburgh Windmill.
When Firpo and Brennan locked horns at Madison Square Garden, Brennan was the favourite and far more experienced operator. Consequently, when the Argentine stopped him in the twelfth round, the same time it took Dempsey to dispose of his fellow American, this instantly got the boxing fraternity talking about a future clash against the champ. It probably also helped that Brennan, who suffered concussion from the fight, said, ‘Dempsey never hit me any harder than this fellow.’
Over the next five months, Firpo was in explosive form, clocking up seven wins on the bounce, including an eighth-round stoppage over former world champion, Jess Willard in front of 100,000 spectators, in a contest labelled as, ‘The Battle of the Giants.’ Admittedly, Willard was 42 and past his sell-by date, but the victory gained that all important attention to give Firpo traction to climb the rankings.
Then came the date, venue and opponent which would immortalise Firpo – 14 September 1923, Polo Grounds, New York – opponent: Jack Dempsey, for the world heavyweight title.
Coming off the back of an impressive winning streak and possessing knockout credentials in both hands, the first time Latin American world heavyweight world title challenger came into the ring two inches taller and 14lbs heavier than Dempsey. The normal capacity for the Polo Grounds was around 55,000, but for this contest, it was expanded to almost 85,000 to accommodate what was arguably the most highly anticipated world title clash up to that point. And it didn’t fail to deliver. It’s worth noting that over 150,000 people who queued up but failed to get tickets, remained outside.
The opening round was like an old-fashioned gunslinging contest, which saw both fighters throwing leather with bad intentions. Unfortunately for Firpo, Dempsey’s accuracy and speed put him on the seat of his shorts seven times in the first round and it was looking likely the contest was going to be concluded before the second session. However, Firpo had other ideas.
Towards the end of the round, Firpo let loose with a barrage of punches, with the last being a massive right hand, which sent Dempsey through the ropes. In today’s day and age, Dempsey would have been counted out and Firpo would and should have been crowned champion. Instead, he was caught by the reporters who sat ringside and at a dubious count of nine, which was officially nearer 17, Dempsey made it through the ropes, only to receive a further battering of punches. Yet somehow, he clung on until the end of the round. At a later date, Dempsey admitted, ‘I was down, and if it wasn’t for the public throwing me back in there, I would have never gotten back into the ring.’ In fact, whilst he was scrambling around on the floor, the major press outlets, including the New York Times, were already spreading the word that Dempsey had been dethroned and Firpo was the new king. That gives some perspective on the length of time Jack was down for.
Once back on his feet, Dempsey withstood a further battery of punches and made it until the bell. His powers of recovery were incredible and after a total of 11 knockdowns between them, Dempsey mustered enough strength to find a knockout blow and bring the contest to a halt in just 57 seconds of the second round. Unsurprisingly, the contest was Ring Magazine’s Fight of the Year for 1923. Somewhat a heavyweight version of Hagler versus Hearns in the 1920’s. The fight has been immortalised by the vastly talented artist, George Bellows, in an image which still receives worldwide recognition to this day, far beyond boxing’s vast array of admirers. In fact, you may catch a glimpse of it in the background of Goodfellas, as Ray Liotta and Robert De Niro discuss ‘business.’ Bellows sadly died in 1925 at the age of 42 from peritonitis after suffering from a ruptured appendix.
Firpo may have lost the contest against Dempsey, but he won the hearts of millions of people around the planet, especially everyone in South America. To this day, a number of roads, avenues, schools and even football teams, have been named after him, across the continent. It’s also worth noting, Firpo made $156,250 dollars that night. With no management to pay and minimal overheads, I’m sure the life changing sum of cash helped take the edge off the loss.
Firpo returned to a hero’s welcome and his first three fights of 1924 were in his beloved Buenos Aires, all of which he won by stoppage. His intention was always to return to the USA and capitalise on his popularity post Dempsey and consequently, on 11 September 1924, he took on a man who should have been world heavyweight champion for a number of years if it hadn't been for the colour divide. Instead, he was crowned World Coloured Heavyweight Champion on three occasions. The man was Harry Wills.
When Firpo met Wills, who boasted 82 wins, seven losses and seven draws at the time, the Argentine was outboxed and outfoxed in front of an 80,000 strong crowd at Boyle’s Thirty Acres, Jersey City. Two months later he then lost a very wide points decision to Hungarian born New Jersey resident, Charley Weinert (originally Charles Weinsachzyowski), who he had actually knocked out in the second round the year before. Noticing his drop in form, he went into a slow retirement, having just one more fight in 1926 against old foe, Erminio Spanna, beating him on points over 12 rounds.
Firpo did however have one last swansong, returning to the ring at 45 years of age, fighting three times in 1936 in Argentina. He won the first two by early knockout against journeymen and lost the last contest against a half decent prospect in Arturo Godoy. Luis retired with a very respectable 31 wins four defeats, boasting 26 KO’s.
Thankfully, Firpo didn’t squander his money and invested into a number of businesses, including becoming a car dealer for American motor company, Stutz. However, it was his passion for ranching where he made his big money, owning almost 15,000 livestock between horses, sheep and cattle. However, Firpo’s business ethics rose some eyebrows, with claims of fraud hanging over his head relating to the purchase of land, with around a quarter of a million dollars going astray. Despite arrest warrants issued and potential prison time for Firpo, somehow he managed to evade any time behind bars.
After retirement, Firpo kept one eye on boxing at all times and even managed a fighter in 6ft 4inches Abel Cestac, with old foe, Dempsey. Unfortunately, Cestac was neither a Bull or a Mauler and despite mixing with the likes of Archie Moore, he never hit the same heights as his managers.
Referred to by many as the Godfather of Argentinian Boxing, Luis Ángel Firpo passed away on 7 August 1960, at 65 years of age. If you want to bump into a life sized version of one of Argentina’s favourite fighting sons, you may do so by visiting his impressive burial site at Recolata Cemetery.
Luis Firpo was a big dude.
The brutal power of Luis Firpo on display as he puts out Jack Herman in the 5th round on May 13th, 1922 at Ebbett's Field.
Luis Firpo knocks out Jack McAuliffe in the 3rd round at Yankee Stadium, New York, New York on May 12, 1923.
Luis Firpo vs Jess Willard, "Battle of the Giants", two big heavyweights, Firpo standing at 6"3' and Willard at 6"6'. This one took place on July 12th, 1923, at Boyle's Thirty Acres in Jersey City, New Jersey. This is a program from the fight.
Luis Firpo and Jess Willard shake hands before the fight.
Luis Firpo and Jess Willard face off before their fight, look at the sheer size of these two.
Images from the Firpo-Willard fight, great shot of the two infighting down in the trenches.
Check out this image of Luis Firpo measuring Willard, about to uncork a right hand, he looks like Little Mac winding up for a power shot in Punch Out!!, what a photo.
Luis Firpo backing Willard up with a right hand.
Luis Firpo knocks out Jess Willard.
Here are the highlights from the Luis Firpo vs Jess Willard fight and you can see why Firpo was nicknamed "The Wild Bull of the Pampas", he charges Willard and brutally knocks him out.
This is what Luis Firpo said after knocking out Jess Willard in the 8th round of their bout in 1923 .
“Willard gave me hell. I expected a tough fight, but I didn’t think he would last as long as he did. . . . Now I want a chance at Dempsey."
I can't begin to explain what a legendary encounter this was, it's mythical in the annals of boxing lore.
The crowd at the Polo Grounds anticipates the Firpo-Dempsey fight in 1923.
Luis Firpo and "The Manassa Mauler" Jack Dempsey before their bout in 1923.
Firpo vs Dempsey, one of the wildest, most violent struggles in boxing history.
The Fight City
Sept. 14, 1923: Dempsey vs Firpo
By: Michael Carbert
After a full century it may be difficult to appreciate the impact of the legendary Dempsey vs Firpo fight and how it transformed the public image of heavyweight king Jack Dempsey, aka The Manassa Mauler. This is because many forget how Dempsey was in fact a rather unpopular figure for most of his championship reign. The all-American celebrity version of Dempsey, likable and endearing, did not emerge until the later years of the great champion’s career.
Before his legendary battle with Firpo, Dempsey’s fame, not to mention the huge gates at his fights, had as much to do with scandal and the dark side of human nature as it did with the popularity of boxing. After winning the world title in 1919, Dempsey was sued for divorce by Maxine Cates, a woman of less than high moral standing, to put it mildly, whom Jack had married during the time when he was riding the rails, fighting in bars and living in hobo camps and whorehouses. The trial and its revelations became a full-blown scandal as it not only brought to light Dempsey’s squalid background, but strongly suggested that the heavyweight champion of the world had perhaps not fully deserved his deferment to avoid the military draft during World War I.
Jack Dempsey
Thus Dempsey became the ‘bad guy’ and wily promoter Tex Rickard took full advantage, most notably in Jack’s bout with French war hero Georges Carpentier. That clash between good and evil created the first million dollar gate but did nothing to rehabilitate the heavyweight champion’s image. For three solid years Jack Dempsey, while without question the biggest name in American sports, had to endure the disapproval of the general public, not to mention taunts of “Slacker!” everywhere he went. That changed after his life-and-death brawl with Luis Firpo.
No one questioned Firpo as a legitimate challenger to Dempsey, though few gave him a chance to win. Big and tough, the Argentinian strongman had defeated Jess Willard and Gunboat Smith, among others, to establish himself as a top contender. Eighty thousand packed the Polo Grounds to witness Dempsey’s fifth title defense and after the referee had delivered his instructions and the fighters had removed their towels and robes, the crowd immediately saw the difference in size between the two men. Firpo outweighed the champion by 25 pounds and had a far bigger upper body. Some wondered if Dempsey might finally have a serious challenge on his hands.
Luis Firpo aka The Wild Bull of the Pampas
At the bell, the champion attacked. He missed a wild left and Firpo, retreating in the face of Dempsey’s assault, countered with a right that landed flush and dropped Dempsey to one knee. The huge crowd roared, rising as one; no one would sit down again until the ferocious battle had ended.
Dempsey lurched to his feet and the two warriors collided again in ring center, muscling each other in close before finding punching room and letting loose with wild haymakers, both men connecting. Twenty seconds in, Dempsey landed his potent left, and the hook sent Firpo to the canvas. The challenger scrambled up and they immediately took up where they left off, grappling and pounding, every blow thrown with intent to render the other man unconscious, the massive crowd going berserk as the fighters mauled and wrestled and punched away.
Firpo down again.
Firpo, while bigger and perhaps stronger, lacked Dempsey’s agility and footwork and this proved key in the knockdowns the champion scored. While attacking and firing with both fists, Dempsey continually whirled and spun, turning Firpo in the clinches and then striking while the challenger was off-balance. Dempsey’s vicious body attack also factored in, with two of the knockdowns courtesy of hard shots to Firpo’s belly. Seven times the challenger hit the canvas and more than once it appeared certain he was finished, but the stubborn “Wild Bull of the Pampas” kept getting up and battling back, despite the fact Dempsey was allowed to hover after each knockdown and strike Firpo the second his gloves left the canvas.
Amazingly, after the seventh knockdown, and with less than a minute left in the round, Firpo somehow gathered himself and launched a ferocious counterattack that almost ended the fight. To everyone’s astonishment he put Dempsey on the run with a volley of powerful rights, driving the champion to the ropes where a final right hand clout detonated on Jack’s jaw and propelled him out of the ring. Few could believe what they were seeing as Dempsey, his feet high in the air, landed on his back in the press section. For a shocking moment, it appeared that Firpo, who seconds ago was picking himself up off the floor, would triumph.
Bellows_George_Dempsey_and_Firpo_1924
Dempsey Through the Ropes: The famous George Bellows painting.
At this time there existed no aprons on boxing rings and Dempsey fell directly onto the table of the ringside press. Several reporters tried to push him back through the ropes, frantically working to get him off their typewriters so they could continue recording what was taking place. Back in the ring and on his feet, a dazed Dempsey backpedaled as Firpo resumed his attack. The Argentinian desperately hammered away with his right, but the champion survived and, amazingly, returned fire with two hard rights of his own just before the bell finally rang.
In their corners, both battlers were suffering the effects of perhaps the wildest round in ring history. Legend has it that a stunned Dempsey, sitting on his stool, was virtually catatonic until Jack Kearns found the smelling salts and put them under the champion’s nose. Dempsey blinked and looked at his handlers, who were frantically slapping him and dousing him with water, and asked, “What round was I knocked out in?”
Dempsey struggles to get back in the ring.
But as the bell for round two echoed in the New York night, it was soon evident that it was Firpo, not Dempsey, who was about to be knocked out. The Wild Bull’s legs appeared barely strong enough to support his weight and his punches were powerless. The champion quickly had Firpo on the defensive and a volley of left hooks put the challenger down for the eighth time. The game Argentinian warrior climbed to his feet yet again and tried one last right hand swing before Dempsey struck with a sharp one-two, the final punch a right to the jaw as Firpo was already going down. The gallant challenger resembled a man having an afternoon nap as he slowly rolled over onto his back; this time he could not rise.
While barely four minutes long, the brief but electrifying brawl had provided more thrills than all of Jack’s previous title defenses put together. And the shock of seeing the heavyweight king pounded through the ropes left a huge impression, winning “The Manassa Mauler” new respect. For years he had been the invincible champion no one could relate to or care about, especially after the scandal of his divorce and the accusations of his being a draft dodger. But seeing him come so close to defeat made him human again.
The final knockdown.
For the next three years Dempsey burnished that more appealing image as he stayed out of the prize ring and instead became a full-time celebrity, appearing in various exhibitions, stage plays and movies, and then marrying gorgeous film star Estelle Taylor. He was more popular than ever by the time he finally fought again in 1926, and in fact his defeats to Gene Tunney only served to endear him all the more to an American public which could not relate to the aloof new champion. And by the time Dempsey retired in 1928 he had become not just a star of boxing and the “Roaring Twenties,” but an icon of Americana.
More photos from the Firpo-Dempsey shootout.
You know, you have to hand it to Jack Dempsey, the guy was a damn animal, fearless, he'd take on anyone, taller, heavier, didn't matter. He brutalized the 6"6' Jess Willard in 1919, and the 6"3' murderous punching Luis Firpo threw the whole damn kitchen at him, knocked him out of the ring, and Dempsey still came back and knocked Firpo out. And he certainly lived up to his nickname "The Manassa Mauler", he just mauled the ever living hell out of you. I think Mike Tyson put it best when he said about Dempsey, "Jack Dempsey was a killer in the ring. He fought like he was starving—like his life depended on it."
But you have to hand it to Luis Firpo as well, Dempsey beat him from pillar to post, and Firpo just would not go away. He kept getting up, and knocked Dempsey clean out of the ring, reporters and photographers that were sitting ringside actually pushed Dempsey back in the ring, Firpo came that close to becoming world heavyweight champion. Jack Dempsey himself once said, "A champion is someone who gets up when they can't", and Firpo certainly had the heart of a champion.
One of the most famous photos in sports history, Luis Angel Firpo knocks Jack Dempsey through the ropes, clear out of the ring, and onto the laps of reporters and photographers sitting ringside.
A view from opposite sides as Jack Dempsey climbs back into the ring. Wow, what a fight.
Jack Dempsey finishes it.
Jack Dempsey celebrates after winning one of the most brutal shootouts in boxing history.
Following their brutal 1923 fight, Jack Dempsey praised Luis Firpo as "a fighting bull" and "the hardest puncher I ever faced". Dempsey admitted Firpo gave him his toughest fight, noting that after being knocked out of the ring, "I saw eight million stars when I got that punch on the chin". This is a photo of Jack Dempsey in his later years, posing beside the famous George Bellows painting of Firpo knocking him out of the ring.
The highlights from Luis Firpo vs Jack Dempsey in 1923. Boxing fans are so lucky to have this fight on film.
Hey look who it is, the show. Love you buddy, miss you, you are with us everyday.
A 1923 Swedish fight film poster for the famous Firpo-Dempsey bout.
Legendary fight, legendary image.
Luis Firpo on the cover of The Ring magazine in May of 1923.
This is a really neat collectible, made by Aurora in 1965, "Great Moments in Sport", it's a model toy that portrays the famous fight. The paint is not included in the set, it must be painted separately.
Here's the model toy with a different paint job, cool stuff.
This is a tale of the tape from Luis Firpo's fight with "The Brown Panther" Harry Wills on October 11th, 1924 in Jersey City, New Jersey. Firpo went the 12-round distance but Wills was too slick for him, he put Firpo down with a shovel uppercut coming out of a clinch in the 2nd round and got the better of Firpo. Wills is an all-time great and one of my favorite fighters as well.