Tom Heeney and Gene Tunney by Rob Snell


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The Warren Tribune

27 July 1928

Tunney Easily Retains His Crown

Pummels Heeney To Win By Technical Knockout In 11th

Round Of Championship Bout

Gene Tunney is secure in his niche today among the great fighters of history.

A rebuilt Tunney, a Tunney with a punch,sledged his way to victory last night over Tom Heeney, as stout hearted a boxer as ever waged a hopeless fight.

Referee Eddie Forbes stopped the bout after two minutes and 52 seconds of the eleventh round. Heeney was limp against the ropes and Tunney was measuring him up for a knockout. It would have been the first time in his career that the count of ten had been tolled over the challenger.

Heeney said he would carry the fight to Tunney and he did. Always he was lunging forward, flailing with his pudgy arms and taking two blows to land one. Heeney had only one punch, a lopping right to the head. Invariably he telegraphed it five seconds before it came across, by jockeying his legs into position and dropping his shoulder. When the punch finally arrived Tunney was not there.

The champion apparently tossed the first round away deliberately to sound cut his man. He was the Tunney of Philadelphia and Chicago, a faultless boxer who drove in a blow at long range and retreated before his opponent could recover.

Tunney Shows Punch

The change came in the third round. They were in a clinch when Tunney rested his head on Heeney's shoulder for a second and smiled wistfully as his eyes roamed across the vacant seats. When the bell rang for the fourth round Tunney had become a puncher.

Heeney came charging out of his corner, his granite jaw stuck out to invite a right cross. Tunney aimed for the jaw and swung, Heeney ducked and the blow caught him on the nose. Blood trickled out, and for the first time the challenger stood still instead of lunging forward. Then in he came and his slow right slipped harmlessly off Tunney's shoulder.

From then on Tunney never ran away. He stood still as Heeney came at him, mixing his rights to the head with murderous ]abs to the body All through the fourth and fifth rounds the champion was driving his right into Heeney's heart.

Eye Closed In Eighth

By the eighth round Heeney's left eye was closed and his face was smeared with blood. But he kept coming in, a gory Cyclops looking for the two-eyed man who was pecking away at his eye and his heart.

The climax came in the tenth round. They met in the center of the ring where Tunney found the wobbling Heeney an easy mark for a lightning one-two punch that drove the challenger to the ropes. Tom slumped down into a half crouch, his, his arms crossed over his chest. His chin sagged. Then the scholar got the better of the fighter. For three seconds he stood there

with his arms at his side, gazing at Heeney with a perplexed look on his face. A Dempsey would have been swarming over his man and driving in blows. But to Tunney the polishing off of Heeney was an unpleasant job. Someone at the ringside shouted.

"Get in there, Gene."

Tunney came to life, spun Heeney into an upright position with a left to the chest and stepped in with his right fist ready. Cooly, almost mathematically, he marked his target and sent the blow across like a rocket. That punch travelled three feet, but it knocked Heeney three yards. The challenger bounced on the canvas and rolled over once to land

sprawled out on his back His eyes were glassy and he was gulping for breath Tunney stepped toward a neutral corner only to be stopped by the bell.

As Heeney came out of his corner for the next round, he automatically started that ceaseless lunging forward He had only a vague idea where Tunney was, and his sole thought was to keep plodding ahead until he found him. Heeney does not carry a reverse gear.

Referee Stops Bout

His first knowledge of where Tunney was came when he felt a familiar jolt at his heart, followed instantly by a sledge-hammer blow against his jaw. Heeney probably will never know how he managed to last out the last round. His arms were loose at his side and he was taking it on the chin, head and body when the referee stopped the bout.

The only trouble with Heeney last night was that he was outclassed. He met a faster, harder-hitting and craftier man, and the only thing he had to offer in return was his great, stout heart and a will to win. Tunney was never in danger.

Round One

Heeney came over to the champions corner to take a hard right on the chin Heeney landed a stiff right. The challenger rushed Tunney into a corner and landed two blows to the body. Tnnney opened up with both fists to the head, but Heeney kept boring in. Tunney locked Heeney's arms in a clinch. The champion shot over a right to the jaw. Heeney landed

a right and they clinched. Standing toe to toe the men traded blows to the head on even terms. Tunney landed a left to the body and a right to the jaw. The challenger hooked left to jaw, Tunney landed left to body but took four punches to the head in return. The champion shot a straight to the jaw, jarring Heeney Tunney met Heeney coming in with

straight left. Heeney landed both fists to the head, making the champion dance away They were sparring in mid-ring at the bell. Round even.

ROUND TWO

The champion came out slowly and led with a light left. They exchanged rights and clinched. With his back to the ropes Tunney sent Heeney back on his heels with lefts and rights to the head. Heeney kept moving forward but was taking a lot of punches to the head. They clinched. Tunney landed a stiff light to the jaw. They exchanged punches to the head. As Heeney moved in Tunney shot over a left to the head. A right to the mouth opened a slight cut on the challengers upper lip. Tunney brought up a terrific left uppercut but did not stop the game challenger who returned blow for blow. Tunneys round.

Round Three

Tunney landed a left and right to the jaw and they clinched. Heeney landed a light left. Tunney put a hard right to the jaw. In a clinch Tunney shot his left like a trip-hammer to the body. Heeney jarred Tunney with a right to the face and the champion backed away Tunney landed light left to face. Tunney began to rely on his left jab. He backed away from

Heeney almost to the ropes. Heeney landed still left uppercut. Heeney almost floored Tunney with a left to jaw. Ripping both fists to head Tunney had to dance away. Heeney again

rocked Tunney with a right to jaw Tunney started the blood flowing from Heeney's nose with left jabs Heeney put terrific left to body They were punching each other about the

head at the bell and Gene said something as he went to his corner Heeney's round.

ROUND FOUR

They came out cautiously and Tunney backed away when Tom feinted with his right. Heneey landed a right and left to the face and took a left to the body in return. Tunney put left to the face and opened a small cut under the challenger's chin. Tunney shook Heeney with a left hook. Heeney drove a one-two punch to Gene's head. Tunney landed hard right to jaw and made the challenger clinch. Tunney put left to body and they clinched. Heeney landed two left lefts to the head. Gene scored with hard right to body. Tunney landed hard left to body. Heeney rushed the champion and made Gene back away. Challenger was bleeding from nose and a cut under the chin but was fighting viciously. Heeney drove the champion to the ropes with a flurry of body punches and was outfighting Gene at the bell. Heeney’s face was covered in blood as he went to his corner. Tunney’s round.

Round Five

Blood streamed from the challenger's nose as they came out. Tunney landed two light lefts to the head. Always moving forward, Heeney landed half a dozen punches to the head and body. Gene shot hard light to the stomach. The champion missed a right to the head and they clinched, Tunney put left to the face. Heeney missed with both hands. Gene landed

left to body. They clinched and came out of it very slowly. Tunney staggeded Tom with hard right to body. Heeney put left to body, Heeney landed long left to ear as Gene danced away. Tunney missed with both hands as the challenger landed a right to the chin. Tunney half-fioored Heeney with left and right to body but Tom was up without a count. The challenger appeared to be in a bad way but continued to fight viciously. Heeney landed a right at the bell. Tunney's round.

ROUND SIX

Heeney grazed the champion's body with a right. The champion landed a right under the heart. Heeney put a right to head. They exchanged blows to the head and clinched Heeney landed hard left to body and the champion backed off. Gene landed left and rights to the body. Heeney backed the champion to the ropes and took a left to body and right to head for his efforts. Gene was jabbing away at the head with both fists and cutting the challenger up badly. They clinched, Heeney landed a right to body and they fell into clinch. The challenger appeared to be a bit groggy as he missed a left to the chin. Gene shook Tom with hard left to jaw. The champion was fighting a superb battle and wearing the challenger down. They were in a light scrimmage in Henney's corner at the bell. Tunney's round.

ROUND SEVEN

They sparred for an opening and Tunney landed right to body. Tunney shot over two left jabs to head. The champion dug his right glove deep into the challenger's body. Heeney landed sharp left to head. Tunney had the better of an exchange at close quarters. Tom missed left hook to head as Gene danced away. Heeney landed left to body and fell into clinch. The champion put a right to body. In a furious exchange the challenger landed two blows to Gene's one and made Tunney go Into retreat. Heeney missed a left hook. The champion put his left to the face. The crowd cheered as Heeney landed a hard left to the face. They were sparring at the bell. Heeney’s round

Round Eight

They came out slowly, Gene feinting with his left and backing away. Gene met Tom with right to body as the challenger bored in. The champion put two light lefts to the jaw. Heeney was blinking his left eye and backing away from the champion who refused to hit him. Heeney wiped his eye with his glove. But was unable to clear it. Heeney could not see out of his eye but the champion did not hit him Heeney was backing away for the first time. The champion landed a left jab to the face. Gene walked in cautiously and jarred Tom with a two fisted attack. Still unable to see out of his left eye, Heeney was standing toe to toe swapping punches. The champion drove both fists to the head and had Heeney groggy at the bell. Tunney’s round.

Round Nine

The challenger blinked his left eye as he came out. Gene put both fists to the body. Gene scored with a one two punch to the head. The champion landed a straight left to the face. Heeney continued to bleed from the nose. Sending both hands, to the body, Tunney sent Heeney back on his heels. Heeney missed a left to the head and they clinchd. They exchanged punches to the head at long range. The champion opened a deep gash over Heeney's left eye and blood poured down the challengers' face. Heeney's face was covered with blood but he refused to stop pouring in. Tunney jarred the challenger with left and right to head, Heeney sent over a terrific right ashe came out of a clinch. Gene scored with a straight left. In a clinch the champion sent both fists to the body. Tunney’s round.

ROUND TEN

Gene landed a light left to the face then put a right to the body. They clinched. Gene scored with two lights to the head and then sent over three rights to the face. Heeney's face was a gory mass and his left eye was almost closed. Tom put hard left to body. Heeney was spitting blood but never took a backward step. Heeney missed a left and the champion

scored with three left jabs. Heeney put left to jaw. Heeney rested his head on the champions shoulder and landed lightly to the body. Gene drove a hard right to the stomach and sent over a series of hard lefts and rights to the head. Heeney was taking a battering now but he refused to back up. Tunney floored Heeney with right to the jaw as the bell rang. The

challenger's seconds picked him up and half carried him to his corner. The bell saved Heeney. His second worked over him bringing him to. Tunney's round.

ROUND ELEVEN

Heeney came out groggy and Gene staggered him with lefts and rights to the head. Hee ey was in a bad way and was almost ready to topple over The referee stopped the bout giving Tunney a technical knockout.

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