A DRAWN FIGHT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 81, 16 January 1928, Page 6

A DRAWN FIGHT

SHARKEY AND HEENEY. NEW ZEALANDER, THE BETTER. (Per Press Association —Copyright.) NEW YORK, January 13 The fight between Sharkey and Heeney at Madison Square Garden ended in a draw. The fight, which was to have taken place 5 in November, but was postponed through injuries to Sharkey's hand, was promoted by Tex Richard, with the object of deciding the logical contender for the world's heavy-weight title, now hele by Gene Tunmey. it was stated that the winner'would probably meet Jack Dempsey, though it is understood that Heeney claimed the right to meet Xunney had he won the figlit. It was stated yesterday that both men were fit, and that Sharkey's hand had quite recovered. One of the largest crowds to witness an indoor match filled the Madison Square Garden when the men entered the ring for their 12-round bout. Sharkey weighed 1941ib and Heeney 193. , -, The following are details: — -\ First Round.—Th?y exchanged .short blows with great force, clinching several times. Sharkey then outboxed his opponent and succeeded in driving him to the roperf, but the round was even. . Second Round. —Heeney quickly be-

gan to force the fighting, playing for the body with both hands and causing Sharkey to clinch. But the American, bv speeding up his blows and repeatedly hooking to Heeney's face and head, succeeded in taking the round by a shade. Third Round.—Both men now assumed different tactics, aiming blows high and landing short chops to the face. Tnere were no thoughts of defence by either of them. Sharkey was now fighting as he did against Dempsey, leaving his stomach unprotected, and Heeney, landing two hard blows to the body, took the. round. Fourth Round.—Heeney opened a ciit beneath Sharkey 's left eye, and had all the better of some furious exchanges, which filied the last two minutes of the round, which was Hee-

ney's. filth Round--Heeney returned to ihe attaok with both hand?, but Sharkey 'was stronger, troubling his opponent with the left hand to the face. They clinched continually,* Heeney aiming for the body and the American becoming more Sharkey cut Heeney's mouth with two lefts to the face, but Heeney sent Sharkey reeling t;> the ropes with a straight right to the jaw. Sharkey bounced back and iiung on. The New Zealander followed with a right to the heart. Sharkey began holding Heeney's left hand, and the crowd booed him. Heeney's round. Sixth Round. —Sharkey pounded Heeney's body at close quarters, the New Zealander taking upper cuts and left jabs to the face. Heeney drove a hard left to Sharkey's heart, and the latter swung hard lefts and*rights to his opponent's body. Heeney was missing badly, but only for a moment, slowing up the American with two lefts and two hard rights to the face. Sharkey's

round. Seventh Round. —Sharkey outboxed ! Heeney, but the American was having trouble in seeing out of his right eye. Something administered between the rounds was troubling him. Heeney slashed and hammered away at him, .but his blows seemed to lack force. Heeney's round. Eighth Round.—Sharkey assumed clubbing tactics and clinched, and again the crowd booed him. Heeney punished him with short lefts and rights to the body. Sharkey, who had a bad lump under his own left eye. cut Heeney's eye with a light right, the latter rained blows upon his opponent, taking the round. Ninth Round. —Sharkey used his left hand effectively, uppercutting Heeney and making him miss badly. - Heeney took considerable punishment. Sharkey's round by a wide margin. Tenth Round. —During some not too spirited exchanges at long distance, Sharkey drove a hard right to Heeney's jaw and then fell to his knees as he missed . another swing. Sharkey rose immediately and • tore into the New Zealander with hard body blows. Heeney fought back, but the American was punishing him. The fight was slow, and there was too much clinching. Sharkey's round. .< Eleventh-Round.—The boxers fell into a clinch in the middle of the ring and wrestled about without blows being struck, but in the exchange of blowsthat followed Sharkey nearly dropped Heeney with a left to the solar plexus. They put heads down then and exchanged body blows. Sharkeyls rounu. Twelfth Round. —Both speeded up and there was more action, with much heavy punching, Heeney doing the leading. It was obvious, however, that the so-called heavy-weight elimination contest had ended with a double elimination, both men probably being considered unfitted as Tunney's challenger. It was a. slow, uniuteresting fight to the 17,000 spectators. There is some feeling that Heeney was the better of the two, having carried the fight throughout to Sharkey, and that he should have got the decision on points. The latter outboxed the New Zealander, but was unable to outfight him. The decision was a draw.

HEENEY'S MORAL VICTORY. ("Sun". Cable). (Received This Day, 9.5 a.m.) LONDON, January 15. The newspapers hail Heeney's great moral victory and declare that despite Scott's failure, Heeney's grit gives British boxing a chance of supplying a fit competitor for Gene Tunney. Heeney in a special cable message to the "Evening News" says: "I feel I did not do my best. I did not get going until the last few rounds. I am sorry I did not win because if I had won I intended to spend a holiday in New Zealand and visit my whom I have not seen for four years."

CONTESTS IN AUSTRALIA. SYDNEY, January 15. At the Stadium,. Johnny Sullivan defeated Bruno Frattini on points in a fifteen rounds contest. Sullivan outboxed and outfought the Italian, who was severely punished. At the Melbourne Stadium, Lucia Albo defeated Norm Gillespie on points in fifteen rounds after a fast, clever contest.