1986 Commonwealth Games super heavyweight gold medalist, Jimmy Thunder has died in Auckland Hospital following an operation on a brain tumour.
The 54-year-old passed away in his sleep.
Thunder, whose original name was Ti'a James Senio Peau, was born in Apia, Samoa, but grew up in Auckland.
He turned professional in 1989 and had 35 wins and 14 losses over a career that ended in 2002.
Thunder has also won the IBO title, a belt that is now deemed to be the fifth most important belt in boxing that has subsequently been held by Lennox Lewis, Wladimir Klitschko, Tyson Fury, Andy Ruiz Jr and Anthony Joshua.
New Zealand boxing historian, Dave Cameron remembered Thunder as being one of the biggest name of his generation in boxing before David Tua arrived.
[Source: stuff.co.nz]
