BOXING

Otago Witness, Issue 3861, 13 March 1928, Page 58

BOXING

By

CROSS-COUNTER.

A SATISFACTORY YEAR. , I^,^ s pleasing to note that the balance sheet of the Otago Boxing Association which will be presented at the annual meeting is in a healthy condition. In the first place the assets of the association amount to £4ll 9s 7d, and the liabilities are nil. The total payments for the year, including professional purses and trophies (£571 6s 6d) and permits and dues to the New Zealand Boxing Council (£73 Os 6d), were £956 10s lid, and the receipts, plus the financial carry-over from the pre vious year, totalled £1337 0s 6d. Thus the association has £3BO 9s 7d in hand. The result is even more satisfactory whoii it is remembered that the season opened with a debit balance, and the loss incurred over a cancellation and a postponement amounted to £6O. In all, six professional contests were staged. The Leckie-Carroll contest showed a loss of £3l 10s Bd, but the other professional contests were profitable. Five amateur tournaments were staged. The novice tournament held in the Art Gallery Hall showed a loss of £22 9s Bd. but the others again were profitable. The gross takings for the various tournaments were: —

HEENEY’S VICTORY. Enthusiastic New Zealanders with visions of a Maorilander champion of the world noted with a great deal of satisfaction that Heeney had secured a win on points in his battle with Delaney at New York. The report of the latest round in Tex Richard’s heavyweight elimination contests makes interesting, not to say exciting, reading, and indicates that Heeney was the better man, although he apparently showed his superiority in a series of bright flashes throughout the fight. It is significant that, although the detailed report announces that the New Zealander was warned twice, the decision is said to have been “ very popular with the crowd.” From this, one is safe in inferring, first, that there was no doubt about the result of the contest, and secondly, that Heeney fought, on the whole, a fair and clean fight—the kind of fight that was to be expected from this husky North Island blacksmith. As onlookers have already Stated, any rough tactics in which he may have indulged were probably unintentional, and the outcome of a nervous effort to make the most of everything offered by his opponent and the gods of chance. Apart from a successful offensive engineered by the American in the second round, Heeney seems to have had things pretty much his own way until the seventh, when the sroing was even until the eleventh. It is fairly obvious that both men then attempted in turn to force the issue, the American holding tho upper hand until the second last round. In the fourteenth, Delanev’s chances, faded, and the New Zealander clinched matters with a fine rally in the last. One cannot, however, be blind to the fact that the general result cf Heeney’s “ measuring-up ” against the Americans, as. provided by the contest, is rather disquieting. I was not surprised to read on Monday that Rickard had shown his disappointment by announcing; that the New Zealander would not meet Tunney, and although this seems a blunt and somewhat intolerant decision, one cannot deny that the promoter has very apparent reasons for his move Delajiey is not in Tunney’s class, yet he worried Heeney considerablv and provided a fight, the outcome of which was by no means certain until tho last round. While it is the duty of all snorting New Zealanders to applaud Heeney’s wonderful rise to fame, one must admit that, judged on his latest performance, Heeney would not be a very dangerous proposition for the present champion. For the next few days rumour will be flying as to Rickard’s next- move. Dempsey will not re-enter the ring until September, and in view of that Rickard may change his mind and give the New Zealander an opportunity for the championship. In the meantime there is talk of a Heeney-Dempsey match at Wembley. This would be undoubtedly one of the greatest ring attract’ons ever staged in the British Isles, but I am not hopeful of it being arranged. Dempsey is a cautious man. and his position as near-champion would run a. grave risk. Better the< cherry in one big bite will be Heeney’s thought. COOK OUTPOINTS BOUQUILLON. PARIS, March 6. In a 10-round match. George Cook outpointed Bouquillon, the French middleweight champion. Bouquillon hit Cook only twice. HEENEY CHALLENGES TUNNEY. . NEW YORK. March 6. Heeney has filed a challenge for a match with Tunney with the New York State Athletic Commission, which accepted it. but placed Heeney as challenger number two, due to the previous challenge of Sharkey. The board refused to accept the cheque for 2500 dollars which accompanied the challenge.

Leckie v. Gunn ... £276 12 4 Novice tourney ... 33 13 6 Championships ... 67 3 0 Leckie v. Carroll ... 163 10 11 O’Connor v. Leckie ... 472 1 7 Novice tourney ... 29 11 6 Leckie v. Griffiths ... 492 1 9