HEENEY THE BATTLER

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 10508, 11 February 1928, Page 11

HEENEY THE BATTLER

trOW' HE TRAINED TO MEET SHARKEY. NOT FAST, BUT RELENT!/ESS ON ATTACK. (By Jimmy Deforest in the Auckland Star.) I* vo I .con watching Tom Heenoy, New Zealand heavy-weight, training fur his battle with Jack Sharkey, Boston’s candidate for championship honors: Tlie fight Is one of the important heavyweight elimination bouts arranged to find a new ehallenir,;r for the world’s heavyweight Title. 1 have seen Heenoy skipping the rope, trying to piinch the bag, and sparring with various partners, He is the plodder type, even in skipping tlie rope. He hasn't any grace, hut a fellow doesn’t need grace to lie effective. The New Zealander jogged thiougn hi.s sessions with the rope, which were from five to ton minutes long, without a stop, in a slow, laborious way. He showed nothing fancy or speedy. Just work 1 Til bis llag-punching Heeney confined himself almost entirely to the light bag. Tie missed a lot, for lie is"no bag-puncher. He tried out his punches, being satisfied to land without trying to keep the bag going iu a rat-a-tat all the time, lie s what, we call a “high” puncher. In mv opinion lie lias been wrong in. this - . He should have trained more on the big bag, punching low. This would have helped him with his body punches. In his boxing I noticed that throughout his training Heenev kept swinging lor the head, seldom shooting at. the body. But he showed a nifty left book - to the mid-section, when lie let it go. He took on a couple of rather clever, green youngsters, Phil Mercurio and Vinko Jakasa. These fellows had little difficulty in reaching him with left jabs and* right Kooks to the head. Mercurio is a big, tall fellow. Although Heeney is familiar with his style, Phil found Tom comparatively easy to hit. It was the same with Jakasn. George Courtney, the clever middleweight, who has taken a liking to Tom and tried to help him with advice and instruction, gave Heeney hitbest work-outs. Courtney jabbed with his left and crossed over his right. He didn’t have much trouble dodging hi.s heavier opponent. He was much too fast for Heenev in the work outs. Heeney looked best against Harold Mays, a heavyweight. He out-fouglit Harold, but he didn’t show a great amount of boxing skill. Tom' hasn’t any -too much of this. Charley Harvey, his American manager, and Courtney, both kept telling Tom to try. more body blows. But Heeney went right on hitting for the head. I’d like to see him use more body blows.

As far as physical condition goes, Heeney is right and ready for a hard hattle. His wind is good, and his timing and hitting are as good as they were in his last 'fight with Paolino, but no better. At that lie is a great-lv-improved fighter over his first battle here. After watching Tom work, I decided lie was planning a plodding, aggressive. relentless attack on Sharkey, with the idea of wearing down his man. This is his style, and you can’t change a fellow’s style in a short time. He’ll fight against Sharkey the wav he trained. Heenev is tough. He can stand quite a lot of punishment. And he has a great heart. He was dropped once bv Paolino, but he got up and kept going. It’s important to remember little things like these when it comes to doping out a fight To-dav Heeney is better than he ever was. He will be at his best when he meets Jack Sharkey. COMPARATIVE STATISTICS. Tom Heeney: Age 28 years; weight 19914; height oft. lOfin.; reach, /2 in.; neck, 17in.; chest (normal) _43 in,; chest (expanded) 47in.; waist. 34in • biceps, lojin.; forearm. 13m : thigh’. 2oin.; calf, In-Jin.; ankle, 94 in. Jack Sharkey: Age, 25 years; weight, 19olb: height, 6ft.; reach, 74in.; neck, l-7in. : chest (normal). 41 in.; chest (expanded) ‘loin.; waist. 34-Jin.; biceps, 13Jin.; forearm, 12 i".:; thigh. 22-Jm.; oalf, 15}in.; ankle Pin.