The Boxing New Zealand family has paid tribute to Heavyweight legend Jimmy Peau.

Boxing New Zealand says they are "greatly saddened by the passing of Jimmy Peau on Thursday, February 13, in Auckland Hospital".

Born, Ti'a James Senio Peau in Apia Samoa, Jimmy grew up in Auckland and attended Onehunga High School.

Few could have known when Jimmy first walked into legendary trainer Gerry Preston's gym in Otahuhu, that he would develop into one of New Zealand's finest amateur boxers, before embarking on a distinguished professional career where he beat some of the best heavyweights in the world.

Boxing New Zealand history will show that he won 88 bouts from 97 contests, which included three Boxing New Zealand National Heavyweight tiles and a Super Heavyweight crown.

However, it was in the international scene where Jimmy Peau really made his mark.

Jimmy won a Commonwealth Games Gold Medal, Oceania Gold and a Gold medallion at a six nations tournament in Tahiti.

A look back into the past, will reveal the devastation that the Manukau Boxing Association pugilist would cause in the ring.

The 1985 Oceania Championships in Melbourne Australia, saw Jimmy reveal his awesome power, knocking out Australian Michael Isgro in the second round of their semi-final before demolishing another Australian in Neil Brennan with a first round KO, to claim the Gold Medal.

Jimmy's teammates in Melbourne read like a who's who of the New Zealand amateur boxing of the time. Steven Howard, Shane Buckley (gold medal) Darren Nicol, Johnny Wallace (gold medal) Colin Hunia, Barry Galbraith, Keith Bullock, Rock Aumatagi (gold medal) Tom Fusita, Kevin Barry Jnr.

Twelve months later Peau caused similar havoc to that dished out in Melbourne, on his way to the Gold Medal at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh Scotland. A KO in the round three semi-final against Dominic D’Amico from Canada, opened the Kiwi boxers Commonwealth Games campaign.

This was   followed by another third round KO against home town hero Douglas Young, in the Gold Medal contest.

Jimmy Peau was accompanied to Scotland by Shane Buckley (bantamweight) Johnny Wallace (featherweight) who came home with a bronze medal, Apelu Ioane (light welterweight) and Raeli Raeli (light heavyweight).

The most notable Gold Medalist at the 1986 Commonwealth Games, was Super Heavyweight winner Lennox Lewis, who later wrote his name into professional boxing history winning and unifying the World Heavyweight title.

Jimmy Peau wrote his name into Boxing New Zealand record books in capital letters, when he claimed Gold in Edinburgh at only 20 years of age. He is one of six boxers who have won seven Commonwealth Games Gold Medals.

Boxing New Zealand Commonwealth Games Gold Medal Winners

1950 Auckland, New Zealand              Frank Creagh (Wellington) Heavyweight

1962 Perth, Australia                            Wally Coe (Wellington) Welterweight

1966 Kingston, Jamaica                        Bill Kini (Auckland) Heavyweight

1986 Edinburgh, Scotland                     Jimmy Peau (Auckland) Heavyweight

1990 Auckland, New Zealand              Michael Kenny (Wellington) Super Heavyweight

2014 Glasgow, Scotland                       David Nyika (Hamilton) Light Heavyweight

2018 Gold Coast, Australia                  David Nyika (Hamilton) Heavyweight

RIP Jimmy Peau.

-Boxing New Zealand.