Evening star., 1928-12-30
TUNNEY'S QUITTING
IS F|ST|C FEATURE
Dempsey'S Absence, Scarcity
of Title Contests, Also
Hurt Campaign.

flower, Pfd., did fairly we'll for itself
during 1928.
Only one champion, Tony Canzoneri
lost his crown in the battles that ragged
through the land Joe Dundee, despite
the pressure of both the National
Boxing Association and the New York
State Athletic Commission, failed to
defend his title at ALL But the lesser
lights in all divisions, struggling fiercely
to gain the limelight, furnished enough
action to take the curse off one of the
poorest outdoor seasons in ring history
and keep the new indoor arenas in Chi
cago, Detroit, Boston and New York
well filed.
Tunney Crushes Heeney.
The high light of the season fur
nished its low light as we'll! Defending
the heavyweight championship for the
last time before his retirement and
marriage, Gene Tunney crushed Tom
Heeney, rugged rock from down under
and the official winner of Tex Rick
ards elimination tournament. When
all efforts to convince Dempsey that a
third try might succeed where two
Others had failed, Heeney went to a
slaughter that lasted all but eight Sec
onds of II rounds before the referee
intervened.
The bout was the worst financial
failure in Richards history and fol-
lowed the debacle of the only other out
door battle he staged all Summer.
Three postponements due to rain cost
100000 when Sammy Mandell, light
weight king from Chicago. itrounced
Baby Face Jimmy McLarnin at the
Polo Grounds. Then, despite thor
ough and powerful ballyhoo, Tunney's
swan song failed. to catch the public
fancy. only $4,000 gathered under
clear skies in the Yankee Stadium July
% to watch the big Marine score a
technical knockout.
Flat guarantees of $575,000 to Tun-
ney and 100000 to Heeney brought
the losses that night to 100000. For
the quarter of the year, including this
failure, Garden Corporation reported a
loss of about $350,000, startling COM
parison to the same quarter of the pre-
vious year, when Dempsey's magnetic
appeal brought that much profit through
his knockout of Jack Sharkey.
Heavies Lack Class.
With titles vacant in both the BAN
tamweight and f1yweight division and
only Tommy Loughran, the l75-pound
ruler, disposed to fight any cne and
every one, the mediocre band of heavy
weights battling to challenge Tunney
monopolized the Winter season. They
furnished skirmishes almost devoid Of
thrills, with only one knockout and
few surprises.
The biggest disappointment was the
showing of Jack Sharkey, touted until
he met Dempsey, as the next heavy
weight champion. The Boston COB
fought a poor 12-round draw with
Heeney and was punched from the
picture by Johnny Risko, the Cleveland
Baker Boy. Sharkey knocked out Jack
Delaney in one round, but the sole re-
suit of that struggle was an investiga-
ton by the State Athletic Commission.
Sharkey wrenched his knee later and
was out of action six months
Heeney won the Tunney "shot" BY
knocking out Jimmy Maloney, defeat
ing Jack Delaney and Johnny Rjsko
Although Risko defeated George God
frey, the current BLACK Menace" the
body beating he took In that match ap-
parently impaired his effectiveness. He
dropped a decision recently to Jimmy
Maloney in Boston.
CanzOneri Loses Crown.
The battles of the year failed to clear
the varied claims to the f1yweight and
bantamweight titles, although Tony
Canzoneri, former New Orleans boot
black, whipped Benny Bass of Phila-
delpllia to win clear claim to the
featherweight crown in February
TenN cne Of the busy title holders,
dropped an overweight decision to
Harry Blitman, Philadelphia southpaw
whom Bass later knocked out, and ir
September lost the championship tC
Andre Routis of France.
s.-t-A - s~.,,e
q champion since Charley Phil Rosen-
gro slugger from Panama, fought his
way to the top of the National Boxing
Association rating, while Bushy Ora
ham of Utica, N. Y, did the same
things in the realm of the New York
State Athletic Commission. They never
met.
Similarly, New York recognized Izzy
Schwartz as the flyweight title holder
while the N. B. A. put the stamp OF
approval on frankie Genaro. No bout
could be arranged between them apo
Schwartz's claim was dulled by defeat
at the hands of Spider Pladner, the
French champion.
Loughran in Limelight.
Loughran steamed through the light.
heavyweights and disposed of Joe
Sekyra Of Denver Jimmy Slattery O.
Buffalo, Leo Lomski, the Aberdeen as
saSsin, who fioored him twice in tht
first round, and Pete Latzo, former vel
terweight title holder. Tommy cam.
paigned lightly among the heavy
weights, but the New York commission
refused him recognition in that clas
while holding the lighter championship
Prodded into the ring by threats o.
suspension, Mickey Walker, the JerSe.
toy bulldog, put the middleweigh
crown on the block for Ace Hudkin
and barely eked out victory in saw
age 10-round battle in Chicago Jun,
81. Although sterling challenger
abounded in George Courtney. Dave
Shade and Rene De Vos, Walker tool
on more weight and knocked out Ar
mand Emanuel and Mike McTigu
among the light-heavyweights.
Reinstated to good grace through
out the boxing world after being freet
on court charges that grew out of hi
failure to go through with a mattel
with Ace Hudkins in Los Angeles il
1927, Joe Dundee failed to reach hi
old form.
He knocked out Hilario Martinez il
Spain, but was whipped himself in tw
rounds of a non-title bout with Youn
Jack Thompson, Pacific Coast negro, il
Chicago September 80. The sensation
of the division was Jackie Fields, an
other Californian, who knocked ou
Sammy Baker,. the New York chal
lenger, in two rounds, and whippe
Young Corbett and Thompson.
Morgan Wins Twice.
Twice during the Spring and Summe
Tod Morgan, junior lightweight cham
pion, whipped Cannonball Eddie Mar
tin in 15-round title matches.
Two other sensations of the yeal
Tuffy Griffiths, Sioux City light heavy
weight, and Jimmy McLarnin, blew u
in the final stages of the campaign
Griffiths came East and was knocke
out by James j. Braddock after
straight victories in the Midwest.
McLarnin, punching terror of tn
lightweights, lost on technical knock
- NJ l.. L.