Evening star., 1928-07-18

- AIR HAVEN, N. j.. July ia
- lot of people doubt this and that
about Gene Tunney," says Tom
Il Heeney, but / take no notice of
them. I know he's good fighter.
A palooka doesn't get to be champion
of the world
If this were political campaign, In
stead of boxing match, they would be
saying that a good man would be elect
ed no matter which party won. And 1t
would be true Tunney's close friends
think he is good enough to be at the
top of the heap, but that isn't why they
like him They like him for himself.
He is one of the most likeable characters
1 ever met. His blue, Irish eyes look
straight into yours and he talks simply
and directly with flashes of true Irish
wit
Many writer's say I'm dumb fight
err" Heeney said to me. Il may have
my own style of fighting. but I'm not
so dumb
Nor is he. Unaffected and approach
able. Heeney has made plenty of friends
in this country and has adopted many
Of our customs with unconcealed appro-
baton. For example, he has grown in
tensely fond of Ice water and COM
plains as valiantly as any American
don restaurants But there are MAN.
local customs with which Tom has yet
to become acquainted.
Has Seen Little of u. S.
Answering question regarding how
much of the United States he had
seen, he mentioned Broadway, Atlantic
City and Detroit. That leaves him con-
siderable ground to cover.
Heeney now weighs about 204 pounds,
and I was surprised to discover that he
is just under feet IL inches in height
and has a reach of 70 inches.
One reason he appears so stocky is
',1cauSe of his legs. Only toe dancers
and bicycle riders have that peculiar
development of the calf.
l asked him whether ne ever had rid
den a bicycle, and he answered that
there probably was not one day Of his
youth in which he had not ridden 20
or 25 miles, adding that in New Zea-
land many workmen use bicycles to get
to their jobs
The effects of real training. as We
know it, has had its effect on his ap-
pearance. He doesn't look as stocky as
he did Stripped. his tomach shows fiat
and hard. and the lines of his face.
neck and shoulders are finer than they
were.
should say that he will not take of
over more pounds. bringing his ring
side weight to about 1913. He told me
that he made 1913 for Sharkey and that
he found it weakened him in the clcs-
ing rounds.
Graceful Rope Skipper.
Heeney is a surprisingly graceful per-
former with the skipping rope. but just
an ordinary bag puncher He thumpS
the small bag with extreme seriousness
and wrinkles his brow in his efforts
to make it behave. Both his bag punch
ing and his ring work appeal to In
dicate that he is at work developing
left hook and right uppercut,
James j. Braddock gave Heeney a
good workout. Here was man whose
style Tom did not know as we'll as
that of his regular sparring partners
and elis Spurred him to q bit of extra
effort. Heeney punches the bag fiat
footed and boxes in the same manner,
placing his left foot firmly in front
of him and drawing his other foot into
position. constantly boring in.
Moreover. he says that while boxer
may hit you 100 times you still re-
main vertical. while ii IS possible 10
duck all of slugger's punches except
one and still wake up In the hospital
He further volunteered the informa-
ton that there was only one Dempsey
Or did he regret that fact.
These sound like fairly sound theoriee
Heeney isn't so dumb
copyright. 1898. by North American New
paper Alliance.