The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-07-27
FIGHT STOPPED
IN nth ROUND
TO SAVE ANZAC
Gene Paralyzes Heeney's Optic
Nerve to Win Advantage
in Seventh
TOM FIGHTS GAMELY
Though Fight Was Financial
Failure, Richard Sees Big.
ger Gates Coming
TOM FIGHTS GAMELY
BY EDWARD J. NEIL
(Assciated Press Sports Writer)

New York. July 81 bF - The
hard rock of down under was we'll
nigh gravel today. rulverized by the
power in the fists Of Gene Tunney,
real fighting marine.
Under storm of gloves that
ripped his scanned features open and
blinded him in one eye. Tom Heeney
Of New Zealand. who plodded his
way past all American challengers,
crumhled last night in the eleventh
round of the fifteen round battle he
had earned with the heavyweight
king.
Heeney went down-a shambling,
CORY figure, numbed in body by ter
rifle right hand punches which
new brand of Gene Tunney poured
into the almost defenseless chal-
lenger for nearly five consecutive
rounds Heeney sank to the canvas,
saved from the ignominy of knock
out by the shielding arm of the ref
cree. but only after one of the great
est stands and most vicious beatings
a heavyweight ever endured.
Overshadowing. perhaps. the un-
quenchable courage of the challenger
in the face Of whitening glove fire
was the picture of the champion, re-
vealed at last under the glazing
lights Of the Yankee stadium ring
as a "killer"-the type Of fighter
Tunney in his heart always has en-
We'd.
Too Late to Save Tex
Unfortunately. Genes awesome
display Of punching venom came too
late to save Tex Richard from the
first great financial failure of his
career. Although official receipts
have yet to be announced, the pro-
moter admitted that the crowd of
$4,000 that more than half filled the
huge home of the American league
worlds champions paid but 500, 1000
to see the major fistic show of the
outdoor season.
However, the promoter today saw
visions of bigger and better gates"
to come. The impresario of Madi-
son Square Garden believes that he
now has in Tunney the makings Of
one of the greatest drawing cards
in the history of the ring-a master
boxer with the power in his granite
fists to batter helpless a man who
never before was punched to the
canvas.
Certainly the handsome champion,
bronzed the color of an Indian,
trained to the minute, and savage
in the perfection of his clouting &C.
curacy, turned loose upon Tom
Heeney brilliant all-round display
of fighting power.
From the third round until the
seventh. when slashing right hook
paralyzed the optic nerve in Toms
left eye, there was no question of
Tunney's supremacy. And from the
moment that blow landed until Ref
cree Ed Forbes mercifully stepped
IN to save the Anzac, blind and help
less, after two minutes and fifty
two seconds of slaughter in the
eleventh, the sole issue was one of
endurance-Heeney's ability to alb
sorb punishment.
Bell Saves kayo
For just a moment in the tenth
round. as Heeney, battered sense
less by a storm of punches that
ratified off his flinty chin and
chugged deep in his burly body,
stretched helpless at the edge Of
the ring, Gene seemed to have won
the prize of clean knockout. But
before count could be started the
gong clanked to end the session, and
Toms despairing seconds dragged
him to his corner. Heroic treatment
restored the Anzac sufficiently to
warrant sending him forth for the
final round, but the end. forecast
from the moment Gene paralyzed
half of Heeney's sight. could not be
averted three minutes more.
Having the sympathy of most of
the crowd because of his Spartan
indifference to punishment. Heeney
tore into. the champion in the first
round and drove Gene before him
under q storm of short, looping
hooks to the head. Contemptuous Of
punishment, the craggy-featured
challenger ripped through Tunney's
guard, bullied him about the ring.
and drummed his punches on Genes
head.
0CS0OAly Tic CUdIupIOu WuILVlcO
away at his challenger, standing toe
to-toe with Tom to batter and slice
At his body as Heeney's strength
failed but fighting spirit never fall
tered. In the seventh round the
one blow that settled the battle left
Tom blinking and rubbing his eye.
and for q moment it seemed as
though the milling might end then
and there.
Here Tunney, now the master in
full command of the milling. showed
. brand of craftsmanship that
brought cheers from the throng. al
ready firing of the cory spectacle.
Gene clinched with the challenger
as Heeney fought to gain control
Of the left eyelid, held him there.
and refused to punch until he was
sure that the injury was just one of