Made of Wrought Iron

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 374, 7 June 1928, Page 1

Made of Wrought Iron

HEENEY CANNOT BE HURT Coming Home Again Win or Lose (■Special to THE SVN) GISBORNE, To-day. THE opinion that Tom Heeney will win his fight against Tunney, and the announcement that, win or lose, he will return to New Zealand after the contest are the outstanding statements contained in a letter received yesterday by Heeney’s parents from Mr. Bernard Mortimer, Heeney’s manager.

Mr. Mortimer also comments that in England Heeney received the greatest demonstration ever accorded an athlete. The letter is as follows: “You will no doubt be surprised to get a letter from me, but X thought that as Tom is leaving to-day on his great adventure to meet Tunney for the world’s championship, possibly a few lines would be acceptable. In the first place, I can assure you that In not one of Tom’s fights has he had any Injury to speak of, and I am confident that Tunney will not be able to hurt him. “Tom is made of wrought iron. His want of real success in England was due to the fact that he had a minor internal complaint which we did not discover until he was about to leave for America. After receiving attention he was entirely different, and I date his rise from then. Win or lose this match he is coming home to New Zealand with either my brother John or me. “X am sending you some photographs which were taken on the ship to-day, and as the photographs show you can take it that Tom is still a great big schoolboy, and that all the success that has come his way has not altered him in the slightest. He

is just the same as when he came from New Zealand to join me.

“I hope I shall see you along with Tom, and that he will then be the champion of the world. “The send-off yesterday from England was the greatest demonstration that ever has been accorded an athlete, and Tom knows that he has behind him the whole support and sympathy of the British Empire. “My younger brother John has gone back to America with Tom, to be with him during the training for the contest. I leave England at the end of June to join them. We have every confidence in Tom winning.”