Manoel "Manny" Santos (11 October 1940 – 2 December 2013) was a Tongan-born New Zealand professional

light Light, visible light, or visible radiation is electromagnetic radiation that can be visual perception, perceived by the human eye. Visible light spans the visible spectrum and is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400– ...

light welterweight Light welterweight, also known as junior welterweight or super lightweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional boxing In professional boxing, light welterweight is contested between the lightweight and welterweight divisions, ...

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: *Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing * Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

of the 1960s and 1970s.

Early life and family

Santos was born in

Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...

on 11 October 1940. His father, also called Manoel Santos, had a Portuguese father and a Tongan mother, and served with the

Māori Battalion The 28th (Māori) Battalion, more commonly known as the Māori Battalion (), was a light infantry battalion of the New Zealand Army that served during the Second World War. The battalion was formed following pressure on the Labour government ...

during World War II. Santos Snr and his family emigrated from Tonga to

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

, New Zealand, in 1957.

Boxing career

Santos won the New Zealand Boxing Association lightweight title, the Australasian Light welterweight title, and the British Commonwealth lightweight title. He was a challenger for the Australasian lightweight title against Hector Thompson. His professional fighting weight varied from , i.e.

lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing (sport), rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) boxing weight classes, weight class in the spor ...

, to , i.e.

Professional boxing record

Death

Santos died in Auckland on 2 December 2013, and was buried at Manukau Memorial Gardens.

References

External links

Image - Manny Santos
1943 births 2013 deaths Lightweight boxers Light-welterweight boxers Tongan male boxers New Zealand professional boxing champions New Zealand male boxers Tongan emigrants to New Zealand Commonwealth Boxing Council champions New Zealand people of Portuguese descent Burials at Manukau Memorial Gardens Tongan people of Portuguese descent 20th-century New Zealand sportsmen {{NewZealand-boxing-bio-stub