HIGH GENE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 47, 7 February 1928, Page 9

HIGH GENE

SEEKS HEALTHY WALLET FJ 50,000 A DAY. HEENEY SQUEEZED OUT. • Miami. January 15. An entire new shuffle of heavyweight fighting events was an nouneed to-night. Tex Rickard has conferred with the world's heavy-weight champion, Gene Tunney. and found three outstanding decisions in that young man’s mind. First, ho insists on a fight twice or perhaps three times this year. Secondly, he prefers to box with Jack Sharkey rather than engage jn a slugging match with the New Zealander Tom Heeney, with the offchance that Heeney might land one of his “haymakers.” Thirdly, Tunney won’t fight at all unless he gets a fortune every time the hell rings. So Rickard has somewhat sadly affixed his own signature to a new contract that guarantees the champion 150,000 every time he faces a challenger this year, and besides that Tunney is to get 50 per cent, of a gate exceeding £200,000 FIRST CRACK AT TUNNEY. While Rickards was signing this in sunny Florida he had an assistant signing up Jack Sharkey and Johnny Risko for a battle on March 12. At the same time he promised Sharkey first chance with Tunney if he is able to beat the redoubtable Risko. The day’s business in big fightland finished with the very clear indication that the cards are being stacked against Heenev who hits not so handsomely, but rather too hard for his boxing opponents. Heeney’s friends, while angered at the turn of events have not abandoned hope, because thev believe Risko probably will g’ve Sharkev a fine trimming, and then the New Zealander would get a chance for the championship, but perhaps only after meeting Risko himself. Another curious turn came in Rickard’s announcement that he had found young Stribling knocking out all-comers in the Southern States. Stribling had grown to full manhood, weighing 12st 121 b. Rickard signed him up for another series of bouts in New York, hoping that if he makes good he will be sent against the big fellows. Rickard’s telegram from Florida to his Boston manager very very emphatic. “I have talked with Tunney, who agrees to accept Sharkey as an opponent if ho wins decisively over Risko, but they must fight 15 rounds. Tunnev thinks highly of Risko. because he beat Delaney and Paolino." A FAIR SHOW. New York, January 25. Heeney’s friends "nt in touch with Rickard, who assured them that the New Zealander would be given . fair show. “If Heeney beats Jack Delaney on March 1 he will just have one bout more before he is retched against Tunney,” declared Rackard. who admitted himself that he is greatly worried to satisfy the ambitions of all these eliminators Rickard is still full of Young Stribling’s prowess. “He beat his ' -test opponent in 45 seconds and he has only got to fight like that about twice more before he will be readv to go on with anybody,” declared Rickard.