BOXING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17439, 10 April 1931, Page 8

BOXING

HEENEY V. RETZLAFF TECHNICAL K.O. DEFEAT I.VIOO "FANS” SEte CONTEST. DETROIT, Michigan, March G. One© known as the ‘‘Hard Rock from Down Under,” the veteran boxer Tom Heeney, who entered the ring three years ago to contest the World's championship against Gene Tunney, lias since become a battered boulder. He remains immensely popular, despite a recent record of defeats.almost as consistent as his previous record of victories. His aforetime boast that he bad not been knocked off his feet was spoiled by Tunney, and now it is not out of the ordinary for Tom to suffer a knock-down blow, though he shows as little concern now as ever he did. Heeney is still a considerable drawing-card, and this ensures him a good supply of purse-money, few of the heavyweights' being in such regular employment as TUnney’s last victim.

Last night, at tho Olympic Arena here, Heeney was matched with Charlie Retzlaff, a confident young heavyweight from Duluth, whose confidence was not affected by anything Tom was able to do to him. The value of Heeney’s name as one of the principals in a fight was illustrated by the attendance of ovdr ir.,400, the gate amounting to .C3BOO. of which Tom got a. goodly cut. The fight went seven rounds, or rather six rounds and a-half, for just under a. minute after the gong sent them out for the seyenlh, Retzlaff launched a hot attack, swinging with both hands to the 1 looney jaw and crumpling the New Zealander to the mat. Twice Heeney got up. hut the last time lie was just a. trifle slow, and the count caught him.

There arc plenty of other rising heavyweights besides the Duluth lighter, and Heeney will have numerous opportunities in future, though it is a foregone conclusion that he will never figure again in any of the first-flight matches. 'He does not get the weight off as he used to, and for his fight with Retzlaff, lie tipped the beam at 2071b5, rather above histrue lighting; weight.