DESERVED BIG CHANGE

NZ Truth, Issue 1176, 14 June 1928, Page 10

DESERVED BIG CHANGE

New Zealander Weathered Tests When Others Fell

Many are still mystified that Tom Heeney is to get a chance at the world's heavyweight championship.

"THEY cannot see the New Zealand X slugger in the role; cannot visualize 111111 as a million-dollar flg-hter and never cease to wonder that he has plugged his way through the American heavies to reach the top. Luck, they say, but there has been more to it than that Of course, Tom's door of opportunities opened rather late in life and that, to a certain extent, has a percentage of people claiming him a man of desFew fighters have had the tough spin that Heeney has endured and then suddenly burst into world's championship class at thirty years of age or thereabouts. But it was the heart of Heeney that kept him going through the lean years. It took him away from - New Zealand when he could not get contests here; it held, him up when bouts were almost forbidden him in England, and it carried him over the threshold once tho door was opened. That's why this 'Honeßt Sledgehammer from New Zealand" is so popular in America. Make no mistake, Tom was not pitchforked into that title fight. He walloped his way into it. Mauy and varied were the plans and ideas for Tunney's next contest before Heeney's bulk loomed over the horiThere were about eight names In the hat at the time and Tom's was quite a fair distance down the Bcale. They ran:— Jack Dempsey, Jack Sharkey, Jim Maloney, Johnny Rlsko, Tom Heeney, Paolino, and George God- £ rcy Dempsey was the star of the bunch despite the fact that Tunney had twice beaten him.. He was the man Rickard really I wanted to throw in this year, but the ex-champion scratched himself and definitely retired. ' Then Sharkey was looked to. He was big enough and good enough, but the uncertainty of his spirit caused man- to lose faith in him. The turning-point of his career was reached when Dempsey outgamed him for the right to meet Tunney at ChiIn the opening rounds of that battle Sharkey looked a good winner, but he faded out and was eventually stopped. Some say that Dempsey fouled him at the finish, but whether he did or not does not alter the fact that Sharkey failed to display the courage of a world's champion when hard pressed by Jack the Giant Killen Since, he has had untold chances to make good, but failed to outpoint' Heeney and was well walloped by Risko. Maloney was a bright prospect until he suddenly developed a fragile jaw. . Then he commenced a high diving series- that has completely wiped him out of the picture. Risko's bouncing-ball style and rugged aggression gave him a chance until .Heeney pasted him to leg at Detroit and thereafter the New Zealander*s handlers only had to quote that bout in order to silence Risko claims.

. Then Delaney was apparently the favored one. He seemed to tie the promoters' pick and was nursed from the light- heavyweight class to the heavy-weight brigade. He knocked out a couple of mountainous set-ups In quick time and gained tremendous publicity thereby. .A nice boxing- style has Delaney and a right-hand "wallop that wad as deadly as a sniper's bullet in his own division. Just the type to outpoint Heeney, was the opinion of many and so that bout was arranged. But once more the story of. good little 'uns and good big 'uns was told. Delaney didn't out-box Heeney because Tom would not allow the bout to become a boxing 1 match. He made It a slugging bee from end to end. Delaney's right glove bounced on the New Zealander's jaw — and bounced right off again. That ended Jack's chances and Tom laughed off his punches as he bustled him out of the decision. In winning, the Glsborne boy didn't display much cleverness, but he did present a rough, rugged and astonishingly tough exterior. Nothing seemed to deter him — he just rolled his way to the decision and installed himself In the position of Tunney's challenger. Paolino was too crude a swinger to be seriously considered, * and the only other heavy-weight with any claim at all was George Godfrey. "Gawge" Is an Immense negro with a meritorious record behind him and a punch that has spilled many a man on the mat. But he is black and that just about let, him out. . So it was that Heeney got the big chance. All through the piece he has stood up while the American contenders dropped out one by one. Had ■ Dempsey held on, Tom's chances wouldn't have been so rosy, but with the fiery ex-champion de-; finitely on the shelf there was no other claimant capable of overshadowing the ruggedness and courage of the New Zealand Sledge-hammer.