HEENEY IN LIMELIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 48, 26 February 1929, Page 14

HEENEY IN LIMELIGHT.

SEEKING BOXING TITLE.

A MATCH WITH UZCUDUN,

WANTS TO MEET DEMPSEY

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 31

Unprejudiced students of tistiana in America liave arrived at the positive conclusion that Tom .Heeney, the wellknown New Zealand pugilist who recently figured in the arena with Gene lunney lor the heavy-weight championship of the world, before that worthy retired from the ring, is now the logical contender for securing that '-oveted title, and all sorts of rumours are being heard in the centres of pugilism in the Lnited States, especially toilowing the recent demise of Tex Kickard, the leading boxing promoter of the country. It is true that scores ot other aspirants are to be seen on the horizon in the Lnited States, but the genial and 1 popular New Zealander is regarded as the best of the cream of the selection of heavy-weights. Between diamond rings and boxing, Tom Heeney has chosen the latter and is training daily for a comeback h-> hopes will land him a match with Jack Dempsey in September. Heeney married after his unsuccessful attempt to win the world's championship from Tunney last July, at, the Yankee Stadium in New York, and returned to his home In dishorn", NewZealand, oil his honeymoon. He "ame back to this country in November with every intention of becoming a diamond importer. Charlie Harvey, his ijiatia jer. and the late Tex Rickanl. talked him out. of it. "You can peddle diamonds any old time." Harvey insisted. "Tom. T want you to fight Paoliuo." Rickard told him. "The winner gets Sharker or Stribling. and then tic big shot with Dempsey will be waiting for the victor." One of the best-liked fighters in the game. Heeney could not put up a "■o'lvincing argument against them. Public Glued to Dempsey. "As long as Dempsey is going to be in it," Ileeiiey now said in New \ork. " I suppose the best the rest ot n» mugs can do is to get in there and fight tor a chance to meet him. The public is glued to Dempsey, and he will work up enthusiasm in lighting. Of course, now that Kickard is gone, 1 don't know what Dempsey will do. 1 hope he does light again, and I get a chance to m -et him." Heeney probably will meet l'aolino Uzeudun in his first comeback bout. They have met twice before, l'aolino winning the first decision, and the second bout ending in a draw. "L would love to tight l'aoiino."' Tom said. "That is one contender 1 belies e I can defeat. If I can't whip him 1 ami going to quit and get started in my! diamond business." It was disclose i that when Heeney was fighting around Johannesburg. South Africa, in 10-21, lie made a number of friends. Two of Litem have since become rich through their diamond mine, and they want him to handle their uncut diamonds in the United States. " I've got to get started in some other business some time," he said, '"and if I can't lick Paolino I haven't got any business fighting any more." Heeuev likes "to fight, but he hates the training grind. There is nothing the likeable New Zealaiuler would rather d > than get into a rough-and-tumble tight. His tales of street fights with South African negroes are classic slang. Reminiscing on his fight with Tunney. Heeney said the long training grind in the hot weather hastened his defeat. "I don't want to take anything away from Tunney," he said. "He licked inc. but I will always believe I would have put lip a better fipht if I had only trained ten days instead of six weeks. But they said nothing less than s ; \ weeks would do for a championship fight." Heeney trained near the seashore at Fair Haven, in New .Jersey, and the humidity made him suffer. "Next I am going to the mountains, like Tunney did," Tom said. "He knows a thing or two about training." Among the many reasons why he lost, Heeney said the most amusing -">ne lie had heard was contributed by an old Maori in New Zealand. "When I got back to New Zealand," Heeney related, "the old Maori told mo Tunney heat me because I wore the Maori blanket into the ring. fie explained the blanket was a woman's garment and not for a fighting man. He said the gods became angry at me and caused me to lose. He presented me with a whalebone, a token of battle, and said that it would bring me good luck in all the rest of my fights." Respecting prospective opponents for Heeney, it may be of interest to state that the formidable .Tack Sharkey, who in reality is a Lithuanian, a few days ago met in the arena at Madison Square Garden, in New York, a new-comer to pugilistica in K. O. Cliristner, of Akron, and as a result Sharkev saved the 500,f100-dollar fight at Miami Beach. Florida, by winning a verdict over the Akron Scandinavian by the narrowest of margins, which left a crowd complaining and dissatisfied with the decision, many declaring Cliristner was the winner in their opinion. The crowd, which had elbowed its wav into the Garden anticipating a very easy victory for the Bostonian, was amazed at Cliristner, throwing right hands repeatedly to the head, and Sharkey was forced to the defensive. For the first four rounds of the bout the man who is to meet Stribling in Miami Beach late in February took quite a severe pasting from the persistent Akron heavy-weight. Eventually class told, and Sharkey's superior boxing culminated in his .vin. although many believed Christn>r deserved the verdict of a victory. Heeney's Plans Changed. A long conference between Tom McArdle, Madison Square Garden matchmaker, and tlie managers of Tom Heeney and Paolino Uzeudun, subsequently held in New York, tailed to determine which one of the foreign heavy-weights will get into the ring at the Gardens with the redoubtable K. O. Cliristner. Although the previous week he issued a long pronouncement to the effect that Heeney would take 110 foe but Dempsev. Sharlie Harvey, the New Zeahuider's pilot, now appeared in a receptive mood, as did Ol Mayer. Paolino's representative. McArdle made it plain that either fighter would be acceptable to the Garden, and that the match wobablv would go to the one whose terms were the least exacting. Christner's consent to a bout with either Heeney or Paolino already has been received. Another aspirant, one whom Heeney has already met in the ring, was Johnny I Risko, who arrived in New York from Cleveland, and lost no time embarking on a final programme of training in preparation for his important bout with |Mav Schmeling. "the German Dempse;-." jat Madison Square Garden. I Uzeudun and Christner fought a draw in New York on Saturday. w