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Luis Ángel Firpo (October 11, 1894 – August 7, 1960) was an Argentine boxer. Born in Junín,
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
, he was nicknamed ''The Wild Bull of the
Pampas The Pampas (; from Quechua 'plain'), also known as the Pampas Plain, are fertile South American low grasslands that cover more than and include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, and Córdoba; all o ...
''. He was the first
Latin American Latin Americans (; ) are the citizenship, citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their Latin American diaspora, diasporas are Metroethnicity, ...
in history to challenge for the world heavyweight title. His bout against
Jess Willard Jess Myron Willard (December 29, 1881 – December 15, 1968) was an American world heavyweight boxing champion billed as the Pottawatomie Giant. He won the world heavyweight title in 1915 by knocking out Jack Johnson (boxer), Jack Johnson. Wil ...
set a world record for boxing attendance at the time. His 1923 heavyweight title fight against
Jack Dempsey William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. One of the most iconic athl ...
was named '' Ring Magazine'' Fight of the Year for 1923. Firpo was inducted into the
International Boxing Hall of Fame The International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), located in Canastota, New York, right next to exit 34 of the New York State Thruway, honors boxers, trainers and other contributors to the sport worldwide. Inductees are selected on ballots cre ...
in the Old Timer category as part of the class of 2024.


Boxing career

In 1922 he arrived in the United States. He rose quickly in the Heavyweight rankings by winning all four of his fights that year by knockout. The first three in the United States made him a national hero in Argentina. He returned to his home town Buenos Aires to fight Jim Tracey in front of 20,000 spectators. Firpo won by knockout in the 4th round. Firpo began 1923 at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
knocking out former title challenger Bill Brennan in the 12th round with a right. Brennan had to be taken to the hospital afterwards for a concussion. "Dempsey never hit me any harder than this fellow," said Brennan. Adding that he couldn't wear his old hat because his head was too swollen. He followed that with seven more wins in a row, including a win over former world champion
Jess Willard Jess Myron Willard (December 29, 1881 – December 15, 1968) was an American world heavyweight boxing champion billed as the Pottawatomie Giant. He won the world heavyweight title in 1915 by knocking out Jack Johnson (boxer), Jack Johnson. Wil ...
. Willard was 41 at the time, and his age forced the bout to be moved from New York to New Jersey. The event drew enormous interest, as 100,000 fight fans crowded the event with an estimated 25,000 more turned away, an attendance which set a world record for boxing at the time. After a win against Charley Weinert, Luis Firpo was scheduled for a heavyweight title shot against
Jack Dempsey William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. One of the most iconic athl ...
. Firpo was the first
Latin American Latin Americans (; ) are the citizenship, citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their Latin American diaspora, diasporas are Metroethnicity, ...
in history to challenge for the world heavyweight title. In anticipation for the Dempsey-Firpo bout, a Firpo sparring session drew a crowd of 12,000. The match was at the
Polo Grounds The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 to 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built for the ...
, normal capacity 55,000, but an additional 20,000 seats were constructed bringing the total to 75,000 for the fight, later expanded to 83,000. The police estimated that 150,000 people showed up, including a mass extending a quarter mile in every direction around the arena. Firpo sending Dempsey outside the ring; '' Dempsey and Firpo'', 1923 painting by George Bellows ">George_Bellows.html" ;"title="Dempsey and Firpo'', 1923 painting by George Bellows">Dempsey and Firpo'', 1923 painting by George Bellows Firpo was floored seven times in the first round of Jack Dempsey versus Luis Firpo">the bout, before he trapped Dempsey against the ropes and launched a combination that sent the champion out of the ring. Dempsey was helped into the ring at the count of nine (in spite of having been seventeen seconds outside the ring; fighters are given a twenty-second count when they are knocked through the ropes). After getting back in the ring Dempsey took 13 consecutive shots from Firpo. In the second round Dempsey rallied and knocked out Firpo. It was named '' Ring Magazine'' Fight of the Year for 1923. He returned to Argentina for a period, fighting only 3 official bouts while he planned another return to the United States. Originally planned as a 10 match tour. 80,000 attended his fight against
Harry Wills Harry may refer to: Television * ''Harry'' (American TV series), 1987 comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (New Zealand TV series), 2013 crime drama starring Oscar K ...
, however he was defeated. He followed that with a loss against Charley Weinert, who Firpo had previously beaten. Both were by newspaper decision.


Retirement

Afterwards, Firpo became a car-dealer for
Stutz The Stutz Motor Car Company was an American automobile Automotive industry, manufacturer based in Indianapolis, Indiana that produced high-end Sports cars, sports and Luxury vehicle, luxury cars. The company was founded in 1911 as the Idea ...
and a rancher. By 1940 he was ranching on a large scale in Carlos Casares with 8,000 cattle, 4,000 sheep and 400 horses. He discovered the boxer Abel Cestac in July 1940. Firpo and
Jack Dempsey William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. One of the most iconic athl ...
agreed to jointly manage Cestac, who went on to become the South American heavyweight champion. On his passing in 1960, Luis Firpo was buried in La Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires. His mausoleum has a statue of him at the front.


Legacy

Firpo's popularity around Latin America was immeasurable. Years later, C.D. Luis Ángel Firpo, a professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
team A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal. As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interdependent with respect to in ...
in
El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...
was named after him. In addition, various schools, streets, and avenues across Latin America have been named after him. The painting Dempsey and Firpo by
George Bellows George Wesley Bellows (August 12 or August 19, 1882 – January 8, 1925) was an American realism, American realist painting, painter, known for his bold depictions of urban life in New York City. He became, according to the Columbus Museum of Art ...
has appeared in many films including Goodfellas, and television including
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
with Homer Simpson in the place of Firpo. With some calling it "the most influential sports painting ever." In 2003, he was named by '' The Ring'' as one of the 100 greatest punchers of all time.


Professional boxing record

, style="text-align:center;" colspan="8", 31 Wins (26 Knockouts), 4 Defeats, 2 No ContestsLuis Ángel Firpo's Professional Boxing Record
BoxRec.com. Retrieved on 2012-03-18.
, - style="text-align:center; background:#e3e3e3;" , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Res. , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Record , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Opponent , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Type , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Rd., Time , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Date , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Location , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Notes , - align=center , Loss , 31-4
, , align=left, Arturo Godoy , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 31-3
, , align=left, Siska Habarta , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 30-3
, , align=left, Saverio Grizzo , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 29-3
, , align=left, Erminio Spalla , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , style="background:#ddd;", ND , 28-3
, , align=left, Charley Weinert , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , style="background:#ddd;", ND , 28-3
, , align=left,
Harry Wills Harry may refer to: Television * ''Harry'' (American TV series), 1987 comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (New Zealand TV series), 2013 crime drama starring Oscar K ...
, , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 28-3
, align=left, Al Reich , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 27-3
, align=left, Erminio Spalla , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 26-3
, align=left, Farmer Lodge , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Loss , 25-3
, align=left,
Jack Dempsey William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. One of the most iconic athl ...
, , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 25-2
, align=left, Charley Weinert , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 24-2
, align=left, Homer Smith , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 23-2
, align=left, Joe Burke , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 22-2
, align=left,
Jess Willard Jess Myron Willard (December 29, 1881 – December 15, 1968) was an American world heavyweight boxing champion billed as the Pottawatomie Giant. He won the world heavyweight title in 1915 by knocking out Jack Johnson (boxer), Jack Johnson. Wil ...
, , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 21-2
, align=left, Jim Hibbard , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 20-2
, align=left, Jack Herman , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 19-2
, align=left, Jack McAuliffe II , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 18-2
, align=left, Bill Brennan , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 17-2
, align=left, Jim Tracey , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 16-2
, align=left, Jack Herman , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 15-2
, align=left, Joe McCann , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 14-2
, align=left, Tom Maxted , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 13-2
, align=left, Fernando Priano , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 12-2
, align=left, Gunboat Smith , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 11-2
, align=left, Gunboat Smith , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 10-2
, align=left, Dave Mills , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , style="background:#ddd;", NC , 9-2
, align=left, Alberto Coleman , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 9-2
, align=left, Antonio Jirsa , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 8-2
, align=left, Dave Mills , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 7-2
, align=left, Andrés Balsa , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Loss , 6-2
, align=left, Dave Mills , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 6-1
, align=left, Arthur Manning , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 5-1
, align=left, Fernando Priano , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 4-1
, align=left, Calvin Respress , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 3-1
, align=left, Calvin Respress , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 2-1
, align=left, Ignacio Sepulveda , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Win , 1-1
, align=left, William Daly , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Loss , 0-1
, align=left, Angel Rodriguez , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , style="background:#ddd;", NC , , align=left, Frank Hagney , , , , align=left, , align=left,


See also

* Jack Dempsey vs. Luis Ángel Firpo * C.D. Luis Ángel Firpo -
Football (soccer) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
team *
List of Argentines Argentine people, Argentines who are notable include: Artists *Roberto Aizenberg, painter and sculptor *Oscar Alemán, jazz guitarist *Antonio Alice, portrait painter *Marcelo Álvarez, tenor *Fermín Arango, painter *Martha Argerich, concert p ...
* John Ruiz - First Hispanic world heavyweight champion * Andy Ruiz - Second Hispanic world Heavyweight champion


References


External links

*
Gene Tunney's description of Firpo's multimillionaire success after retirement from the ring.

22-9-1923, El Gráfico, Firpo vs. Dempsey


- Dempsey vs. Firpo, un "match" indimenticabile * {{DEFAULTSORT:Firpo, Luis 1894 births 1960 deaths Argentine male boxers Argentine sportspeople of Italian descent Argentine sportspeople of Spanish descent Heavyweight boxers Sportspeople from Junín, Buenos Aires Boxers from Buenos Aires Province Burials at La Recoleta Cemetery