ROUND 1
JACK DEMPSEY vs LUIS ÁNGEL FIRPO (1923)
NOTHING gets the crowd going like a fast start. This was among the fastest of all world heavyweight title fights, a division and championship that always draws attention. When Jack Dempsey faced ‘The Bull of the Pampas’, Luis Ángel Firpo, it was the Argentinian who waved the proverbial red rag, all but demanding the champion to engage in ferocious warfare.
Dempsey rushed across the ring at the sound of the opening bell, only to be met by a swift right hand from the challenger, which dropped the ‘Manassa Mauler’ to his knees. What followed was a snapshot of its time, as a further eight knockdowns were scored – a number so high we will surely never again see a session like this. Dempsey was the orchestrator of seven of them, leaving Firpo on the brink of inglorious defeat.
However, it was Firpo who would come the closest to ending matters in this round. The undefeated underdog trapped his opponent on the ropes, before landing an overhand right, sending Dempsey flying out of the ring in one of the most dramatic moments in boxing history. With the dubious – and frankly rule-breaking – help of those at ringside, the American returned to the ring to beat the count as the round came to an end.
ROUND 2
TIM BRADLEY vs RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV (2013)
AN ABSOLUTE must-watch for all fight fans
