EARNS “CRACK” AT TUNNEY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18450, 28 April 1928, Page 7

EARNS “CRACK” AT TUNNEY.

TOM HEENEY’S CHANCES ARE DISCUSSED. (By" TOMMY LOUGHRAN, Light-

Heavy-weight Champion of the World.)

TIPS ON KEEPING FIT. One of the greatest health builders is water. The more you drink the better off you’ll be. I , drink at least two quarts a day, and more sometimes. It flushes and cleans the whole system.

Tom Heeney, rugged New Zealand heavy-weight, has fought himself into a position where you can t overlook him. Having knocked out Jim Maloney, and beaten Johnny Risko, Jack Delaney and others, he’s done things he didn’t even dream of a year ago. Heeney fought just the way I picked him to in his bout with Delaney, and Jack did, too. Tom kept in all the time, hitting with both hands. He never backed up, and Delaney never hurt Tom when he hit him. Still, I can’t see where Heeney has any chance against Tunney. The reason isn’t hard to see. They talk a lot about Heeney’s strength. He’s powerful, but Tunney is stronger yet. This isn’t guesswork. I fought eight rounds with Tunney, and I’ve boxed in the gymnasium with Heeney. Gene is very strong, and Tom wouldn’t be able to bull him around in the clinches. No one could do that.

Then, the heavy-weight champion is so much a better boxer and hitter that I think he’d cut Heeney iqto ribbons. He might not be able to knock him out in ten or fifteen rounds, for the New Zealander can take a fierce thumping without going down. But the sight wouldn’t be nice. It would probably be as brutal and one-sided, without the finishing punch, as the Dempsey-Wil-lard fight. Still, you can’t get away from the fact that Heeney deserves the chance as much as anyone else. He’s beaten all the fellows put up against him, and you can’t ask much more of a man. Courage and determination can take a fellow a long way, and they’ve pushed Heeney into a spot he never believed he’d reach. Maybe he’ll get a match with Tunney because of those qualities. Stranger things have happened in the ring. The fact that the commissioners in Detroit decided Pierre Charles wasn’t a strong enough opponent for me, and wouldn’t allow the match, surprised me. Charles has done pretty well in this country so far. His. last victory was a one-round- knock-out over Jack M’Cann, St Paul heavy-weight. He scales 205 pounds. Charles was brought over here by Gus Wilson, trainer for Jack Dempsey. His first bout was a draw with Jack De Mave, a pretty rough performer himself. De Mave has made himself popular in Philadelphia by winning a number of battles. They tell me the Belgian had a bad hand the night he fought De Mave, but that he was right when he knocked M’Cann over. I’m sorry that bout with Charles isn’t coming off. I want to work with the big fellows, the bigger the better. Pierre is strong and hits hard, but that’s just the sort of thing I want to face in my climb toward a match with Tunney. Well, there’ll be other matches coming along. I never was in a hurry, and I can afford to take time now if I ever could. (Copyright, 1928, by the “Star” and N.A.N.A.)