UZCUDUN THE FIGHTER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19100, 22 August 1936, Page 4

UZCUDUN THE FIGHTER

PAOLINO DIES A REBEL AMERICAN RING CAREEROLD OPPONENT OF HEENEY To thousands of New Zealandcrs, yesterday's cable message announcing the death of Paolino Uzcudun under the rifles of a Spanish Government firing squad must have held more interest than the materially much more significant messages relating to the progress of tho civil war in Spain. Generals Franco and Mola ate mere figureheads, while the directors of the Spanish Government's campaign against the rebels are almost completely unknown to newspaper readers in this country. Paolino Uzcudun, on the other hand, had been for years a leading figure in the sport news of the. world, and had a close association in the memories of New Zealariders with the rise to prominence of Tom Heeney. Ten years ago Paolino Uzcudun was one of a group of heavyweight boxers practising their profession in the rings of the United States. Others in the group, from among whom the successor to Gene Timney was expected to emerge, included Tom Heeney. of Gisborne, New Zealand; Jack Sharkey, a Lithuanian who claimed Boston, Massachusetts, as his home town; Young) Slribling, an. Irish-American youngster from Atlanta; Jim Maloney, of Boston; Johnny Risko, Cleveland; Tommy Loughran, Philadelphia; Phil Scott, England ; and Max Schmeling. of Germany. WHERE ARE THEY NOW? During the past week, Jack Sharkey has suffered a shattering defeat at the hands of Joe Louis, in an effort to win back his former status in the heavyweight class ; Tom Heeney has reported in correspondence to friends in New Zealand that he and Jim Maloney are about to enter business together as hotelkeepers ; and Max Schmeling is at the top of the list of challengers for the world heavyweight championship, now held by Jimmy Braddock. Tommy Loughran, Johnny Risko, and Phi! Scott nre well out of the picture. Paolino Uzcudun, the "Bounding Basque" of the American ring, had his last fight there , not many months ago. The name of Uzcudun first came within tho ken of the majority of New Zealand sportsmen when he gained a points decision over Tom Heeney on April 1, 192?; in New York. Tom Heeney was then in the early stages of his American career, and the match was the first of the series which led up to his selection for a shot at the world title, then held by Gene Tunney ! Cabled messages received after the fight indicated that Paolino had had a convincing victory, but this impression was directly in contrast with that'conveyed by the Herald's special radio description of the fight, obtained through •die good offices of Mr. Ivan O'Meara and radio experimenters in New York. This description, the communication of which represented a triumph for amateur radio, indicated that Heeney had been unlucky not to secure a draw!_at least; and later news fully supported'that indication. ' fiTEPPING-STONE FOR TOM . Leading sports critics in New York were almost unanimous in their condemnation of the judges' decision in favour of Paolino Uzcudun. "All Fool's Day Decision" was the caption with which; one New York journal opened the barrage, and in subsequent references to the IJzcudun-Heeney fight of April 1, 1927, the same attiture was maintained by practically all the commentators. The effect of public opinion on the matter was made evident as month succeeded month, and Heeney rather than Uzcudun took the lead as possible challenger for the heavyweight title, Heeney 'a stock rising steadily while the Spaniard's remained stationary. Uzcudun fell into the rut of a "trial horse," while the New Zealander went ahead to realise at least a portion of his ring, ambition, when he was matched with Tunney for the title.

The durability of Uzeudun was demonstrated by the record of his subsequent fights in America, for none of those at present prominent in heavyweight boxing circles in the United States succeeded in climbing the ladder of success without meeting the Spaniard. Uzeudun never lacked opponents, and in all his matches he displayed undiminished courage and a surprising retention of ring capability. Even to Joe Louis, the "Brown Bombshell," he proved no easy victim when they met about a year ag°-

Among the thousands who have perished in the Spanish civil war, Paolino Uzeudun is unique in that his name has carried round the world ' to strike a chord of memory in a million sportsmen's hearts.