TOM HEENEY'S RECORD

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16500, 18 November 1927, Page 3

TOM HEENEY'S RECORD

HIGH WINNING PERCENTAGE LOST ONE OUT OF FOUR (Notes by "Square Ring.") A correspondent has asked for the record of Tom Heeney, the Gisborno heavyweight boxer, who within the past few months has done so much to put the name- of New Zealand on the map, so far as the fight game is concerned. New Zealand has 'produced many fine boxers and fighters, but few have created more genera) astonishment than Tom Heency has done by his late development. In compiling the record given below, " Square Ring" had recalled to him a hundred incidents of Tom's lights in Gisborne, both before and after his initial trip to Australia, and the more thought the writer gives to the matter of Heeney's record, the more remarkable it s,eems that he should have come on so spectacularly in the last'few months. There is a sound explanation for the difference in the Gisborne heavyweight nowadays, of course, for when he fought in New Zealand and' Australia he was not 'pushed' to do his utmost either in the gymnasium or in the ring. Dominion and Australian audiences seldom saw the real fighter whose recent bouts have been described as almost unbelievably fierce. . There was perhaps only one occasion on which Tom Heeney lost his customary good humor in the ring, and that was in his Gisborne fight with Sullivan, the Auckland " giant." That was a night and a sight that few who saw it will forget, for after five rounds of b6xing,' Sullivan got in a glancing blow that opened a cut on Heeney's brow, and thereby sealed his own fate. By paying strict attention to the wound, and'jabbing at it a few times, he induced a good' flow of blood, and as he had already gained the credit of outboxing Heeney in Auckland, he probably believed that he had the fight in his hands. There might have been no doubt about the decision if Tom had continued to box his way ailong, but the trouble with his eye reminded him that he could! not afford to lose any time. Accordingly, he went about his business' with a new spirit, and advancing on his opponent with menaco in every movement, ho felled' him in the corner by the press table. Sullivan lost his head, started to rise, and realised his mistake only when he sighted Heeney rushing at him again. _ In the flurry of the 1 moment, he committed 'the last act a fighlgr should commit; ho dropped again without being hit, and (ho decision went (o Heeney on a. disqualification.

There were complications about (ho decision, for Sullivan and Heeney got mixed in the. eye of the referee, who uplifted the wrong man's hand, and precipitated an ugly scene in the hall. Nothing so bizarre as .that scene has been witnessed in Gisborno in 20 years, for while the ring-siders climbed the ropes and crowded the ring, those in the body of the hall rushed to the front, yelling and hooting at what they considered was an extraordinary decision. Heeney himself seemed possessed, and presented a remarkable spectacle as he strode round the ring through "the crowd, his brow streaming with blood and his eyes glaring with rage. The "Wild Bull of the-Pampas " could have had nothing on Tom Heeney for picturosqiieness that night. The referee finallv managed to grab Tom and; lift his hand, thereby restoring peace in the hall, and saving an ugly situation. There was no other occasion in the course of Tom Heeney's New Zealand record' on which he showed anything like the same vigor, or went after his man in anything but a reasonable frame of mind. His few defeats were generally duo hW good nature, for when assured that ho could win on points, he was inclined" to let his opponent see the distance out, and thereby endanger his victory. Inexperienco had much to do with his few defeats, too, for he twice lost to Colin 8011, the wily old Australian, and twice to Phil Scott, in England. siniDly because he could not use his favorite style of fighting against them. Scott' and Bell took four victories off Heeney, and these were the only flosses that were at all clean-cut. Tn all. Tom Heencv has lost eiedit of his 42 fights: apart from those conceded to Scott and Bell, there was the points loss to Sullivan in Auckland, the much-dis-cussed verdict which Geo. Cook took from him in England, the disqualification which a second earned for Tom when he met Blackie Miller in South Australia for the second time: and the bout with Paolino Uzcudun (the first), which New York critics hailed as an "All Fools ' decision. However, these reminiscences are of less value than the actual record of of Tom Heeney itself, which the writer aoperids'below - . The fist does not include the three matches which Torn woii as an amateur, shortly after ho returned from the war, and which led him to ente>' the nrofessioual ring. The record is divided into sections, cbn-

taming his New Zealand and Australian, his English, South African and American performances respectively. NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA. Beat Bill Barllett (K. 0.) nine rounds. Beat Geo. Modrich (pts.) 15 rounds. Beat Albert, Pooley (N.Z, champion) 15 rounds. Beat Albert Pooley (pts.) 15 rounds. Beat Jack Cole (pts.) 15 rounds. Drew with Colin Bell, 15 rounds. t Beat Max Gornik (K. 0.) 15 rounds. . Lost to Colin Bell (Aust.) (pts.) 20 rounds. Beat .1. :Flett, Australia (pts.) 15 rounds. Lost, to Colin Bell, Australia (pts.) 20 rounds. Beat J. Leahy. Australia, (pts.) 20 rounds. Beat Tom Battho, Australia (K. 0.) 14 rounds. Beat 0. Taylor, Australia (pts.) 20 rounds. Drew with Ern Waddy, Australia, 20 rounds. Beat C. Complin, Australia, (K. 0.) 9 rounds. Beat C. Whittaker (K.O 1 .) 15 rounds. Beat J. Flett (K. 0.) 8 rounds. Beat B. McCleary (K. 0.) 14 rounds. Lost 16 J. Sullivan (pts.) 15 rounds. Peat J. Savage (K. 0.) one round. Beat J. Sullivan (disq.) 5 rounds. Beat J. Sullivan (K. 0.) 9 rounds. Beat Ern Young (K. 0.) 4 rounds. GREAT BRITAIN. Lost lo Phil Scott (pis.) 20 rounds. Beat Trooper Young (K. 0.) 6 rounds. Lost to G. Cook (pis.) 15 rounds. Beat Smith (K. 0.) 4 rounds. Beat Tom Berry (pts.) 15 rounds. LoSt to Phil Scott (pts.) 20 rounds. Beat Hartley Madden (pts.) 20 rounds. Beat Jack Stanley (pts.) 15 rounds. SOUTH AFRICA. Beat Johnny Squires (pts.) 20 rounds. Beat Johnny Squires (tech. K. 0.) 19 rounds. Beat Blackie Miller (foul) 6 rounds. Lost to Blackie Miller (disq.) 5 rounds. UNITED STATES. Beat Charlie Anderson (tech. K. 0.) 9 rounds. ' Beat Jack De Mave (pts.) 1Q rounds. Lost to Uzeuduii (pts.) 10 rounds. Drew with Uzcudun, 15 rounds. Beat " Bud " Gorman (foul) 3 rounds. Beat Jim Maloney (K. 0.) One round. Beat Johnny 'Risko (pis.) 10 rounds. In connection with the fight in which Tom Heeney got his only disqualification, that in South Africa with Blackio Miller, it was reported that one of the New Zealander's seconds ' stepped into the ring in his excitement, when Tom had Miller down anil distressed. The referee, had no option, but to disqualify the Gisborno man for his second's lapse, thus placing the only black mark on a, splendid record. The second light with Phil. Scott in England was undertaken by Heeney at a few days' notice, Heeney having had no time, to recover from Ihe effetta of a gruelling contest with Berry. The critics considered that Scott Mas never nearer a, defeat up to that stage of his career, nevertheless. Another point of interest in connection with the record above is that for "his first light with Paolino Uzcudun, the Gisborno man was not really fit, and ho suffered particularly from bruised ribs. Heeney is to meet Jack Sharkey at an early date, according to present arrangements. All Gisbornitos, whether followers of the fight game or not, will hope that the meeting results in another credit entry. To dalb Tom has fought 42 fights, of which lie has won 31, drawing three and losing eight.