Luis Ángel Firpo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Luis Ángel Firpo |
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Firpo in 1919
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| Nickname(s) | El Toro Salvaje de las Pampas |
| Height | 6 feet 2+1⁄2 inches (1.89 m) |
| Born | 11 October 1894 Junín, Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Died | August 7, 1960 (aged 65) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
Luis Ángel Firpo (born October 11, 1894 – died August 7, 1960) was a famous Argentine boxer. He was born in Junín, Argentina. People called him The Wild Bull of the Pampas. He was the first boxer from Latin America to fight for the world heavyweight boxing title.
His boxing match against Jess Willard set a new world record for how many people watched a boxing event. His big fight in 1923 against Jack Dempsey was even named the Ring Magazine Fight of the Year. Luis Ángel Firpo was added to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2024.
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Firpo's Boxing Journey
Luis Firpo came to the United States in 1922. He quickly became a top heavyweight boxer. He won all four of his fights that year by knocking out his opponents. His first three wins in the U.S. made him a hero in Argentina.
He went back to his hometown of Buenos Aires to fight Jim Tracey. About 20,000 people came to watch. Firpo won that fight by knockout in the fourth round.
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In 1923, Firpo started the year strong at Madison Square Garden. He knocked out former title challenger Bill Brennan in the 12th round. Brennan had to go to the hospital after the fight. He said that Dempsey never hit him harder than Firpo did.
Firpo then won seven more fights in a row. These wins included matches against Jack McAuliffe and former world champion Jess Willard. Willard was 41 years old at the time. Because of his age, the fight was moved from New York to New Jersey. A huge crowd of 100,000 people attended the event. An estimated 25,000 more could not get in. This set a world record for boxing attendance at that time.
After beating Charley Weinert, Luis Firpo earned a chance to fight for the heavyweight title against Jack Dempsey.
The Big Fight: Dempsey vs. Firpo
Firpo was the first Latin American boxer to challenge for the world heavyweight title. Many people were excited about the Dempsey-Firpo fight. A practice session for Firpo drew a crowd of 12,000 fans. The main fight was held at the Polo Grounds. Normally, it held 55,000 people. But for this fight, an extra 20,000 seats were added. This made room for 75,000 fans, later expanded to 83,000. Police thought that 150,000 people showed up. The crowd stretched for a quarter mile around the stadium.
In the first round of the fight, Firpo was knocked down seven times. But he kept fighting! He pushed Dempsey against the ropes. Then, Firpo landed a series of punches that sent the champion right out of the ring! Dempsey was helped back into the ring. He got back in at the count of nine. After returning, Dempsey took 13 more punches from Firpo. In the second round, Dempsey fought back and knocked out Firpo. This exciting match was named Ring Magazine Fight of the Year for 1923.
After this famous fight, Firpo went back to Argentina. He fought only three more official matches there. He then planned to return to the United States for a tour. About 80,000 people watched his fight against Harry Wills. However, Firpo lost that match. He also lost to Charley Weinert, whom he had beaten before.
Life After Boxing
After his boxing career, Firpo became a car dealer for Stutz. He also became a successful rancher. By 1940, he owned a very large ranch in Carlos Casares. He had 8,000 cattle, 4,000 sheep, and 400 horses.
He also helped discover a boxer named Abel Cestac in 1940. Firpo and Jack Dempsey both agreed to help manage Cestac. Cestac later became the South American heavyweight champion.
Luis Firpo passed away in 1960. He was buried in La Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires. His tomb has a statue of him at the front.
Firpo's Lasting Legacy
Luis Firpo was incredibly popular all over Latin America. Years later, a professional football team in El Salvador was named after him: C.D. Luis Ángel Firpo. Many schools, streets, and avenues across Latin America are also named in his honor.
A famous painting called Dempsey and Firpo by George Bellows shows Firpo sending Dempsey out of the ring. This painting has appeared in many movies, like Goodfellas. It has also been seen on TV shows, including The Simpsons, where Homer Simpson was in Firpo's place. Some people call it the most "influential sports painting ever."
In 2003, The Ring magazine named Luis Firpo as one of the 100 greatest punchers of all time.
See also
In Spanish: Luis Ángel Firpo para niños
- Jack Dempsey vs. Luis Ángel Firpo
- C.D. Luis Ángel Firpo - A Football (soccer) team
- List of Argentines
- John Ruiz - The first Hispanic world heavyweight champion
- Andy Ruiz - The second Hispanic world heavyweight champion
