New York Daily Star
February 15, 1949
Papp Impressive in Garden Debut
By Jimmy Wallwork
Hungarian Olympian Laszlo Papp picked up his fourth professional win last night at Madison Square Garden by pounding out a six round unanimous decision over journeyman Cupid Gordon.
From the opening bell, Gordon appeared to be in a survival mode. Keeping his distance, moving around the ring, and employing strategic clinches, he didn't provide Papp with much of a target for the first two rounds.
In round three, Papp finally caught up to his quarry, launching a full assualt on Gordon's head and body. Laszlo had his man measured in the fourth frame and placed Cupid in serious trouble with the referee, Ben Cerracelli, pondering a stoppage as the final seconds ticked off.
At the start of the fifth heat, Papp continued to press his point, snapping Gordon's head back with lethal hooks to the jaw. But Laszlo's blitz skidded to an abrupt halt after a nasty looking gash was opened over his right eye midway into the round.
The severity of the cut resulted in a brieft stoppage in the actiion by Cerracelli who escorted Papp to the ringside doctor for a professional assessment.
After a rather tense moment, the match was allowed to continue, but for the remainder of the round, Laszlo eased up on the throttle and fought cautiously.
As the sixth and final round began, it was obvious that Papp was concerned about the cut. He kept his distance from Gordon who was intent on moving inside with the sole object of restarting the blood flow.
Making good use of his jab, Papp set Cupid up for a powerful cross near the end of the round, sending the veteran Gordon to the mat. He made it to his feet as the final bell rang, thus sending the matter to the judges for the decision which was really an anticlimax.
Two of the judges saw it 60-53 with the third submitting a score of 59-54, all in Laszlo's favor.
With four very easy wins under his belt, Papp appears ready to step up to more challenging competition. Since he settled here last fall after fleeing the Communist dictatorship in Hungary, he's generated considerable interest in the boxing world.
His boxing skills are augmented by his good looks, and Papp has the potential to be a strong pull at the box office. To date he doesn't have a manager, but Laszlo is being intensely courted by boxing powerhouses like Al Weill, Irving Cohen, and Cus D'Amato, all of whom want to sign him to a long-term contract.