Thomas Heeney (18 May 1898 – 15 June 1984) was a professional heavyweight boxer from New Zealand, best known for unsuccessfully challenging champion Gene Tunney for the heavyweight championship of the world in New York City on 26 July 1928.

Biography

Heeney was born in Gisborne, New Zealand, and worked as a plumber until he left New Zealand. He was a strong swimmer and was awarded a bronze medal by the Royal Humane Society of New Zealand in 1918 for helping rescue two women from the sea off Waikanae Beach, Gisborne. He also retrieved a third woman who did not survive.Mackay, Joseph Angus. "Tom Heeney's Bid For World Crown" in Historic Poverty Bay and the East Coast, N.I., N.Z., 1949.

He learnt to box from his father and his older brother Jack Heeney, who was the New Zealand amateur welterweight champion in 1914 and middleweight champion from 1919 to 1924. He became a professional boxer when he fought Bill Bartlett in Gisborne in 1920."Expatriates — biographies", An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966. Te Ara — The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 18 September 2007 In October 1920, Heeney became the New Zealand heavyweight champion when he beat Brian McCleary of Dunedin on a technical knockout. Heeney was also a rugby union player and played for the Hawke's Bay — Poverty Bay team against the Springboks in 1921. He boxed in Australia and won the Australian heavyweight champion title in 1922, and fought in England and South Africa in 1924.

Heeney went to the United States in 1926. He beat Jim Maloney, Johnny Risko and Jim Delaney and eventually ranked fourth among the world's heavyweight boxers. After fighting Jack Sharkey, later a heavyweight world champion, in 1928 for the right to fight Tunney, on 26 July 1928, Heeney fought Gene Tunney at Yankee Stadium, New York City, for the world heavyweight championship title. Heeney entered the boxing ring wearing a Māori cloak that was given to him by Heni Materoa, the widow of Sir James Carroll. The referee, Ed Forbes, stopped the scheduled 15 round fight in the 11th round, and Tunney won. It was said of Heeney: His gritty performance in this fight would have been considered by many observers to have justified his sobriquet of The Hard Rock from Down Under given by renowned writer and journalist, Damon Runyon.

A week after his defeat, Tom married Marion Dunn, an American. Heeney became an American citizen and boxed until 1934, accomplishing a fighting record of 70 professional bouts, 38 wins, 22 losses, 8 draws, and 2 no-contest.

After retiring from boxing, he owned a bar in Miami, Florida. He served with the United States Navy Civil Engineer Corps in World War II, and afterward coached boxing and refereed armed forces bouts in the South Pacific. He often fished with his friend, the famous writer Ernest Hemingway. Heeney's wife, Marion, died in 1980. They had no children.

Heeney was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.

Professional boxing record

All information in this section is derived from BoxRec, unless otherwise stated.

Official record

All newspaper decisions are officially regarded as “no decision” bouts and are not counted in the win/loss/draw column. ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes70Loss Stanley PoredaTKO10 (10), Mar 27, 193369Loss37–21–8 Charley RetzlaffNWS10Mar 7, 193368Loss37–21–8 Patsy PerroniPTS10Dec 6, 193267Draw37–20–8 John SchwakePTS10Oct 25, 193266Win37–20–7 Hans BirkiePTS10Mar 16, 193265Loss36–20–7 Max BaerPTS10Feb 22, 193264Draw36–19–7 Giacomo BergomasPTS10Oct 26, 193163Draw36–19–6 Jose SantaPTS10Oct 5, 193162Win36–19–5 Jose SantaPTS12Sep 10, 193161Loss35–19–5 Jimmy SlatteryPTS6Apr 20, 193160Loss35–18–5 Johnny RiskoPTS10Apr 6, 193159Loss35–17–5 Charley RetzlaffTKO7 (10)Mar 6, 193158Loss35–16–5 Max BaerKO3 (10)Jan 16, 193157Loss35–15–5 Emmett RoccoPTS10Oct 13, 193056Loss35–14–5 Frank CawleyUD10Sep 29, 193055Win35–13–5 George PankaSD10Sep 8, 193054Loss34–13–5 Tuffy GriffithsTKO10 (10)Jul 30, 193053Win34–12–5 George HoffmanPTS10Sep 26, 192952Loss33–12–5 Victorio CampoloTKO9 (10), Aug 15, 192951Win33–11–5 Elzear RiouxDQ8 (10)May 29, 192950Loss32–11–5 Otto von PoratUD10Mar 12, 192949Loss32–10–5 Jim MaloneyPTS10Mar 1, 192948Loss32–9–5 Gene TunneyTKO11 (15), Jul 26, 192847Win32–8–5 Jack DelaneyUD15Mar 1, 192846Draw31–8–5 Jack SharkeySD12Jan 13, 192845Win31–8–4 Johnny RiskoPTS10Oct 26, 192744Win30–8–4 Jim MaloneyKO1 (12), Sep 30, 192743Draw29–8–4 Paulino UzcudunPTS15Sep 8, 192742Win29–8–3 Bud GormanDQ3 (10), Aug 4, 192741Win28–8–3 Jack DeMavePTS10Jun 24, 192740Loss27–8–3 Paulino UzcudunPTS10Apr 1, 192739Win27–7–3 Charley AndersonTKO8 (10)Feb 25, 192738Win26–7–3 Jack StanleyPTS15Oct 25, 192637Win25–7–3 Bartley MaddenPTS20Aug 9, 192636Loss24–7–3 Phil ScottPTS10Jul 10, 192635Win24–6–3 Tom BerryPTS15Jul 5, 192634Win23–6–3 Charley SmithDQ5 (10)Mar 18, 192633Loss22–6–3 George 'Blackie' MillerDQ5 (20)Nov 14, 192532Win22–5–3 George 'Blackie' MillerDQ8 (20)Oct 10, 192531Win21–5–3 Vic MoraceKO4 (20)Jul, 192530Win20–5–3 Johnny SquiresRTD18 (20)Jun 15, 192529Win19–5–3 Johnny SquiresPTS20Apr 9, 192528Loss18–5–3 George CookPTS20Feb 12, 192527Win18–4–3 Trooper Jim YoungKO4 (15)Jan 19, 19252617–4–3 Frans HendrickxNC6 (15)Nov 3, 192425Loss17–4–3 Phil ScottPTS20Sep 22, 192424Win17–3–3 Ern YoungTKO4 (15)Feb 20, 192423Win16–3–3 Jim O'SullivanKO9 (15)Dec 26, 192322Win15–3–3 Jim O'SullivanDQ5 (15)Nov 10, 192321Win14–3–3 Jim SavageKO1 (15)Oct 26, 192320Loss13–3–3 Jim O'SullivanPTS15Sep 26, 192319Win13–2–3 Brian McClearyTKO14 (15)Aug 14, 192318Win12–2–3 Jim FlettTKO9 (15)Aug 2, 192317Win11–2–3 Cyril WhittakerTKO15 (15)Jun 4, 192316Win10–2–3 Jack ComplinTKO9 (20)Jan 1, 192315Draw9–2–3 Ern WaddyPTS20Dec 18, 192214Draw9–2–2 Charlie TaylorPTS20Aug 12, 192213Win9–2–1 Tom BathoTKO14 (20)Jul 22, 192212Loss8–2–1 Colin BellPTS20Jun 30, 192211Win8–1–1 Jack LeahyPTS20Jun 3, 192210Win7–1–1 Jim FlettPTS15May 1, 19229Loss6–1–1 Colin BellPTS20Mar 17, 19228Win6–0–1 Max GornikRTD15 (20)Feb 11, 19227Draw5–0–1 Colin BellPTS15Oct 27, 19216Win5–0 Jack ColePTS15Jul 23, 19215Win4–0 Albert PooleyPTS15Feb 11, 19214Win3–0 Albert PooleyPTS15Oct 27, 192032–0 Frank GribbenND3Aug 27, 19202Win2–0 George ModrichPTS15Jun 8, 19201Win1–0 Bill BartlettTKO9 (15)Feb 12, 1920

Unofficial record

Record with the inclusion of newspaper decisions in the win/loss/draw column. ResultRecordOpponentTypeRoundDateLocationNotes70Loss Stanley PoredaTKO10 (10), Mar 27, 193369Loss37–22–8 Charley RetzlaffNWS10Mar 7, 193368Loss37–21–8 Patsy PerroniPTS10Dec 6, 193267Draw37–20–8 John SchwakePTS10Oct 25, 193266Win37–20–7 Hans BirkiePTS10Mar 16, 193265Loss36–20–7 Max BaerPTS10Feb 22, 193264Draw36–19–7 Giacomo BergomasPTS10Oct 26, 193163Draw36–19–6 Jose SantaPTS10Oct 5, 193162Win36–19–5 Jose SantaPTS12Sep 10, 193161Loss35–19–5 Jimmy SlatteryPTS6Apr 20, 193160Loss35–18–5 Johnny RiskoPTS10Apr 6, 193159Loss35–17–5 Charley RetzlaffTKO7 (10)Mar 6, 193158Loss35–16–5 Max BaerKO3 (10)Jan 16, 193157Loss35–15–5 Emmett RoccoPTS10Oct 13, 193056Loss35–14–5 Frank CawleyUD10Sep 29, 193055Win35–13–5 George PankaSD10Sep 8, 193054Loss34–13–5 Tuffy GriffithsTKO10 (10)Jul 30, 193053Win34–12–5 George HoffmanPTS10Sep 26, 192952Loss33–12–5 Victorio CampoloTKO9 (10), Aug 15, 192951Win33–11–5 Elzear RiouxDQ8 (10)May 29, 192950Loss32–11–5 Otto von PoratUD10Mar 12, 192949Loss32–10–5 Jim MaloneyPTS10Mar 1, 192948Loss32–9–5 Gene TunneyTKO11 (15), Jul 26, 192847Win32–8–5 Jack DelaneyUD15Mar 1, 192846Draw31–8–5 Jack SharkeySD12Jan 13, 192845Win31–8–4 Johnny RiskoPTS10Oct 26, 192744Win30–8–4 Jim MaloneyKO1 (12), Sep 30, 192743Draw29–8–4 Paulino UzcudunPTS15Sep 8, 192742Win29–8–3 Bud GormanDQ3 (10), Aug 4, 192741Win28–8–3 Jack DeMavePTS10Jun 24, 192740Loss27–8–3 Paulino UzcudunPTS10Apr 1, 192739Win27–7–3 Charley AndersonTKO8 (10)Feb 25, 192738Win26–7–3 Jack StanleyPTS15Oct 25, 192637Win25–7–3 Bartley MaddenPTS20Aug 9, 192636Loss24–7–3 Phil ScottPTS10Jul 10, 192635Win24–6–3 Tom BerryPTS15Jul 5, 192634Win23–6–3 Charley SmithDQ5 (10)Mar 18, 192633Loss22–6–3 George 'Blackie' MillerDQ5 (20)Nov 14, 192532Win22–5–3 George 'Blackie' MillerDQ8 (20)Oct 10, 192531Win21–5–3 Vic MoraceKO4 (20)Jul, 192530Win20–5–3 Johnny SquiresRTD18 (20)Jun 15, 192529Win19–5–3 Johnny SquiresPTS20Apr 9, 192528Loss18–5–3 George CookPTS20Feb 12, 192527Win18–4–3 Trooper Jim YoungKO4 (15)Jan 19, 19252617–4–3 Frans HendrickxNC6 (15)Nov 3, 192425Loss17–4–3 Phil ScottPTS20Sep 22, 192424Win17–3–3 Ern YoungTKO4 (15)Feb 20, 192423Win16–3–3 Jim O'SullivanKO9 (15)Dec 26, 192322Win15–3–3 Jim O'SullivanDQ5 (15)Nov 10, 192321Win14–3–3 Jim SavageKO1 (15)Oct 26, 192320Loss13–3–3 Jim O'SullivanPTS15Sep 26, 192319Win13–2–3 Brian McClearyTKO14 (15)Aug 14, 192318Win12–2–3 Jim FlettTKO9 (15)Aug 2, 192317Win11–2–3 Cyril WhittakerTKO15 (15)Jun 4, 192316Win10–2–3 Jack ComplinTKO9 (20)Jan 1, 192315Draw9–2–3 Ern WaddyPTS20Dec 18, 192214Draw9–2–2 Charlie TaylorPTS20Aug 12, 192213Win9–2–1 Tom BathoTKO14 (20)Jul 22, 192212Loss8–2–1 Colin BellPTS20Jun 30, 192211Win8–1–1 Jack LeahyPTS20Jun 3, 192210Win7–1–1 Jim FlettPTS15May 1, 19229Loss6–1–1 Colin BellPTS20Mar 17, 19228Win6–0–1 Max GornikRTD15 (20)Feb 11, 19227Draw5–0–1 Colin BellPTS15Oct 27, 19216Win5–0 Jack ColePTS15Jul 23, 19215Win4–0 Albert PooleyPTS15Feb 11, 19214Win3–0 Albert PooleyPTS15Oct 27, 192032–0 Frank GribbenND3Aug 27, 19202Win2–0 George ModrichPTS15Jun 8, 19201Win1–0 Bill BartlettTKO9 (15)Feb 12, 1920

References

5. Vogt, Anton: 'Tom Heeney in heaven,' New Zealand Listener, 14 October 1960

Further reading From Poverty Bay to Broadway: The story of Tom Heeney by Lydia Monin (2008) Kiwis With Gloves On by Brian F O'Brien, published 1960, Reed.

External links