GENE TUNNEY WRITES ABOUT TOM HEENEY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 140, 28 May 1928, Page 7

GENE TUNNEY WRITES ABOUT TOM HEENEY

"THIS BLOCKY AUSTRALIAN"

We are told that Gene Tunney. world's heavy-weight boxing champion, is fond of good literature. He may be——and again, that may be all publicity stuff. But either he does not know where Tom Heeney hails from, or else he thinks that New Zealand is in Australia. Still, though Tunney refers to Heeney as an Australian, the following article, written by the champion for the “San Francisco •Examiner.” is interesting. Now that Tom. Heeney, of Australia, has been chosen as challenger for the heavyweight title, I see where I’ve got to plunge into training in dead earnest. I can assure you that I have plenty of respect for this blocky Australian. And nearly all the “insiders”—men who make a living by sizing up the boxers accurately—believe that Heeney has yet to receive his real valuation from the public at large. Personally I consider him mighty dangerous. He came to this country “on rubber heels,’’ as the saying goes, without any fanfare of trumpets. Now, ‘l've noticed that a man who brags about what he’s “going to do,” seldom does anything much. But Heeney was Just the reverse. ... GOOD RECORD. He evidently believes that deeds speak louder than words. In one year he took on Charley Anderson, Paulino Uzcunun (twice). Bud Gordman, Jack de Mave. Jack Delany, Jack Sharkey, and Johnny Risko. 1 think that was a pretty fair assignment for any man within such a short time ,and the fact that Heeney more than held his own against these boys is the best testimonial to his abilities.

Heeney has never suffered a knock-out in his career. This shows he must be game to the core and able to keep going in the face of withering fire. Another thing that convinces me that he will put up quite an argument is the fact that he has shown improvement in each successive bout in this country. In other words, he must have real boxing brains and a man who knows how to use his head when he's busy in the squared circle is a man who must be watched, HUSKY BATTLER. Heeney’s a husky chap. He’s built like a battleship, but he's anything but slow with his hands and feet. I think he boxes for sheer love of the game,for you’ll notice that he’s at his best when the milling gets the hottest. He likes to come plunging in, and a duel off gloves at close range is something ho relishes. Our Australian friend attends strictly to business. He looks on boxing as a profession, and does not seek or enjoy the limelight. He is modest and retiring, and in New York the boys still chuckle when they remember how the big fellow ran away from his hotel and hid for nearly a day and a-half rather than be photographed in a dress suit and a monocle. Heeney doesn’t go in for freak seif-exploitation. He quite evidently prefers to “say it with gloves,” and to my way of thinking, that is the right way after all.