N.Z. ’S RISE TO PUGILISTIC EMINENCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 345, 4 May 1928, Page 10

N.Z. ’S RISE TO PUGILISTIC EMINENCE

1928—And New Zealand steps into the arena of fight champions—Tom Heeney is to battle for the world’s heavy-weight title Johnny Leckie, Charles Purdy and Lachie McDonald have clinched Australian honours

Fight fans the whole world over are awaiting the month of July when there will be staged the biggest fight of the year. Tom Heeney, the Gisborne boy, will tussle for the world’s title with the American, Gene Tnnney. Heeney is the first British challenger for the title since Fitzsimmons defeated Corbett in 1897. Fits hailed from Enzed-thus in the production of British fighters, at least, New Zealand can rightly claim the top rung of the ladder. And the others-Johnny Leckie, that glutton for fight, is an Australian and New Zealand champion; Charles Purdy —yes—the speedy light-footed Purdy has gained Australasian honours, while another, Lachie McDonald, has also been victorious over the Commonwealth’s champion.

When in 1921 Tom Heeney cast aside his “lilywhite” status and threw down the gauntlet to the professionals in the game, he did so well that Gisborneites scented a “find,” and old Colin Bell, heavy-weight champion of Australia, was brought across to engage the burly Irishman in a tryout. It was a decider in Heeney’s career as to whether he would hang up his gloves or go further afield. No fight in the an- . nals of boxing in Gisborne had created such a furore up to that time. It was a draw—and the first rung of the ladder. Heeney then departed for Australia, and, although he later returned and took part in eight more professional contests, this was the forerunner of his trip abroad, which has brought him fame as a fighter. He has been steadily climbing since then, and although it cannot be said that he came to the front like a meteor, neither can it be said that he dropped like a shooting star after leaving these shores in search of fame. Since he landed in America a little more than a year ago he has had nine contests. The first three were of little financial importance, but the others were big fights and he profited something like £40,000. Yet Heeney’s last fight in England netted him only £lO, and he was told pointedly that he was poorer than a third-rater and should give up the ring for good. When he left England, dispirited and poor he knew there was not a promoter in the country who desired his services To-day, next to Tunney, he is the highest paid boxer in the world One of America’s leading sports experts says:—“The big New Zealander has much more than a forlorn hope of winning the title. He has been fighting the toughest and cleverest heavy-weights, and' is in fine fighting tnm, while Tunney hasn’t seen a box-

ing glove since he got the verdict over Dempsey at Chicago. Tunney has been hobnobbing with polite

society, and is not even mentally conditioned to meet so rugged a man as Heeney.”

Auckland’s pride, Charlie Purdy, although defeated on odd occasions, has won battle after battle throughout the Dominion, and some time ago, finding good matches in Maoriland few and far between, he left these shores as champion light-weight of New Zealand for Australia, to seek bigger bouts among a more classy set of boxers. He has done well, and to-day stands as one of the most firm favourites of Australian fight fans.

But the Purdy of to-day is not the ir'urdy we knew many months ago, for to become a favourite among enthuslasts of the sport across the Tasman

has meant that he has had to change his style. In the Dominion we saw him win his fights on points with a clever “touch and run away” style. It certainly saved him many hard knocks but it did not take on over in the Commonwealth where real fighters with a punch are wanted. Although he has had to sacrifice much of his science he now hits harder and while away has had a k.o. victory—something he did not have in New Zealand. In Australia Purdy has won fights which have been really worth while, and although he drew with Ernie

Izzard, of England, and was defeated by Tommy Fairhall, he was victorious over Bluey Jones for the Australasian light-weight title.

Charles is coming back to his home town, Auckland, next month for a holiday, and as he steps from the gangway he will be welcomed with open

arms by his old supporters as the, champion light-weight boxer of both' New Zealand and Australia. He is an-, other who has gone abroad and conquered.

Out of his 12 professional contests, Johnnie Leckie the invincible Johnnie—has been undefeated, there being only three boxers who have been made of the sufficient “stuff” to go the whole journey with him. A fine, speedy fighter, who packs a terrific right, Johnnie Leckie clinched the feather-weight title of New Zealand on August 22, 1927, when he defeated Duke Maddox in this city.

He would certainly show up strong in Australia, but being undoubtedly the busiest boxer in the Dominion and in great demand by associations in every province, he has plenty of fights to keep him going without journeying to the other side.

Last Saturday night at Dunedin, in a ring surrounded with a record number of fans, he defeated Norman Gillespie, of Australia, on points, and so gained the Australia and New Zealand feather-weight title. Big things in the boxing world await Johnnie Leckie.

Lachie McDonald is perhaps the most unfortunate New Zealander who has made good as a boxer. He fought Harry Casey on six occasions with honours about even, but when it came to a tussle for the middle-weight title with the same opponent he suffered defeat. Lachie did not lose heart and shortly after had another go at Casey and got the decision. But here is where the “stiff” luck part of it comes in—it was not specified that the fight was for the title and Casey remained champion.

But this was good enough for Lachie McDonald, and after defeating Jim Broadfoot on points after the hardest 15 rounds seen in Auckland for many years, he sailed for Australia. He had done big things over there and

although losing to Gordon Kiely on points he managed to get the better of Ted Monson and so secured the Australian middle-weight title. — G. K. PREBBLE.