Dempsey vs. Firpo 100 years ago
Perhaps the wildest boxing fight of all time
September 14, 2023, 8:54 p.m
The boxing match between heavyweight world champion Jack Dempsey and Angel Luis Firpo on September 14, 1923 in New York is more than just an exchange of blows. It’s also a feast for all voyeurs of brute force – with one of the most dramatic moments in sports history.
Anyone who would describe themselves as a frequent bargoer may already be familiar with this picture. It often hangs in the wonderful world of the counter. The oil painting “Dempsey and Firpo” (or “Dempsey Through The Ropes”) by artist George Bellows, copied hundreds of thousands of times on paper, captures one of the most legendary moments in boxing history. It shows heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey being beaten out of the ring by his challenger Angel Luis Firpo.
It is rare for a boxer to leave the ring using his opponent’s fists. It is just as rare that in a duel between heavyweights both fighters go on the boards. Dempsey vs. Firpo had all of this to offer 100 years ago – and that’s why it is still probably the most spectacular boxing match in history.
In 1923, Jack Dempsey had been world heavyweight champion for four years and was by far the biggest star in US sports. His fight against Frenchman Georges Carpentier in July 1921 was the first sporting event ever to gross $1 million. Dempsey is on top, rich and untouchable between the ropes. Wherever the “Manassa Mauler” goes, it is desert.
The wildest 237 seconds in boxing history
Finding a suitable challenger is not that easy for the people pulling the strings around Dempsey’s sly manager Jack “Doc” Kearns – also because Dempsey refuses to fight against black boxers. How good that there is this “wild bull from the pampas”: Angel Luis Firpo. The man from Buenos Aires is characterized by his long arms and hands like frying pans with which he flattens his opponents. 21 of his 25 victories result from knockouts, so the duel with the king of thugs Dempsey can be marketed wonderfully: “Manassa Mauler” against “Pampastier”.
On September 14th, 80,000 people stream into New York’s “Polo Grounds” and give the organizers a “live gate” of ticket revenue of 1.2 million dollars (of which Dempsey pockets around 469,000 dollars). The spectators will not regret coming, Dempsey and Firpo will redeem the value of their tickets.
When the fighters meet in the ring, the 28-year-old world champion appears unusually shy. Firpo looks down darkly at his rival, who is five centimeters shorter. Dempsey avoids eye contact with the 1.90 meter giant from South America. Then the bell rings in the wildest two rounds or 237 seconds in boxing history with a total of eleven knockdowns.
At “9” it stands again
Firpo immediately makes it clear that he is not another helpless Dempsey victim. The Argentine wants to hit himself. Firpo’s heavy right to the body drains Dempsey’s legs of all juice for a brief moment. The champ briefly falls to his knees, but is able to cling to Firpo and immediately transform back into a Homo Erectus.
Spurred on by the shame, Dempsey counterattacks, unpacking his patented left hook and knocking Firpo to the ground. However, the challenger stands up again immediately and storms angrily towards the defending champion. A real – watch out – exchange of blows develops in which Dempsey shows off his superior fist skills and applies the law of heavyweight gravity to Firpo six (!) more times. But each time the man from the pampas stands up – and then the bull strikes.
A long right hits Dempsey square in the chin, sending the American through the ropes and out of the ring. The left that Firpo pushes behind and that George Bellows holds on to is no longer necessary. Dempsey crashes onto a reporter’s table and the 80,000-strong mob in New York rages. A few journalists push the fallen star back onto the battlefield. A help that is not permitted according to the rules and is lost in the general hustle and bustle. At “9” Dempsey is back in the ring and the spectacle continues. Firpo slams the next club into his battered rival’s skull, Dempsey responds – fighting subconsciously – with a right hand that hits the gaucho in the heart. Firpo winces in pain. Final bell round 1.
Dempsey saw “eight million stars”
“He’s strong and the hardest puncher I’ve ever faced. It was the first time I’ve been knocked down since I’ve been world champion. I saw eight million stars when I took that punch to the jaw, who knocked me out of the ring. I didn’t even know he knocked me out of the ring until I was sitting on the chair between rounds. I thought I had been knocked out,” Dempsey commented on the historic scene after the fight . In 1950, sportswriters voted Dempsey’s case in an Associated Press poll as the most dramatic sports moment of the past 50 years.
When the gong for the second round sounds in New York, Dempsey has recovered well during the one-minute break on the stool. The world champion attacks, hitting Firpo with short, powerful hooks. The bull manages to get to its feet once, but after the ninth knockdown it remains lying down.
A year after Night in New York, George Bellows painted his famous painting on canvas. The artist liked the spectacle so much that he immortalized himself (on the far left with a bald head) on it.
After the legendary battle against Angel Luis Firpo, Jack Dempsey did not climb into the ring for his world championship crown for three years. On September 23, 1926 he finally met his compatriot Gene Tunney. He was no bull, but a masterful technician – and ended Dempsey’s reign with a clear points victory.