From Poverty Bay to Broadway: The Story of Tom Heeney

By Lydia Monin, Hodder-Moa

As a youngster I joined the local boxing gym which was run by our village constable and ever since then I have enjoyed the noble art.

During the 30s and 40s we listened to both boxing and wrestling matches on radio — these were the days of Lofty Blomfield, Boz Murphy and young Joe McNally and this book brings it all back to life.

Boxing in the United States during the turbulence of the depression was brutal and at times dishonest and this was the cauldron into which young Tom Heeney from Poverty Bay was flung when he arrived in New York in 1928. This was the jazz age of the mafia, prohibition and big time sports promoters.

Tom Heeney was New Zealand's first global sporting hero. Gene Tunney the heavyweight champion was offered five million dollars to defend his title. He chose as his opponent the boy from Poverty Bay and life for Tom would never be the same again.

Two things stand out for me on reading this book.

The first being the single-minded attitude and toughness of Heeney who, during his relatively short career took beatings in the ring that defy belief.

The second and surprising point in this publication is the unexpected list of literary greats. Some of which Heeney had as friends. Names like Thornton Wilder, Ernest Hemingway, Damon Runyon, Paul Gallico and Norman Mailer. The reason for this is that they were all sporting journalists at the time. Heeney not only fished with Hemingway but sparred with him on occasions.

Although Heeney didn't win a heavyweight title he did the hard yards, made a small fortune, lost it in the depression, of the 30s got up and regained it and as Paul Gallico wrote at the time  "when prize fighting was at its dirtiest Honest Tom stayed honest to the end and this makes the chances a thousand to one that he ever got up to a shot at the heavyweight title.''

Even if you don't follow boxing this is a great yarn about an equally great kiwi labourer from Gisborne.

- © Fairfax NZ News