TOM HEENEY TO-DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1933, Page 10

TOM HEENEY TO-DAY

ACTIVITIES IN AMERICA. HOME AT PALM BEACH. Gisborne, July 10. Many conflicting reports have been I in circulation recently regarding the fortunes of Tom Heeney, Gisborne’s favourite son in the realm of professional sports, who some years ago established himself among the first flight of heavyweight boxers in the United States, and put Gisborne and New Zealand on the map by reaching the position of contender for world championship honours. Recently Tom Heeney, has taken part in occasional fights, the reports of which indicate that he has lost much I.of his former speed and stamina, as was to be expected with the passing of j the years; When he engaged with | Gene Tunney in his match for the ; heavyweight championship Heeney was close on to 30 years of age, and he is now in the mid-thirties. A man cannot fight for ever. It is in the nature of physical competition that the veteran must eventually lower his colours to youth, and in this connection Heeney is following the beaten track of the old-timer of the ring. His best friends recognise this, and it makes no difference to their re-

gard for Tom Heeney. What hurts I, their feelings is the stream of sugges- , tions that the ex-Gisborne boxer is now I in the broken-down class, and that he ! is fighting for the crumbs of the ring ' game. Letters received from Tom recently explode this suggestion. I Discussing Tom’s . recent activities, I Mr. Pat. Heeney stated that in his latest j letters his brother had mentioned that | he was selling his house on Long Is- ' land, New York, and was taking a home at Palm Beach, Florida. His reason for making the shift is the coldness of the winter climate of New York, which is not congenial to a product of the milder climate of Gisborne. Tom does not mind the cold when training, but he does not like it in his moments of relaxation, and as his time is not wholly given to preparation for fights, he is moving his home to the sunny coast of Florida. There is no indication that Tom is “feeling the draught” particularly in fiancial matters, though it is known that the stock market crash in the United States did him no good where his investments of ring earnings were concerned. Palm .Beach is no resort of poverty, as is well known to readers, and the fact that Tom will be found i permanently established there for the future conveys a strong inference that he is still a little better off than he was i when he left New Zealand to seek his fortune overseas.