Damon Runyon
Buffalo Courier/August 14, 1923
Argentinian Floors Opponent Twice, Sponge Tossed In–Jeff Smith Wins
Philadelphia, Aug. 13—The “Wild Bull of the Pampas” came out of his corner for the second round against Charley Weinert of Newark, fairly snorting tonight. Rigidly upright, his eye glaring, his black hair tossing, his long hairy arms extended stiffly, he pawed once, twice, and then a third time at the pale Weinert.
His great hands fell against the back of Weinert’s neck with a heavy thud. Weinert went down partly from the effect of the punch, but more from being wore down. He got up weakly as Referee “Pop” O’Brien started to count. Then Firpo rushed him, clubbing with both hands.
Toss in Sponge
A punch back of the ear upset Weinert again. Charley fell on the canvas flat on his back. O’Brien started another count. Weinert got to his hands and knees and then to his feet. Another terrific smash back of the ear dropped him again. Then a dripping sponge flew into the ring from Weinert’s corner.
The Jersey man, who left his pugilistic future in the cabarets of New York and the good looks that once gave him the name of “the Adonis,” lasted one minute and 49 seconds of the second round against the “Wild Bull.”
The 25,000 Philadelphians packed in the National League ball park, expecting to get a line on Jack Dempsey’s next opponent, did not have much chance to see the real Firpo, because Weinert’s resistance was brief and rather weak.
The Jersey man got through the first round by keeping his left hand busy, but a couple of body blows in that round undoubtedly hurt him. He was strong enough coming out of his corner for the second round, and went right at the “Wild Bull,” spearing with his left and driving Firpo to the ropes. Then Firpo rushed and his tremendous strength quickly overwhelmed Weinert.
Argentinian Wide Open
Firpo’s system of leading with his right—to some boxers his potential weakness against Dempsey—was again apparent tonight. He was wide open, as usual, and Weinert had no trouble reaching his face with a left.
However, Weinert’s left was a very weak affair, and Firpo rushed right through it, so to speak.
Firpo fought Weinert with great confidence from the first bell, and there was no doubt of the result at any time, although during the first round Weinert’s efforts inspired some of his admirers to wild shrieks of “Knock him out, Charley.”
Physically, Weinert seemed a mere suggestion of his old self.
Jimmy De Forest Absent
For the first time since his arrival in this country, Firpo was not handled by Jimmy DeForest. He had Scotty Montieth and a couple of friends from the Argentine behind him.
Frank Flournoy, matchmaker, represented WTex Rickard at the ringside, and breathed a sigh of relief when Weinert fell in the second round.
The Fight by Rounds
Round one—Charley was short with a left to Luis’ head, and bounced back as Firpo swung a right. They clinched. Weinert jabbed with his left, then rushed Firpo to the ropes. Missing a left uppercut, Weinert hooked that hand to the nose. Firpo smashed a right to the head. They clinched. It was Weinert’s round.
Round two—Firpo slugged Weinert with his right on the head. It was a vicious blow. Both missed rights to the face. Firpo floored Weinert with a right to the head for a count of two. Charley struggled up and was smashed down with the clublike right for a count of seven. As he made his feet again, Firpo swung a terrible right and a strong left, and Weinert went flat and stayed that way.
Jeff Smith Wins
Jeff Smith, Bayonne, N.J., middleweight, outpointed Andy “Kid” Palmer, Philadelphia, in eight rounds.
Nate Goldman, product of the marine corps, outpointed Bobby Barrett, Philadelphia lightweight, in the first eight-round preliminary in the opinion of a majority of newspaper men at the ringside.
Danny Kramer, the lefthanded junior lightweight of San Francisco, was outpointed in the eighth round semi-final by Alex Hart of Cleveland, in the opinion of the writers.
(Source: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43665452/buffalo_courier/)
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