A WORTHY CONTENDER.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 28 July 1928, Page 4

A WORTHY CONTENDER.

The contest for (the henvly-weight boxing championship of till© world: has been fought and 1 lost, 'and the hope ithoit this most coveted sporting title. would be brought brick to the Dominion for flic first rime, in thirty-one yearns has not been roalilsed.. lit would' be unjust and ungenerous, however, if Now Zealander® did not sufficiently Tecagu.tee 'hhoj merit of their irepi'esientiaitiv.e’s performance. Tom Heenery • was assured by various messages senit prior (to the match that.hils. Countrymen, while they wished him the best -of fortune, were confident that whatever the result he would worthily uphold the honour of the Dominion. How well he 'has justified this confidence is proved by the cabled reponr. .of (the progress of the brittle pubOtisbed to-day. Nothing but admiration of his courageous showing is .expressed by AmeriJeau criticis,' and it is not assuming too much to stalte that no challenger has lost hi.s brittle for ri boxing title l dm .the United States with more honour to himself. With hopes, if not actual anticipation, of sucicioss f©r Heaney running so high in New Zealand, it (would not bo remark - olb'le if wo lost Sight of the Maori - lander’s achievement in climbing so fan- on the ladder of boxing tfiilmle als to be given ri mdlteh with the world’s title holder, but this i's am aspect of the eon - test from which we (have a right to draw a considerable amount of satisfaction. Tom Heemey’s ciareeT lias been so wield exploited ,by newspaper writers that its maim features are now. well--1 known to a large public in this country, including miaimy Who ordinarily would not interest themselves im the personal (history of ai .pugilist. Wo have been told how hopeless seemed the nature o f the Gisborne athlete’s quest when ho set, out for England, there to seek matches with any heavy-weight with whom he would Obtain .an engagement. His a.dv.emt creatteidl mo stir in the English bo'xinig world, though he went further than many of his 1 well-wishers in New Zealand had anticipated when he obtained a. match with the British champion, who defeated; him. He left, for the United States ait a' time when the boxing iciriltiOs at Home; were bemoaning the fagt thlrit nowhere dm- the Empire was there a man. to whom Britain could reasonably look tio carry her colours in a title bouJt. Pihil Scott, t'h'o b'eslt heavy-.weight in England; had ma,d.e a (trip to the Mecca of professional boxers, but he had 1 been easily defeated dm the State®. Then (there arose before the public the amazing Hieoney, who fought his way through the ranks of Rickard’s “’eliminators” until no mam dm the world! haJd so good a oladim to a fight with the champion .of the World als Ihimteielf. AH that has happened since i's boxing hickory. Whether New Zealand will again have the experience of awaiting the details of a world ’is championship in which one of her own sons dis the contender, remains to be seen, but this country cannot bo robbed of tlie isaitiisfaCti'On of knowing that its own .champion oalrned (the right Ito be considered the boxer halving the prior claim over aill other contenders for the right to m a itch himself aigai.ust the present holder, who is acknowledged 'tio be one of the muosll. formnidrible opponents tiny seeker after World’s .boxing honours has had to face