Citation for Bill Byrne on his introduction into the Hutt City Legends of Sport May 2022

Written by Adam Julian

Bill Byrne (Ngāti Porou) won a record ten New Zealand senior boxing titles between 1970 and 1977 - six heavyweight and four light heavyweight titles, winning the heavyweight and light-heavy on the same night on three occasions (1972, 1974 and 1975).

In 1970 Byrne won his first national heavyweight title, surprising the highly fancied Charlie Dunn in the final. He was 19 years old. Only David Tua (1989) has been a younger heavyweight National champion.

Byrne staged a remarkable comeback to win the 1973 National heavyweight final. Against Ali Taulapapa of Auckland, Byrne was sent to a Hamilton canvas three times in the first round but rallied to prevail in an incredible third round stoppage.

The 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch was a time of great optimism in New Zealand. Live sport was shown on colour television for the first time and on the opening day of competition local hero Dick Taylor dramatically won the 10,000 meters, an upset that still earns him generous after dinner speaking fees.

Despite his local credentials, Byrne, like Taylor, was given little chance of a medal. In the semi-final of the light heavyweight boxing he confronted Isaac Ikhuoria, bronze medalist at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

To avoid the heavy-hitting Nigerian, Byrne boxed from behind his left hand, moving urgently to stay out of range. It was a strategy that initially worked a treat, with Milton Hayes reporting: “Ikhuoria was caught time after time by Byrne’s jabbing left in the first round. Ikhuoria found his opponent a difficult target, often being made to miss badly with his big right swings.”

Round two followed a similar pattern until Ikhuoria was able to unleash “vicious rips to the body.” Byrne suffered bruised ribs disguising the pain through sheer grit and fitness. There would be no hiding the next wound.

“The capacity crowd was firmly behind Byrne but there were anxious moments midway through the third round when the referee (Mr E Thompson, Northern Ireland) asked a ringside doctor to inspect a nick just above the New Zealander’s eye,” Hayes recounted.

“The fight was allowed to continue and Byrne with blood streaming down the side of his face held out gamely as Ikhuoria tried desperately to pin him down.”

“We knew Bill would not pass the medical,” Boxing New Zealand coach Les Rackley said after Byrne was denied the opportunity to fight England’s Billy Knight for the gold medal.

Byrne’s injury would take several months to heal but his undefeated status earned the highest praise. In a letter dated February 13, 1974, Prime Minister Norman Kirk wrote:  “I know that every New Zealander was tremendously thrilled and excited by your fine performance which did so much to uphold the spirit of the 1974 games.”

An 18-year old Lynda Crook was so enchanted watching on TV in Wellington she told her father she would one day meet Bill. Her father laughed. A year later they walked into the same job and were married on December 19, 1981 at St Luke's Church, Waiwhetū.

Bill Byrne was born in Gisborne on June 17, 1951. The son of Desmond (Pakeha) and Hera (Maori) was one of six siblings from modest circumstances, Bill's first job was in a piggery.

He attended Gisborne Boys’ High School and commenced boxing in the third form (Year 9) with Dan O’Connor. He showed enough promise to win the junior Northern and Central Hawke’s Bay middle, light-heavy and heavyweight titles. He was good enough to play in the Gisborne First XV too in 1967 and 1968.

At the time Gisborne was one of the best teams in the country losing just a single game in 67. Byrne was a loose forward. Prop and classmate Matt Wallis reflected: "Bill was a natural sportsman who'd run all day and die for the cause. He was tough but disciplined because of boxing.

"I remember one game in Rotorua a two-metre tall Samoan took a dislike to Bill and smacked him on the ground. When Bill stood up and poised to fight back this bloke took a couple of swings and Bill calmly dodged them and said, 'your gonna have to do better than that."'

Employment with P&T, later known as Telecom, took Byrne to Wellington in 1969. For 46 years he was a wire technician, once saving a colleague’s life from a tumbling power pole.

The same year he joined the Heretaunga Boxing Club as a founding member, becoming a life member in 1995. His coach was Alan Scaife, ‘Mr Boxing’ in the Hutt Valley. One of 16 kids from Naenae, Scaife fought 107 times and achieved 95 victories, never hitting the floor.

In 1953 he was the New Zealand light welterweight champion and in 1954 competed for New Zealand at the Empire Games in Vancouver. He was a referee, administrator and uncompromising, intelligent coach often heard to bark, “shape up or ship out.”

Scaife immediately saw potential in Byrne and admitted him to his first senior nationals as a junior in Gisborne. Unfortunately, he drew Joe Jackson, the only other individual to achieve the heavy, light-heavy double on the same night.

The hiding proved to be a valuable lesson. In early 1970 Byrne outpointed destructive Samoan Ali Fa’aumu who caused a stir when he knocked out eight-time National heavyweight champion and 1966 Commonwealth Games gold-medalist Bill Kini.

Six weeks later the Nationals were held in Timaru and Hokianga/Northern Waiora slugger Charlie Dunn, twice runner-up, was a resounding favourite to claim heavyweight honours. Byrne had other ideas.

The Evening Post commented: “Dunn set out purposefully to bring down the younger man with his greater strength and ruggedness but Byrne plied his left hand impeccably, kept Charlie off balance with it and never became involved in slugging matches.”

Byrne credited Dunn as his most respected opponent. They would fight twice more with the results split and Dunn annexing the 1971 heavyweight title from Bill’s grasp. Dunn later turned professional and was a respected publican at the Panguru Tavern.

He told Waka Huia in May 2010: “Bill was a true champ. I was feeling strong that night (1971) but I still think Bill Byrne was a strong fighter.”

A well-documented change in style would make Byrne an even stronger fighter in 1972. He had been a punch and move away fighter but he soon added effective blocking to his repertoire.

Alan Scaife remarked at the time: “Before the change he could get away with punching and moving when he fought mediocre boxers, but when he fought the better boxers he took a lot of punishment by not blocking.”

One such example was a legendary encounter with Fijian Heavyweight champion SaluSalu ViaViaLevu. Made to take a standing eight count, and knocked to the floor three times, Byrne rallied to win in the third round.

The Evening Post reported: “In what must rate as one of the best rounds ever by a boxer who had taken such a pounding the round before, Byrne proceeded to take the Fijian apart with well-placed right upper-cuts and left hook combinations.”

Such displays had him on the radar for the Olympics in Munich in August. Winning the Oceania Heavyweight Championship in Papeete, Tahiti, only enhanced the cause.

In an Olympic and Oceanic Games trial at Upper Hutt, Byrne foiled Australian light heavyweight champion Steve Azel. Byrne bruised his knuckles while sparring with professional boxer Graham Smith beforehand. Furthermore, he was suffering from a tooth infection. Alan Scaife admitted he had to “cut away half of his mouth guard to fit it in.”

Despite his form he wasn’t selected for the Olympics. Apparently his record wasn’t good enough for the New Zealand Boxing Council who instead picked Pat Ryan and Jeff Rackley. Rackley had lost four times in a calendar year and had no international experience.

Wellington Boxing Association chairman Mr B.F. O’Brien said he did not regard the failure of Byrne to win nomination as a “critically bad omission.” “But I would have to say we’re disappointed.”

Byrne appealed his non-selection but it was vetoed by Boxing New Zealand. To add insult to injury, five rounds into a fight with Kitty Ah Lam in Wainuiomata Byrne was accidentally head-butted, which opened a cut in the middle of his forehead requiring five stitches and stopping the contest. Ah Lam conceded Byrne was well ahead when the incident occurred.

With a point to prove, Byrne flourished at the Nationals in October in Stoke. He stopped Canterbury’s Tuulua Amua in the second round to win the light heavyweight title and in the heavyweight final avenged his stoppage against Ah Lam, outpointing the Aucklander with clinical precision. Byrne rued after missing the Olympics, “I never reached the same peak again during the season.”

Heretaunga is responsible for producing 53 New Zealand senior boxing champions with the peak of those triumphs in the 70s. Alan Scaife was so highly regarded he was appointed New Zealand coach at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

Between 1973 and 1978 he won an unprecedented six consecutive Joe Thwaites Shields, awarded to the coach of the Jameson Belt winner (most scientific fighter) at Nationals. Byrne himself never won that accolade, uncommonly awarded to heavyweights, but brothers Ron (light heavyweight) and David Jackson (welterweight) won the prize three times each.

Grant Scaife is the son of Alan Scaife. Grant was National light welterweight champion in 1979 and fashioned a 68-12 record, later coaching Heretaunga with tremendous success.

“Dad’s whole life was boxing. He’d be down the Tote every Thursday night fundraising for the gym,” Grant said. “Dad did a lot for Bill who he treated like a son. Bill was a quiet person, it was hard to get much out of him, but he was very loyal and determined and shared a mutual respect for Dad. They were a great pair.”

Locally Byrne was untouched from 1973 to 1977, winning the National heavyweight title each year and adding light heavyweight honours in 1974 and 1975.

Backing up his outstanding performance in the 1974 Commonwealth Games, Byrne’s national heavyweight victory over Marvin Abbott of Hawke’s Bay, conceding a 13kg disadvantage, was especially noteworthy.

Byrne’s last National title in 1977 was won against George Stankovich, heavyweight bronze medalist at the 1978 Edmonton Commonwealth Games. The Evening Post conveyed: “Byrne was all aggression in the first round and hit Stankovich with three hard punches which forced the Aucklander onto the ropes…Stankovich attacked immediately in the third and landed two solid blows. But his flurry was short-lived as Byrne scored magnificently with rock-hard left jabs.”

Such was his dominance it was often a hassle for Byrne to find regular sparring partners. He travelled frequently to the Wairarapa for opposition and one year was paying his way to Auckland to practice with professional Young Sekona. Tony Bagshaw, a visiting English professional, was another regular.

Even when he had retired, Byrne’s ability to spar remained formidable. Michael Kenny is a Sports Legend of Wellington and 1990 Commonwealth Games heavyweight boxing gold medalist. He recalls being “put in his place” by Bill at a Porirua gym shortly after winning his first New Zealand title in 1983.

“Bill developed my ability to move left and right and stay active on my feet while throwing effective punches, one of the hardest things to do in boxing. He put me under incessant pressure and I took plenty of left hands to the forehead. This moulded my style. I wasn’t a particularly strong puncher so I had to become an agile, strategic fighter.”

Billy Graham is a four-time national light welterweight champion and witnessed many Byrne fights. “Bill fought straight up and down. He wasn’t a David Tua type who’d knock you out with one punch, he was a real boxer. If you couldn’t last the distance you were in real trouble and if he landed the right hand or left hook you went down.”

Ironically, defeat was the catalyst for what Byrne called the “proudest moment” of his life, meeting Muhammad Ali.  In 1975 he fought American Tommy Sullivan in an international bout in Heretaunga. Sullivan floored Byrne in the second round following “a lightning combination to the face.”

Sullivan’s quality was illustrated by the fact that as an 18 year-old he held the Oregon State and Regional titles and beat Michael Spinks in the 1975 American National Golden Gloves middleweight final. Spinks would go on to win a gold medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and was 31-1 as a professional, winning the heavyweight championship of the world in 1985.

Accompanying Sullivan on that tour was Jerry Dusenberry, a top Portland boxing official and later President of USA Boxing. Dusenberry was befriended by Alan Scaife and the seeds for an American tour in 1978 by the Heretaunga Boxing club were sown.

Grant Scaife reflected: “We spent two years chopping firewood, cooking sausages, cleaning cars to raise something like ten grand to make a trip to the West Coast which Jerry helped put together with his contacts. We fought in Los Angeles, Sacramento and Idaho. I couldn’t believe it. I loved it. I was 18 years old walking down Santa Monica Boulevard in bare feet.”

Byrne impressed, winning all three fights. A flattering newspaper report praised the gutsy Kiwis and caught the eye of Harold Smith director of Muhammad Ali Sports Club, which began to sponsor track meets and boxing tournaments.

Heretaunga was invited back, all expenses paid, to the US to fight a Muhammad Ali amateur boxing team at the Reading Municipal Memorial Stadium in Pennsylvania on June 24, 1978. Furthermore, the Ali outfit donated $5,000 to Heretaunga.

Byrne outhustled Tommy Georgieff in a heavyweight contest but he was the only Heretaunga fighter to prevail in eight bouts.

The Muhammad Ali team was coached by former world heavyweight champion Jimmy Ellis, who was assisted by legendary boxing cut man Chuck Bodak who’d been in the corner of legends like Ali, Rocky Marciano and Thomas Hearns.

Other members of Team Ali included Tony Tubbs, who was 240-13 as an amateur and held the WBA Heavyweight title from 1985 to 1986, Davey Armstrong, 1975 Pan American Games featherweight gold medalist, and Lindell Holmes, an IBF super-middleweight title holder.

Heretaunga made enough of an impression to convince the Americans to give another $7,000 and shout themselves a tour of New Zealand. Muhammad Ali himself would accompany his apprentices. The New Zealand team had met the self-anointed greatest on the US trip.

February 23, 1979 is a day few will ever forget in Upper Hutt. Five months after regaining the heavyweight championship of the world from Leon Spinks, 37-year old Muhammad Ali was roaming the city with great fanfare. Byrne was photographed often with Ali and struck up a personal friendship.

Ali stayed with Don Davidson, Patron of Heretaunga who owned Totara Lodge and a house that backed onto the golf course. He visited Mayor Rex Kirton's office and performed his famous centre-ring "shuffle” before speaking at Heretaunga College.

Billy Graham was present as a relief teacher. "The Scaife’s pulled off the impossible by bringing Ali to New Zealand. Ali in New Zealand, 'yeah right.' At Heretaunga College he picked up the headmaster like he was a cork and held him out to the audience. ‘You want me to drop him?’ And the crowd roared before he put him back down. Ali was unbelievable, mesmerising."

Specifics of that story are vague but The Evening Post observed: “The champ won over the teenagers instantly by calling their deputy headmaster, boxer Les Nation, a weasel, and sparred with a startled teacher when the bell rang."

That night Ali was at a charity dinner at Trentham racecourse before heading to Auckland, where the second series of Heretaunga/New Zealand Invitation versus Team Ali fights occurred. Alan Scaife actually towed the ring from his gym to Auckland. Many years later when Billy Graham opened his Naenae gym Scaife donated the ring to Graham, Graham handing it back when he could afford his own.

On February 25, 1979 at Western Springs at least 10,000 spectators witnessed Ali fight exhibitions against Jimmy Ellis and Joe Bugner in what was estimated by New Zealand boxing historian Dave Cameron to be the most expensive promotion in New Zealand at the time (deluxe ringside seats were $75, $320 today).

The New Zealand Invitation team once again succumbed in seven of eight fights against Team Ali. Byrne repeated his success over Tommy Georgieff. It would be the 27-year old's last fight. Byrne modestly at the time said: “It was a very close fight and it could have gone either way. It just happened to be my night. I don’t want any fuss made about it. I just want to fade away."

Byrne had 133 wins in 142 fights. Against international opponents he was 27-1, with the only setback the stumble against Tommy Sullivan.

He was a respected figure in boxing often assisting local fighters, most notably Michael Kenny, who reflected before his Commonwealth Games gold medal win in Auckland in 1990: “In quiet periods, hours before my final, I reflected upon every New Zealand games boxing medalist. Bill Kini was a masseur in my corner and Bill Byrne was a childhood hero and friend.

“I remember when I was nine my father got me out of bed to see ‘Someone Special.’ I raced into the lounge to see Bill and his medal. Being the kid I was, all I wanted to do was to touch his medal. Bill let me hold it, try to bend it and then I was allowed to wear it. This is a vivid memory I will never forget and one that certainly galvanised my resolve to perform on the night I fought for gold.”

Byrne played senior rugby, often to the annoyance of Alan Scaife, for about a decade. A 6ft3 lock he was often a target for overt violence with his formidable reputation preceding him.

He suffered a serious broken ankle, deliberate knee to the head and a number of “cheap shots” that other players weren’t victims of as often. In 1982 he helped Hutt Valley Marist finish runners up to Wellington in the Jubilee Cup. All Black Bernie Fraser was a member of the side.

Lynda and Bill raised three children, all accomplished athletes. Aaron Arthur was named after world light welterweight champion Aaron “The Hawk” Pryor. Aaron has played rugby and represented Hutt Valley in softball.

Aptly named Tyson represented the Black Sox, winning a softball World Series in 2013 and silver at the same event in 2015. Kylie wasn’t named after a boxer but played representative softball for Hutt Valley.

Bill's garage in Waiwhetū Road is a shrine to former glory. In May 2021 he was made a legend of Hutt Valley Sport, the first pugilist to be acknowledged. He joined the likes of cricket legend John Reid and Olympic rowing gold medalists Ross Collinge and Dick Joyce in that company.

“As much as his boxing ability was good and his fitness superb, his best attribute was the way he talked to and treated people. He’s known as a real gentleman and a nice guy," Billy Graham stressed.

Alan Scaife, who passed away in 2012 aged 79, noted when Byrne retired: “Bill’s done 10 years’ good service to amateur boxing. He’s put New Zealand boxing on the map. He’s had a fine career and he has always given his best.”

Thanks: Grant Scaife, Jack Plowman, Barry Leabourn, John Mitchell, Craig McDougall, Billy Graham, Naomi Shaw, Ken Laban, Mick Kenny, Tiki Yates, Matt Wallis, Donald McRae, William ‘Boom Boom’ Woods and of course Bill & Lynda Byrne.

Article added: Monday 30 May 2022