New York Daily Star
October 16, 1948
Papp Winner in First Pro Match
By Jimmy Wallwork
Hungarian Olympian Laszlo Papp made his much anticipate pro debut at St. Nick's Arena last night with a six round unanimous decision over Johnny "Kid" Caruso. Papp sent Caruso to the mat in the third and fifth rounds.
Papp came out fresh at the opening bell and displayed many of the skills that won him a gold medal in London this past summer. Short on ability but long on heart, Caruso tried his best to mount his own attack but to no avail.
The Hungarian peppered the Jersey City native with jabs which set Caruso up for vicious blows to the head. Papp was particularly effective with his hooks and did not miss many opportunities to work his opponents body.
During the fourth round, Caruso appeared to be on his way out. Still feeling the effects from the first knockdown in the previous round, he was little more than a punching bag for the energetic Papp. But to his credit Caruso is a game fighter and somehow managed to hang on.
Papp sent Caruso to the mat again in round five with thirty seconds remaining in the heat and finished strong in the closing round. The three judges awarded him all six rounds and submitted identical scorecards of 60-52 for the point tally.
Overall, ringsiders gave Papp high grades for his performance. A few, however, raised questions concerning his ability to finish off an opponent given the fact that he had Caruso in trouble several times during the match.
But more savy ring buff contend that Papp only needs to adjust to the differences in the pro game. Had this been an amatuer event, undoubtedly the match would have likely been halted in the third round. Most maintain that as he continues in the professionall ranks, he'll be more adept in this department.
A familiar face in New York boxing circles, Caruso is far from a kid. He's been fighting on undercards since 1941 and had twenty-eight pro fights coming into the bout. While certainly far from the middleweight division's top tier, he is a seasoned fighter and was more than an appropriate opponent for Papp in his first pro match.
Over the past month, Papp has caused quite a stir among boxing fans since his defection following this summer's Olympic games. With his good looks, Clark Gable moustache, and obvious boxing skills he's an attractive commodity to both managers and promoters.
Presently, he has no manager and being guided by his trainer Szigmund Adler who also defected following the Olympics. Adler has a long association with Papp and prepared him for the London competition which ultimately led to Laszlo's gold medal performance in the middleweight division this summer.
Among the attendees last night were several of New York boxing's power players, including Al Weill, Irving Cohen, and Cus D'Amato. Boxing insiders report that the three are engaged in a high stakes bidding war to sign Papp to a long term contract.