“WILDLY CHEERED”

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 263, 27 January 1928, Page 10

“WILDLY CHEERED”

Heeney Pleases American Fans By Display Against Sharkey LITHUANIAN NEARLY KNOCKED OUT A REPORT of the Sharkey-Heeney fight by the special representative of the “Sydney Sun” in New York, gives a rather different idea of the contest from that which was previously cabled to New Zealand. It states that Heeney had Sharkey on the verge of a knockout in the last round, and was wildly cheered by the fans.

The message states: “Heeney weighed 13st 111 b, and Sharkey 13st 121 b. Sharkey was favourite at five to two on. The big crowd wildly cheered the New Zealander, who made a splendid effort, shaking Sharkey repeatedly. In the last round Heeney punished Sharkey severely, and chased him -ound the ring The bell saved Sharkey from a knock-out.’* “ERIN-GO-BRAGH” The famous tenor, John McCormack, smiled encouragement to Tom Heeney when the latter stepped into the ring amid cheers that seemed as if half the Irish of New York City were present. Sharkey’s Irish name did not deceive the crowd, who regarded him more as a foreigner. His home town is in Boston, but his parents are Lithuanians. Further than that, Sharkey, although a good fighter, is a “blowhard” of the first order. Sharkey was smart enough to stand oft' in the ninth round and box, refusing to mix it with Heeney, who was bent on delivering a knock-out punch. Heeney grew so care<ess of his opponent's punishing blows ' that he found himself also growing weak, and the round degenerated from the amazing speed of those furious and spectacular opening rounds. Heeney was going into clinches much too often during the last half of the fight. FIERCE TENTH RCUND Sharkey came back looking :uite strong in the tenth round, and again his cleverness asserted it3elf. Heeney opened with a stiff right to the head. Sharkey fell as Heeney ducked from a right, and was helped on his way by Heeney’s left hook to the body. The

I Lithuanian, however, leapt up before the referee had time to start the count, and threw everything he had into a final onslaught against the ?Tew Zealander. Heeney was rather surprised, for he evidently thought his opponent had been knocked down for a long count. The eleventh round was the least interesting of the entire fight. Sharkey’s cue was either to stand off and box at long range or entfer into clinches. The crowd booed heartily. It was a clear case that Heeney was all set to win by a knock-out if only he could hold Sharkey long enough to deliver it. However, the New Zealander, whilst he had everything in the way of courage and power, lacked the speed and precision sufficient to cope with a very able fighter like Sharkey. They swapped occasional punches, and clinched frequently. HEENEY TRIES FOR KNOCK-OUT The twelfth round opened with two clinches. The referee appeared to be quite tired with separating the boxers. With a minute to go, Heeney opened out, and smashed three hard blows to Sharkey’s head. Sharkey replied with a rally to the body, but it was ineffective as far as winning the fight was concerned, although sufficient to hold Heeney off. Heeney finally administered a smashing volley of chops to the chin, which straightened Sharkey up, and got him away from the body attack. Heeney smacked Sharkey with a full blow on the jaw, and if '.he round hud lasted another minute there might have been a knock-out. As it was, the crowd yelled wildly for the New Zealander to finish Sharkey off. It was not a too-cool Heeney that literally chased his rival round the ring, but it was the gong that saved Sharkey from what appeared an almost certain knock-out.