BOXING

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 March 1922, Page 6

BOXING

HOW HEENEY BEAT GORNIK. Australian exchanges bear news , of the snowing of Tom Heeney, of Gisborne, against Al ax Gornik, the RtissAustraliaii heavyweight, at the Brisbane Stadium on Teoiuary 11. lhe press nonces are all acciamaiory el ireeiiey amt declare tnat Gornik never looked like a winner, despite the lact nutt ne is recognised as a hard man to heat. It transpires, by lhe way, that Heeney did not on tins occasion, as was believed, administer the k. 0., the towel coming in from Gornik’s corner to save- tne Gisborne lad's opponent liom further punishment. One review of the match, from a Brisbane paper, states; —lom Heeney, heavy weight champion of New Zealand, at the Brisbane Stadium demonstrated many oi tiie virtues of a coming champion. He was on his Australian trial against a really stiff tester in Max Gornik, against a. man who possesses not only a punch, but a solid reputation for the power to use it, combined with lighting ability, and no small measure of ringcrait.

Yet under the plan of campaign unfolded by the lad from the Land of the Kiwi, the pride of our heavyweights never looked a real winner at any stage of the bout. Admittedly Mix put over several convincing cracks and did the bulk of the lighting in 12 of the 15 rounds contested, but there was such clever defensive strategy featured in Heeney’s boxing asi to give -rise to the idea that sooner or later he would unwind to the utter discomfiture of his rival. And then in the 15th the gate swung open. Gornik drove in, pelting away. Heeney exposed his body to a double-fisted attack, and down came Max’s guard. This was the visitor’s big opportunity. Up came his right, to whip in one of the ireatcst short jolts 1 have ever seen. That right fist was) as swift and deadly as the strike of a. rattler.

“Gornik’s jaw is tough and strong, mid though the punch toppled him ap he was up at seven, and gamely walked right into the teeth of the coming cyclone. lie was clammed ami barged from pillar i<> post. That <>Ll Greek gladiator, Achilles, and his famous ant igimisl, Hector, the Trojan, had mulling on game Max for sheer Spartan pliu-k. Heeney slashed ami rirnrnd him unmercifully, and beat him to Hie canvas no fewer than four times before the towel from Mentor Thil Skphan’s angle saved the inevit able knockout.” Heenex is scheduled to meet Colin Bell on the 17th inst. A WIN FOR “MIKE FLYNN”

At the Brisbane Stadium on Satnrdav wook last, “’'dike” Flvnn (8.4) kno<’kod “Tlec.” Tyers (8.3/,) in the eighth round. Flvnn boxed with ability much above the average.