Tom Heeney Worsted in Long-Range Battle

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 612, 14 March 1929, Page 9

Tom Heeney Worsted in Long-Range Battle

VAN PORAT’S VICTORY SLASHING ENCOUNTER {Australian and X.Z. Press Associc.ion) CHICAGO, Tuesday. Van Porat (Norway) to-day defeated Tom Heeney (New Zealand) in the elimination bout for the right to contest the world's heavy-weight championship. Heeney's weight was 14st 2llb: Van Porat's 13st Blb. A long list of preliminaries threw the main bout late into the evening. The men entered the ring at approximately 3.45 p.m. (New Zealand time). Heeney was the favourite during thetraining. but even money reigned before the fight began. ROUND ONE The crowd displayed a preference for the Norwegian. They cheered Van Porat and ignored Heeney. The men entered the ring and tlieir seconds supervised rubbing them down. The fighters went into a clinch immediately. The Norwegian has a tremendous reach and he fought the New Zealander at long range, where Heeney was unable to come in. They jabbed each other. Heeney was puzzling out his opponent's style. The Norwegian was punishing Heeney with blows to the body and face. It Was Van Porat’s round. ROUND TWO Heeney landed three rights and lefts to Van Porat's jaw, and followed with a fast right to the body. They clinched, Heeney’s blow finding the target at breaks. Van Porat now pounded Heeney’s body. but. without apparent effect. The Norwegian, despite his reach, was now having difficulty in keeping Heeney off. He lauded a hard right to the jaw. but Heeney countered with two rights to the jaw: It was Heeney’s round. ROUND THREE The New Zealander apparently decided to continue infighting in the third round. He was straightened up once or twice by Van Porat’s lefts, but the latter seemed reluctant to meet Heeney on his own ground and moved away. They now pounded each other to the body in a twohanded display. Van Porat had a shade the better of it. ROUND FOUR Van Porat drove a right to the head, but the New Zealander seemed able to take all the Norwegian had. Van Porat landed three hard rights to the jaw in quick succession. Heeney waded in, but the Norwegian got the better of it. ROUND FIVE Heeney was giving Van Porat a boxing lesson, landing lefts to the jaw and a right to the head. They came to close quarters, and Heeney scored with heavy body blows. Van Porat led with a left and crossed with a right as the round closed. It was Heeney’s round. ROUND SIX

Van Porat kept Heeney backing away for the first few seconds, scoring repeatedly with long lefts and rights. Van Porat blocked Heeney’s left and landed a right to the New Zealander’s jaw. Heeney received two rights and left? to the jaw again and was obviously hurt as the bell rang. Van Porat’s round. ROUND SEVEN Van Porat continued to force the fighting, keeping Heeney from close quarters with stiff-armed lefts. The Norwegian landed two lefts to the head, and the New Zealander countered with a right to the jaw-, and they clinched. They were finding each other with rapid blows to the head. Va n Porat’s round. ROUND EIGHT Heeney landed a right and left as the round opened. Van Porat received a terrific right to the jaw and several hard hammering blows to the body. Heeney was the aggressor. They now traded an even flow of blows. It was an active fight, but not spectacular. Heeney’s round. ROUND NINE They fell into a clinch and then broke away. Heeney had the better of the exchanges. He lauded two lefts to the jaw and waded in and punished his opponent’s body. Heeney again was the aggressor. Heeney’s round. ROUND TEN They shook hands and fell into a clinch. They mixed it furiously. Van Porat brought blood from Heeney's mouth, and he used his left continuously. Blood was streaming from the New Zealander’s face. Van Porat continued to use his opponent’s mouth as a target, and landed repeatedly. It was Van Porat's round. It appeared as if a small bloodvessel in Heeney’s mouth had been broken. It was a left to Heeney’s mouth that penetrated his lip. leaving a nasty wound which necessitated several stitches being inserted. After the bout the New Zealander said: "I am fighting my way back and you can rest assured I will get there. The best man won to-night, but you will hear from me later.”