BoxRec

Small population but has produced a few world class heavies.

If you want to include Fitzsimmons I guess it is an open and shut case but opinions are divided on what country can claim him.

Tom Heeney has to be a candidate.

Also, Maurice Strickland rates a mention.

Jimmy Thunder, maybe? He has a pacific islander background but fought for NZ as an amateur.

Does David Tua qualify? I'd say more so than Fitzsimmons but opinions are divided.

Collins2000 wrote:Small population but has produced a few world class heavies.

If you want to include Fitzsimmons I guess it is an open and shut case but opinions are divided on what country can claim him.

Tom Heeney has to be a candidate.

Also, Maurice Strickland rates a mention.

Jimmy Thunder, maybe? He has a pacific islander background but fought for NZ as an amateur.

Does David Tua qualify? I'd say more so than Fitzsimmons but opinions are divided.

In terms of achievements it's surely Fitzsimmons. However, it's hard to say how skinny upright Fitz would have fared against heavyhanded left-hook-machine Tua. Heeney comes probably next.

Fitz was born in Cornwall, so hes English not a Kiwi

dr_devious wrote:Fitz was born in Cornwall, so hes English not a Kiwi

Wasn't he a naturalized Kiwi?

pundit wrote:

dr_devious wrote:Fitz was born in Cornwall, so hes English not a Kiwi

Wasn't he a naturalized Kiwi?

I think he eventually became a US citizen after having lived there for sometime. Of all the countries which claim him NZ probably has the strongest case. Funnily enough if he was around to ask he'd probably say he was a Cornishman before being Kiwi, British or anything else.

I love New Zealand and her people. I believe they produced some very handy little man in boxing but I don't believe the land of the Long White Cloud ever produced a decent heavyweight. Noone worth mentioning at least.

Aldo Pravisani wrote:I love New Zealand and her people. I believe they produced some very handy little man in boxing but I don't believe the land of the Little White Cloud ever produced a decent heavyweight. Noone worth mentioning at least.

Unlike Australia, eh?

Collins2000 wrote:

Aldo Pravisani wrote:I love New Zealand and her people. I believe they produced some very handy little man in boxing but I don't believe the land of the Little White Cloud ever produced a decent heavyweight. Noone worth mentioning at least.

Unlike Australia, eh?

Hehehehe . Yes, interesting isn't it? The average Aussie bloke is quite hefty, completely unlike this short arsed critter (me, that is) and yet it's been centuries since we have had a half decent over 175 lb fighter.

A few years ago, Jack Rennie, Lionel Rose's former training manager, helped Jimmy Thunder develop his skills. He had him on National Television and prudly announced that he was going to be the next world heavy champ.

I am sure you have seen more of him than I did, and even at the time he seemed to be muscle bound. He would have made a good weightlifter though!

By the way: Any of you remember Paul Anderson? He won a gold medal at either the Melbourne or the Rome Olympic Games in weight lifting, and then decided to take on boxing: If I remember correctly, after a few bouts, he decided that just strenght was not enough for the Noble Art.

David Tua must be the best HW from NZ

Aldo Pravisani wrote:I love New Zealand and her people. I believe they produced some very handy little man in boxing but I don't believe the land of the Little White Cloud ever produced a decent heavyweight. Noone worth mentioning at least.

Kiwis and Kangaroos are all the same anyway. Both speak a rather funny English....

pundit wrote:

Aldo Pravisani wrote:I love New Zealand and her people. I believe they produced some very handy little man in boxing but I don't believe the land of the Little White Cloud ever produced a decent heavyweight. Noone worth mentioning at least.

Kiwis and Kangaroos are all the same anyway. Both speak a rather funny English....

Yeah, unlike the citizens of the USA who speak perfect....by the way what do you speak in the USA?