BOXING.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIII, Issue 229, 12 September 1923, Page 5

BOXING.

DEMPSEY AND FIRPO. WILLIS REFUSED AN INJUNCTION New York, Sept. 10. Harry Wills failed in his efforts to block the Dempsey-Firpo contest. The Supremo Court denied Willis’s application for a writ of mandamus and contended that Firpo was entitled to meet Dempsey first. —(A. and N.Z.) The Dempsey-Firpo match will be fought at the New York polo grounds on Friday next. When Firpo stopped Jess Willard a great many persons thought he would also whip Dempsey. But that feeling has practically all died out. One reason is that Firpo himself says that he does not think he is sufficiently experienced or seasoned enough to fight Dempsey—that he wishes the fight would be postponed for a year. His failure to stop Homer Smith, whose name isn’t even in the record book, shows that what he says is true —that he is not yet good enough to fight Dempsey. The referee’s decision in the Snuth bout was the first time in the South American’s career that he was forced to win via the decision route. All his previous battles had been comparatively easy victories by knockouts. Firpo knocked and battered Smith all about the arena with hard rights and uppercuts. Smith, although sent spinning to the canvas for a count, of nine for no less than 16 times, managed to stand off the anxious Firpo by clinching and dodging. Occasionally he shot long rights to the Argentine’s face, but they lacked the punch. At no time during the fight did Firpo show any signs of distress. While newspaper men at the ringside declared that Firpo had won the bout with little or no effort, there was a general opinion that he showed a lack of ringe generalship by being able to corner the elusive Smith and hind a knock-out blow. The general opinion expressed by fight fans and sports writers, who have had occasion to watch Dempsey in action, was that Firpo would have to improve considerably before having a chance against the Utah mauler.