HEAVY WEIGHT TITLE.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19505, 29 December 1928, Page 14

HEAVY WEIGHT TITLE.

BOXING IN AMERICA

HEENEY ON THE WARPATH,

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SAN FRANCISCO. November 30,

Whether Tom Heeney, the sturdy New Zealand pugilist who was the loser in Gene Tunney's last appearance _as world's heavy-weight champion, retires from the ring depends on his opponents more than anything else. In his first interview since he reached New York, Heeney said that he was very uncertain about "continuing his ring career, but that he would like to keep on if he could fight only men suited to his style. "I would like to keep on if I could fight men suited to mc and my style," Heeney explained. "I don't mean that I want to pick opponents. But what I mean is to fight men near my own size and more closely related to mc in style —fellows like Sharkey, Risko, Paolino, and Dempsey; any one of the four or all four of them. That would be better than if I fought somebody like Tunney, bigger than me, and given to boxing rather than fighting." A conference with Tex Rickard in Miami, Florida, shortly after Christmas, will determine when, if at all, Jack Dempsey is to fight again, the former champion stated upon his return to Hollywood from New York. "You shouldn't be surprised if I go back for one more battle," was the nearest Dempsey came to a definite statement about his plans. The Tia Juana race track just over the Californian boundary in Mexico will claim part of Dempsey'a time during the winter. Jack Sharkey, Boston heavy-weight, has signed a contract with Tex Rickard, the leading boxing promoter of America, for three fights, opponents to be named later. The first fight will be in January, the second in February, and the third in March, Rickard said. It is possible the New Zealander, Tom Heeney, will enter the ring as one of the opponents to Sharkey, as he is recognised as the strongest drawing card in American ring circles at this stage. Dealing with the speculation as to the next world's heavy-weight boxing champion, it may be of interest to New Zealand enthusiasts to state that one of the strangest wagers ever made in sport was recorded in Tex Rickard's private offices in Madison Square Garden in New York, while outside on the ice the Rangers and Maroons battled in their tense game of international hockey before a tremendous crowd of fans. Sevon wealthy sportsmen organised a pool on the next heavy-weight champion of the world. Each wrote his choice on a slip of paper, tossed a large wad of American bills or a cheque into a hat, and agreed that the victor should collect the entire spoils. Strangest of all were the choices. Rickard placed his money on Young Stribling. Dempsey had a supporter in John McEntee Bowman. Tex warned Bowman that the odds on Dempsey were long enough without adding the uncertainty surrounding the former champion's plans, but Bowman stuck to his choice. James I. Bush also favoured Stribling, which paired him with Rickard, Walter Chrysler chose Knute Hansen, who was the selection of Colonel Hammond also. Bernard F. Gimbel placed his hopes on Paolino. Richard Hoyt selected Jack Sharkey to succeed to Gene Tunney's crown. Rickard and Bush still teamed together, took the field—all the remaining heavy-weights on payment of four times the amount of the , individual wagers. The amount of each wager was not revealed.