Huffman Retains 3-Weapon Title
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Huffman Retains 3-Weapon Title
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February 11, 1937
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2
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3
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HUFFMAN RETAINS 3-WEAPON TITLE
Dr. John R. Huffman, of the New York A.C., made fencing history when for the third consecutive time, and the 5th in 7 years, he won the Three-Weapon Championship by scoring his third consecutive victory in the finals over Jose R. de Capriles. The score was 8-6. Huffman got off to a brilliant 4-1 advantage in the foil through a series of spectacular attacks. Then his accurate point to the wrist gained an upset victory in epee 3-2; so that, at the beginning of the sabre, Huffman's favorite weapon, he needed but a single point for victory.
For several exciting minutes it seemed as if Jose de Capriles would perform the impossible. Staging a desperate rally, with the coolness of a fighter who refuses to concede defeat, Jose scored three times with fast counter-attacks in opposition. Then suddenly Huffman lunged, de Capriles stop-cutted to the arm, the judges were none too certain as to what had happened, and finally decided in favor of Huffman. The action was much debated afterward, but there is no doubt that John Huffman still is the champion all-around fencer of this country.
Huffman defeated Miguel de Capriles, champion in 1933 and 1934, in the semi-final bracket for the third consecutive time, and this year "Johnny" had an easy time, winning 8-4 largely by virtue of a 4-1 lead in foil. But Huffman had to fight a battle royal with "Chips" Cantor in the quarter-final, trailing 3-2 at the end of the foil, and winning 8-6 only after a stubborn and decisive encounter in the sabre.
Jose de Capriles reached the final by defeating Leo Nunes 8-6 in what was easily the toughest match of the tournament. The N.Y.A.C. veteran, Huffman's only rival for the all-time three-weapon supremacy, fought with his customary technical and tactical skill, and lost only because his physical energies were drained in two long drawn-out matches. In the quarter-final, Hugh Alessandroni had beaten him 3-2 in foil and epee and had scored the first touch in sabre to lead 7-4, when Nunes, rallying in true championship style, scored four successive sabre hits to pull the match out of the fire by 8-7.
The other quarter-finalists were Nickolas Muray, a perennial top-notcher in this tournament, and Norman Armitage, another star who made his first appearance in four years in the Three Weapon competition. Muray lost to Jose de Capriles 8-5 and Armitage lost to Miguel de Capriles by 8-2. Except for the recent rise of Cantor and Alessandroni, the leaders in the field have not changed much for eight years. There were twenty-five entries.
M. A. de C.
