THOMAS ‘TOM’ HEENEY.
May 18th, 1898 – June 15th, 1984.
Going to school in Gisborne, I always took a great interest in Tom Heeney. I was pretty young when I stood by him in the Gisborne Opera House, but being a shy kid, I was scared to ask him for his autograph. I never went anywhere without an autograph book, and in the 1940s collecting autographs was a big thing.
Tom was one of Poverty Bay’s great sportsmen, and besides boxing, he was a rugby player of note and played against the Springboks in 1921 for a combined Hawkes Bay-Poverty Bay team.
When I first moved to Matawhero, a few miles south of Gisborne, around 1947, I contacted sports writer Wallie Ingram and he told me Tom was a big favourite of his. Wallie was going to Te Hirpara school and he told me Tom spent some time at the same school until he got into some trouble involving a teacher. He left school, and soon found work in a blacksmiths shop, and also for a local plumbing firm.
Tom started his professional boxing career in 1920 and eventually travelled to Australia, South Africa, England, and Ireland before venturing to the United States in 1927. He was known as “Honest Tom” and “The Hard Rock From Down Under.”
The great Jack Dempsey, who was a sparring partner of Toms when he prepared to fight Gene Tunney, actually picked Tom to beat Tunney. An English publication Boxing, Racing, and Football, had headlines across the front page –Why Tom Heeney may beat Gene Tunney.– and two weeks later the headline was –Jack Dempsey Picks Tom Heeney to Win.–The big fight took place in 1928, and in Gisborne farmers were up real early doing their milking, and getting a good spot in Gladstone Road to catch the radio broadcast of this important fight. Loudspeakers were erected in the main street, and people came from far and wide to catch the broadcast from Yankee Stadium in New York. The fight was a National Boxing Association World Title match, after Tom and Jack Sharkey had faced each other for the right to meet champion Gene Tunney. Even though this fight was a 12-round draw, Tom got the nod to meet Tunney.
Despite the hue and cry that went up when Heeney was selected as Tunney’s opponent, many believed this was the right decision, and supported Tom.
Tom entered the ring wearing a Maori Cloak presented to him by the widow of Sir James Carroll.
Referee Eddie Forbes of Brooklyn stepped in to save Tom Heeney from further punishment in the 11th round after a courageous battle.
It was revealed after the fight that Tom had broken his thumb in training and kept it quiet, as he feared they would put in a replacement fighter, and he would never get a title shot again.
Tom kept going till 1933 when he faced Stanley Poreda in New York. It was time to call it a day for this great New Zealand boxer.
Tom Heeney’s record. 68 bouts –37wins—22 losses—8 draws and 1 no contest.
D.C. 2020