Cine-mundial (1923)

CINE-MUNDIAL : “Firpo está apto para el Campeonato”, declara el Presidente de la Comisión de Boxeo de Nueva York A fin de disipar la atmósfera de recelos creada por la próxima lucha Firpo-Dempsey, el Director de CINE-MUNDIAL dirigió la siguiente carta abierta al Presidente de la Comisión Atlética del Estado de Nueva York, enviando copia de la mis ma a Tex Rickard. Sn tune With Latin -America 516 FIFTH AVENUE Direccion Cablesrafica CINEMUNDI 5 NEW YORK Clave 3B C5* Edición Revisada Aug. 13, 1923. Mr. William Muldoon, Chairman, State Boxing Commission, 949 Broadway, New York City. Dear Sir: I wish to bring to your attention a condition affecting athletics in general throughout the Spanish and Portuguese speaking world. The unsporísmanlike behaviour of the. public during the Firpo-Willard and Dundee-Criqui contests has made a painful impression abroad, aggravated by the feeling that in the forthcoming clash between the Argentinian and the Champion, the former is not getting a square deal. All the way from the border down to Punta Arenas, the belief prevails that Firpo is being rushed into the ring with Demsey without a chance to properly prepare himself for the fray. The stories to this effect published daily by the local press of the different southern republics would astonish you. (TE should be borne in mind that boxing is a new pastime with our people and that our sporting editors are still pretty raw and our enthusiasts for the game quite green. These reports, therefore, are taken much more seriously than in the United States, where writers and readers alike are more sophisticated in this regard.) Right here in New York, where the advent of Firpo! has made thousands of new boxing fans, the wildest tales circulate among our Spanish-speaking citizens, many of whom firmly believe that Mr. Rickard was bent on tying up Firpo's money and clapping him in jail (!) if he had not agreed to meet the champion on the 14th. These ugly rumours are harmful and should be set at rest, if, for no other reason, to assure our friends in the South that there will be fair play and also for the good of the sport in Latin-America, where it is not as solidly entrenched as is in this country despite its phenomenal development of the past five years. i A statement from you, as head of legalized boxing in this State, would carry the necessary weight, and we shall be glad to publish it in the current issue of CINE-MUNDIAL, which is the main source of boxing news for the southern hemisphere. Your very truly, CINE-MUNDIAL CTA Editor Las traducciones de estas cartas aparecen en la página 569, y, en la 560, la carta original de Mr. Rickard con su versión castellana. La comunicación del célebre empresario llegó a nuestro poder cuando entraba en prensa la última forma de la revista. SEPTIEMBRE, 1923 <— ATHLETIC COMMISSION WILLIAM MULDOON Cnaraman STATE OF NEW YORK LICENSE COMMITTEE WILLIAM J. MCCORMACK FRANK DWYER CHAIN man QEORGE E. BROWER JOHN J. PHELAN D WALKER WEAR DANIEL H. SKILLING, secnerany STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION 949 BROADWAY NEW YORK CITY Prone ABRLANO 1763) 1764 Purchase, NENS, August 15, 1923. Mr. F. G. Ortega, Editor CINE-MUNDIAL, 516 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y. Dear Sir: In answer to your letter of August 13th. Nothing could be farther from the truth and the facts than the opinion which your letter states is so rapidly growing in the minds of the friends of Firpo and the Spanish and Portuguese speaking. people throughout the world. I presume the cause of it is the untruthful, absolutely worthless chatter and senseless writings of some of the so-called experts on boxing news, not only in the vicinity of New York but throughout the whole of the United States. They apparently know nothing of the real facts, they are only guessing and they are mighty poor ' guessers and very, very poor writers on boxing news. There is not the slightest doubt in the minds of those who do know the facts but that Firpo will receive every courtesy and fair play that any other mam engaged in the boxing profession will receive in his engagements in this country. You know that it is absolutely impossible for any power on earth to control that class of excitable and low order of humanity that disgraces and always will wherever they are bring disgrace upon the American people by their conduct toward Criqui, — a real hero, a real fighting man, honorable, honest, a brave, manly man that is entitled to the admiration of the people of the world. That type of rowdy and loafer who booed, hissed or issued disgusting foul remarks from 3 their secluded parts of the audience are miserable cowards; no decent person approves of their actions and I have never yet seen a boxing entertainment that that type was not present E and gave vent to their disgusting vulgarity to some extent. There has been no attempt on the part of Rickard or anyone else to rush, without due consideration, Firpo into a contest for the championship. ' In fact it is a great compliment, a great privilege for Firpo to have a chance to try for the championship. He will certainly receive fair play and if ` I good judgment is exercised in taking care of his interest, having him in good condition, he has a most excellent chance. He has nothing to lose and everything to win. Personally, I do not think it is too soon for him to have a trial. He will have about three weeks to devote entirely to preparing himself and it is my opinion that that time is sufficient, for he he has not been idle and has been receiving a good schooling for the game of boxing. I assure you that you can announce to your people that Firpo, their idol, is considered by the boxing authorities of this State one of the best equipped physically for his profesE i sion and is a well behaved, gentlemanly, honest, fair and | — square fighting man. Respectfully, Chairman P.S.—I enclose herewith clipping, and endorse every word that Walt Mason says in this article. n > PácrNA 520