TOM HEENEY

Southland Times, Issue 20641, 13 November 1928, Page 15

TOM HEENEY

FLIGHT FROM NEW ZEALAND. OVERWHELMED WITH HOSPITALITY. ONLY WANTS TWO MORE RING BATTLES. Fleeing from his homeland to save himself from his friends, Tom Heeney, contender for the world’s heavyweight title, embarked upon the Niagara at Auckland for America. Tom expects to find Sharkey and Uzcudun emerge from Tex Rickard’s elimination cbntests, and anticipates being matched with one or both of them. The New Zealander will be content with two more fights, and thereafter he proposes to retire altogether. Retirement with Tom means retirement. He plans to build a home for himself and his wife, in Auckland, Sydney, or Honolulu, and settle down to his lifetime’s ambition — a life of complete idleness. Tom came to New Zealand to have a holiday and see his old folks. Instead of a holiday he has been worked harder than ever before in his life, and his people are just beginning to wonder whether he has been home at all or whether it was all a dream. It was inevitable, of course, that he should be feted on arrival, banqueted in his home town, and taken to Wellington for a semiState reception; inevitable that every boxing association in the country should want to use his visit as a means of boosting themselves; and equally inevitable that honest, good-natured Tom —rather than disappoint or give offence to anyone—should accept every invitation that could possibly be carried out in a day of 24 hours. It might reasonably have been expected, however, that after the formal functions Tom should have been allowed a little freedom in his movements; given a few hours at least, to spend quietly with his friends and relatives. On the contrary, equerries took charge of his every working hour — and they took good care that he was awake most hours of the day and night—and organized functions that were neither called for nor desired. Holiday Cut in Half. To such an absurd extent was the lionizing carried on that even Tom’s own relatives were called upon to consult others before they could arrange for him to spend an evening with them. It had been Tom’s intention to go to Australia for the Melbourne Cup, but an early indication of what was likely to happen resulted in a decision that he was wanted back in the States, so he cut out the projected Australian visit. Then, when the pace was accelerated, he decided that America wanted him still earlier, and that his New Zealand “holiday” would have to be curtailed. The nett result is that Tom has cut his holiday in half and gone where he hopes to get a little peace—all because it was not realized that he had come home for a rest. “If I had known that it was going to be like this I would never have come near the damn place,” Tom confided to some friends. “I’d have gone anywhere in the world for a quiet little rest, and I’m only sorry that I didn’t go over to England.” It may be a little consolation to know that all the running around and the late nights, coupled with the hot weather he encountered, have kept Tom from putting on a lot of weight. Even now he turns the scale at over 16 stone, but he is at least a few pounds better off than when he arrived back in America to prepare for his engagement with Gene Tunney. But this

saving of his avoirdupois has not kept Tom from feeling pretty sore with New Zealand in general. It will not be long before Tom retires from the ring altogether. He has always said that he was not going to stop at the game long enough to get hurt, and he says now that he will be quite satisfied with a couple more fights. With investments which bring him in £2O a week Tom can look to the future without lying awake at night. Fie does not expect to nett much from his next fight, for out of his end of the purse he has earmarked £4OOO to square off the little income tax bill Uncle Sam presented just before he sailed for New Zealand. Most of the rest of his “cut” he can see disappearing in expenses. The figM after that may be for the champions!?*, and it is only in the event of his winning the title that he may stay at the game a little longer, for as champion, he could command a purse nearly as large as all those of his previous fights put together. Title Prospects. Tom is not at all anxious to discuss his championship prospects. It may be taken for granted, however, that his chances will be twice as good if the contest takes place i in the winter, for the heat of the northern summer is a severe handicap to him. Tom fully expects Jack Sharkey—assuming, as he does, that the report of an injured knee is only “eye-wash”—or Paolino Uzcudun to be his next opponent. It is interesting, by the way, to know that Tom, contrary to the instructions of his manager, Charlie Harvey, says Uzcudun is the best boxer is America to-day. Not being over-anxious for the pair to meet again, Harvey does not like to see Tom increasing the value of the Spaniard’s stock, j but Tom is too honest to say other than jhe thinks. He is quite easy as to whom he i meets. “If Paolino is the better man and beats me, good luck to him,” he said. And while Tom is scratching Uzcudun’s back, Paolino is doing the same for the I New Zealander. He has repeatedly stated that Heeney is the hardest fighter in America, and picks Tom to come through Rickard’s elimination without difficulty. This mutual admiration, doubtless, is born of the mutual respect engendered by their last meeting, when both took particularly heavy punishment, and the fight ended in a draw. Of the other members of the elimination competition, Sharkey is the only one Tom takes at all seriously. Tommy Loughran, in his opinion, will never do any good as a heavyweight, while Young Stribling he regards as being too lightly built also. Delaney, Scott, and Roberti, Tom says, are not in the picture at all. Roberti’s victory over Risko on a foul still left the latter easilv the better man—but not up to championship standard —and in any case the Italian is hopelessly disqualified through not being under Rickard’s control. Tom gives Sharkev the best chance of title honours, while Mrs. Tom is even more favourably disposed towards the Lithuanian. Sharkey, in her opinion—and she has seen them all in action —is about the only prominent heavyweight who keeps himself in condition all the time, and, in addition, he has the advantage of comparative youth. Yes, Sharkey certainly is Mrs Heeney’s second favourite for the heavyweight crown. Handicap of Climate. The next title bout Tom reckons will probably be fixed for September. He expects to eliminate or be eliminated in January. A contest in September will not suit him, for although the date is better than July, he still will have to train in the sweltering heat, and, unfortunately, he will not risk his popularity by getting away into the mountains as did Tunney. Tom’s accessibility to the crowd at Fairhaven, and his liberality to all and sundry—a handi-

capping precedent set by Jack Dempsey, and, incidentally, the cause of many a verbal battle between Tom and John Mortimer—had much to do with his popularity in America. Hospitality and popularity, however, are expensive items in the training bill, apart from keeping Tom among the crowd, as will be realized from the fact that the few weeks spent at Fairhaven before the fight with Tunney cost Tom £l7OO. When Tom retires from the ring, probably next year, he will settle down to a life of real ease. His income is sufficient to meet all his requirements, and he has no hankering for any occupation. Where he will settle he has not finally decided. Before he left America he was quite content to regard Auckland as the best place under the sun, but as the result of his recent New Zealand experiences he is a little sore with the whole country, and even Auckland has lost some of its glamour in his eyes. Sydney always appealed to Tom, and where Auckland has lost Sydney has gained, so the New South Wales capital may be his future home. One other place comes into the orbit of Tom’s future, although he does not admit it, and that is Honolulu. During his short stay there on his way to New Zealand, he was surprised making inquiries as to the cost of building and the cost of living, but these factors are not in Honolulu’s favour. New Zealand, he says, gives the best value for the money, and the chances are that, if he can convince himself that the people of his homeland will not perpetuate their mistaken hospitality, he will finally make his home in the Queen City of the North.