WHEN HEENEY FOUGHT A WIN AND A LOSS HERE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 417, 27 July 1928, Page 10

WHEN HEENEY FOUGHT A WIN AND A LOSS HERE

THE LAST RIOTOUS CONTEST IN HIS HOME TOWN

A colourful era in the history of the New Zealand prize-ring is unfolded by a SUN contributor, who writes authoritatively of events which caused a tremendous stir in boxing circles at the time.

Tom Heeney was twice seen in action by the Auckland fans, the first occasion being in June, 1923, when he returned from Sydney after a successful tour, and met Cyril Whittaker in a contest for the heavy-weight championship of the Dominion. The Town Hall was packed, and a gruelling bout ended in the referee stopping the contest early in the 15th, and final, round, when Whittaker was obviously not fit to continue. Heeney’s win then w r as a victory for brawn over brains, and proved that a hard-hitting slugger has always a fighting chance against a clever boxer, provided he can carry the contest to close quarters. While Tommy was winning in Auckland, his elder brother Johnny was being beaten by “All Black” Brian McCleary in Christchurch, and Tom proceeded to the City of the Plains to k.o. his brother’s conqueror, leaving him in dock for repairs while he returned to Auckland to meet a brand

new contender for the title, Jim O’Sullivan, a tall Tasmanian bushwhacker from the King Country, who had cleaned up all the moderate heavies in the amateur class and taken the game on professionally. The Town Hall was packed to

overflowing, and a greater contrast in contestants could not be imagined. Heeney was sft. lOin. and weighed 13st. Sib. O’Sullivan was 6ft. 4in. and weighed 13st. 61b. The Gisborne plumber looked short and squat; almost as broad as he was high, witli massive thighs, calves, biceps and forearms. The rangey axeman was of the Fitzsimmons typ,e with long slender legs and arms, and a reach 10 inches longer than Heeney’s. When the fight started in real earnest the contrast in physique was equally marked in the different styles. Heeney was grim and dour, watchful and implacable, with his hard jaw tucked into his chest, and wary, unsmiling eyes glaring fixedly from under beetling brows. Dogged and flatfooted, he held the centre of the square, warily waiting his chance to bore in and crash home a wicked wallop which had accounted for Whittaker and McCleary. O’Sullivan was a born boxer, light and nimble on his feet as a Russian ballet dancer, with a long-range straight left, which shot with pistonlike precision to the point and rattled his opponent with its painful persistency. HEENEY UP AGAINST IT That left of O’Sullivan’s was Heeney’s undoing. Tom moved sluggishly after his volatile challenger, waiting a chance to rip in his deadly punch; but every time it found only a back-moving target, and each miss piled up points against him, while the elongated axe-man was landing stinging lefts which closed an eye and brought a free stream of blood from an injured nose and lips. In the 13th round O’Sullivan carried the fight to his man and had Heeney on the ropes,

shorts. In one match at Napier Morrie appeared in a brand new pair of pants. At half-time the visiting team led 11—3. The big fellow only had to hear the half-time whistle to make a bolt for the dressing shed, where he promptly changed into the old pair of shorts. Playing at the top of his form in the second session (and only a Seeling could equal him at his best), the Bay’s indomitable leader carried his side on to overwhelming victory. Tom Lowry, who has just bought a big sheep station in ftangitikei. was never so. happy on the cricket field as when wearing a disreputable old sunhat. A great sticker when things were going the side, Tom always looked round the dressing room for the old hat before going out to face the bowling.

but the boxer has not yet been found who can knock Heeney out. and O’Sullivan had to be satisfied to wear the well-earned laurels by a points decision. Five months later, on November 10, 1923, the two met again for Heeney's last appearance in his home town of Gisborne, and the contretemps which ended the contest was probably the record pandemonium for New Zealand, and that*s saying a lot. Allan Maxwell was referee, and the Opera House was crowded to overflowing. The first four rounds were full of thrill as Heeney tore round the ring after the elusive O’sSullivaa. but failing to connect with his deadly hooks, and after running four laps O’Sullivan turned to land a terrific left on Heeney’s eyebrow which brought a profusion of blood, and called for live stitches after the argument was over. This infuriated Heeney. and he rushed in with tigerish ferocity to floor O’Sullivan in his corner with & hook to the jaw which glanced off. HOUSE IN UPROAR It was here that Mr. Maxwell lost all grip of tho contest and allowed Heeney to stand bleeding and anxious over his fallen opponent. No count was started, and the roar of the crowd rose to a scream as O’Sullivan in rising went down again to a grazing blow on tho neck. Then the referee stepped in and took the fallen O’Sullivan by the arm. The mercurial bushman waved his glove aloft as his seconds crowded round him, and the “house” went fairly mad. Heeney raged like an angry lion, and the referee stepped to the footlights to say something. Scores of ringsiders swarmed into tho arena as someone dropped the curtain, cutting off the referee from the stage turmoil behind him, and leaving him to attempt, vainly, to explain his decision. The curtain went up again and the referee led Heeney to the footlights and lifted Tom’s hand up. That brought a wilder howl than ever, and no one was certain who had won, or whether it was a draw, as the police cleared the theatre and the lights went dim. O’SULLIVAN DISQUALIFIED Ultimately the referee made it clear to the pressmen that he had disqualified O’Sullivan for going down the second time without being hit. There was talk of a protest, and much discussion about wagers being declared off. but Heeney was awarded the fight, and made no mistake about his final claim when the pair met again for nine rounds at Palmerston North on Boxing Night, 1923. He crumpled up O’Sullivan with some savage infighting in the seventh round. The fairy tale now told that O’Sullivan made a side wager of £IOO with Heeney at Gisborne, and refused to settle until Tom obtained it by threatening him with an unorthodox hammering. is ridiculed by the genial Jim. who will wager any amount that he never bet a shilling on himself in any of his bouts. He and Heeney were always the best of friends from the time he was Tom’s sparring partner, and nothing would please the only New Zealand conqueror of Heeney more than to see his old friend and opponent land the highest laurels of the ring.