A Fighting Heart

No one expected Johnny Kilbane to become a champion boxer. As a scrawny youngster, he sang and danced and dreamed of being an actor or gymnast. He worked hard from an early age as a switchboy on the railroad, supporting his family after his dad went blind. But when he witnessed his first boxing match as a teen, everything changed for Kilbane. He was mesmerized by it. And he realized the profits it could yield. On the spot he knew what he needed to do. Years later, after winning the championship fight against Abe Attell in 1912, Kilbane became a hero to his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. The Irish immigrant community in which he was raised beamed with pride. Kilbane's determined spirit continued on long after his days in the ring as he also went on to have a successful career in local politics. A FIGHTING HEART is an inspiring story about a man who never sold himself short, even if the odds weren't always in his favor. – E.F.