HEENEY GREATER IN DEFEAT

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 418, 28 July 1928, Page 1

HEENEY GREATER IN DEFEAT

COURAGE ASTOUNDS AMERICANS

NEWSPAPERS RING WITH HIS PRAISE

NEW ZEALANDER FACED FOE TO LAST GASP

(United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) (United Service) Received 9.5 a.m. NEW YORK, Friday. HEENEY to-day is greater in defeat than before he fought Tunney. It is not too much to say that his wonderful fighting heart and superb courage literally astounded the American people, and all the newspapers ring with his praises.

The following excerpts are typical of what is being said about him: “At the end of the slaughter, Tom Heeney still stood heads above the gamest man around here in many a day.’ “The man from far-off Gisborne marched to defeat with his head bloody but unbowed, and upheld the British tradition by facing his foe to the last gasp.” Heeney’s refusal to make excuses, coupled with his honest tribute to Tunney, also endeared him to sportsmen, and to the general public here. Commenting on the fight, Tunney said: “Heeney put up a wonderful fight. He was a worthy challenger. X have nothing but admiration for his courage.” Heeney said: “Gene Tunney is a wonderful fighter. I am not satisfied with the fight X put up. In the fifth round a piece of eyelash turned back into my left eye, and I could not see after the sixth round. Gene beat me fair, though, and he is a very clean fighter." James Dawson, sporting expert of the “New York Times,” says: “Gene Tunney came into his own last night. He was fighting in defence of the world’s heavy-weight title for the first time in his home town. He is the first heavy-weight ring monarch New York has known to have hammered Tom Heeney into submission in 11 rounds of a scheduled 15 rounds struggle. “The plaudits of the crowd of about 40,000 spectators rang warmly in Tunney’s ears in acknowledgment of the conquest he had scored with all the method and system of a highlyskilled workman.” Dudley Nichols, in the “New York World,” says: “Tunney proved his right to the heavy-weight title last night when the referee stopped the championship bout eight seconds before the end of the 11th round and led the wobbling New Zealander to his corner. The referee’s action just prevented Tunney from demonstrating some applied poetry. The champion had sent six lefts straight to the New Zealander’s face, which was bleeding so that the latter was halfblinded.” INJURY TO TOM’S EYE Continuing, the writer says: “Heeney, gamely pressing an uphill fight, went to pieces iri the 10th rou&d, which terminated with a hard knockdown just before the gong sounded. Tunney fought like a champion and his face and body were unmarked at the finish except for splotches of blood which had fallen on him from Heeney’s crimson face. But Heeney won the crowd from the commencement when he bored in, grimly smiling, with head lowered over his shaggy, deep chest.” In his dressing-room after the fight Heeney said: “Tunney’s thumb stuck in my eye as we squared off in the eighth round. I could see nothing with that eye from then on.” In his dressing-room Tunney paid a tribute to Heeney’s rugged game ness. “X made him fight my fight for me. The referee should have stopped the contest in the eighth round when I paralysed Heeney’s optic nerve with a hard right just above his eye.” He indignantly denied that he poked his gloved thumb into the eye. Tunney added: “It was a hard, clean right that started him blinking.” HEENEY’S BROKEN THUMB DID IT AFFECT RESULT? LETTERS FROM FIGHTER (Special to THE SUK) GISBORNE, To-day. Has the fact that Tom Heeney badly broke a thumb shortly before the fight anything to do with his defeat? It is certain that Tom himself would never say so. but in the light of letters

written to his relatives about the middle of last month, the question certainly is open to speculation. Tom himself did not let a soul in America know of the accident. “I broke my thumb about two weeks ago,” he wrote in the last mail, “and I have kept it dark from the papers, but it is a hell of a job. They are all against my not working, but I tell them that is the way we train in England. If it leaked out they might get someone else to fight Tunney.” Tom’s letters have a further interest in that they tend to show how ridiculous is much that has been written under his name. The following is the complete text of his last letter written home: “I have not had a letter from home for a long time. Still, I expect everything is o.k. I had a bad break a few days ago. I broke my thumb, and have not been able to train. I can’t let them know, as they might get someone else. I do not know how it will go when I start training, because the bone will be liable to break again. The doctor said I broke it before, and the bone was not set right. He does not know how it will stand up. Still, I can only hope for the best.” In another letter Tom writes: “I won’t be sorry when this stunt is all over. These newspaper fellows drive a man crazy, and I’m just breaking my neck for a good party. Relieve me, they have some good parties here, but I can’t be mixed up in them for a while. I will be glad to get back to New Zealand, as this place is a bit on the quiet side.” “ONE HAD TO LOSE” TOM’S PARENTS UNDISMAYED MESSAGES EXCHANGED (Special to THE SVNJ GISBORNE, To-day. “Well, one of them had to lose,” was the only comment Tom Heeney’s mother made when she heard through the wireless that victory was not for her boy. None could have taken the result with greater equanimity than Mr. and Mrs. Heeney and they smilingly accepted the condolences of the few people who were present at Mr. Ivan O’Meara’s studio to listen to the broadcast. Subsequently, Mrs. Heeney remarked, “Though we would have liked to see him win, we are not disappointed. We still have every reason to be proud of him.” Tom’s father had even less to say about the result. He is quite satisfied. He knew Tom had done his best, and he was proud to think he was a climber so far.

The quiet manner with which the old people listened to the description of the fight and accepted the decision was a wonderful example of self-con-trol. They sat chatting about till they were informed that the fight was about to start. Then they quietly entered the wireless room and waited patiently to hear what was audible of the reception. The reception, however, was very difficult for some time, only trained ears being able to follow the ringside talk. At the end of each round, a resume was given the old people. Fairly early it was clear that Tom was not faring too well, but whether the news was good or bad, Mrs. and Mr. Heeney just smiled acknowledgment of it. Mr. Heeney never spoke a word from start to finish, while his wife’s only coor\l was to remark, when she was told about the cut in Tom’s eye, “I’m afraid that’s the end of it.” The outstanding feature of the afternoon was undoubtedly the manner in which messages were exchanged by wireless between Heeney and his parents. To see the look of joy on the face of the old people as they heard Tom’s voice for the first time in four years compensated for the other disappointment. Following a request made by wireless on the morning of the fight, Mr. Mortimer

conveyed messages to Heeney’s par-1 ents from the ringside, assuring them that he was not hurt. An even greater pleasure was in j store, however. It had been requested ! that also immediately following the | fight Tom should telephone a message j to the American amateur, Mr. Sise, i for transmission to Mr. O’Meara. The j fight had not been over an hour before j the following message was received: I “I am very sorry that I was unable j to win, but you folks at home will j know I did my best. I have been ; defeated, but I am not hurt. —Tom.” j The reply of the old people, transmitted immediately and phoned to | New York, was: “We are not disappointed. We know you did your best, and we are proud of you. We heard the description of the fight, and re- j ceived your messages. Hoping to J see you soon. Love from all.” LOSS OF £30,000 STATEMENT BY RICKARD {Australian and K.Z. Press Association) Reed. noon. NEW YORK, Friday. Tex Rickard has officially announced that the Madison Square Garden Corporation lost £30,000 on the Tunney - Heeney bout. As Mr. Rickard’s guarantees to the fighters alone amounted to £125,000 (£105,000 to Tunney and £20,000 to Heeney) there can be no doubt that he has met with his first large financial failure in his experience as a promoter. The amount taken at the gate was £5,000. Heeney stated that he intends to proceed to New Zealand in a few weeks to visit his parents, and then return to America to continue his ri>ig career. Jack McAuliffe believes that Heeney might have recovered, and that the referee had no right to stop the fight When the eleventh round had only eight seconds to go. Tunney declined to say anything today about a return match. Charlie Harvey is loud in his protests against the referee stopping the fight, and grumbled at Heeney because he failed to crouch in the eleventh round. Instead, Tom stood straight, and was wide open. John Mortimer, Heeney’s English manager, said Tunney won fairly and squarely, and on his merits. MESSAGE FROM MR. COATES Press Association. Friday. The following- cablegram was sent by the Prim© Minister, Mr. Coates, this afternoon to Tom Heeney: “We are all very sorry success did not come your way. However, you have the satisfaction of having put up a splendid fight against the champion. Kia ora.”