I always wanted a church wedding, Anthony said, but since we cant seem to keep Pete out of the boxing ring, I guess this is the best place.. Oscar De La Hoya (@OscarDeLaHoya) July 15, 2019, It was an honor to share the ring with him. [16][17] The win set up a showdown with undefeated 1992 Olympic gold medalist Oscar De La Hoya. He was 55. How good will the promotion be? Whitaker, trained by the longtime team of Lou Duva and George Benton and managed by Shelly Finkel, won his first world title at lightweight by outpointing Greg Haugen in 1989. On my NY public access TV show Max on Boxing (1989-1998), I talked Pernell Whitaker more than any other fighter; it was basically the Pernell Whitaker show. Im going to get married in there, Whitaker said. He had up to 500 amateur fights but finished with 214 amateur fights winning with 201 and 91 of them knockouts. Whitaker won a gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics and became a champion in four weight classes as a professional. The former four-division world champion had made a good earning out of his career in his lifetime. The two met in a welterweight superfight simply named "The Fight"[11] on September 10, 1993 in San Antonio, Texas. Police in Virginia Beach said Whitaker was killed as he crossed the road at an intersection on Sunday night. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Waking up to this news just has me GUTTED. In his memory, there is an Instagram account @pernellwhitakerr with more than 2k followers. Rest in Peace my friend. He finished his professional career with an official record of 40-4-1 (17 knockouts). He was also regarded as one of the best defensive boxers of all time. He would smile at you and demonstrate to you, while smiling, how remarkably easy this was for him.. They had four children together: Dominique, the late Pernell Jr., Dantavious, and Devon. He was only 55. We share so many great memories. Where Tyson was a savage wrecking ball, Whitaker was smooth and an untouchable thief in the night.Im a scientist now, Im not a boxer.RIP Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker pic.twitter.com/JKj4yoFKiC, We have just received the sad news informing us that Pernell Whitaker has passed. Legendary boxer, Pernell Whitaker passed away Sunday after being hit by a car. Arrest warrant issued for Nate Diaz after brawl, Sources: Smith-Eubank rematch set for June 17, Remembering Whitaker: 'Sweet Pea' a master of the sweet science, 2013 BWAA Nat Fleischer Award winner for excellence in boxing journalism. Whitaker is survived by three of his four children with Anthony -- Pernell Jr. died a few years ago -- and a daughter from a previous relationship. [27] Pernell Whitaker | Biography, Record, & Facts | Britannica Floyd paid tribute to Pernell on social media saying, "R I P champ, one of the best fighters to ever do it.". Pernell Whitaker - Can't Be Touched https://t.co/VlhdiThsAt via @YouTube, The thing about Sweet Pea was that he was the antithesis of Mike Tyson in the boxing ring. On March 12, 1988, he challenged Jos Luis Ramrez for the WBC Lightweight title in Levallois, France. [29], Pernell had personal struggles and in June 2002 was convicted of cocaine possession after a judge found he violated the terms of a previous sentence by overdosing on cocaine in March. Whereas the boxer was sentenced dead at the spot. To me, he was one of the top five greatest boxers ever! When he returned to the ring in early 1999, he fractured his jaw in a decisive loss to Felix Trinidad for the I.B.F. He retired in 2001 after three defeats in his final four fights with but he was in his prime in the 80s and 90s. Pernell Whitaker Jr Passes Away Today From Rare Cancer "He could stand in front of you and you couldn't find him," HBO boxing announcerJim Lampleytold Richard Sandomir of theNew York Timeson Monday. world super lightweight title under Whitakers tutelage. [28] The couple later divorced. In addition, he also fathered a daughter Tiara Whitaker from his past relationship. Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker was in the class of Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard as one of the most entertaining fighters in my lifetime. His fall from grace and solvency involved numerous incidences of drug abuse and a history of arrests and run-ins with police. welterweight title. He earned money at autograph shows as well. Sports Illustrated 's post-fight edition had "ROBBED!" February 27, 2014. Pernell Whitaker, an Olympic gold medalist and four division champion who was regarded as one of the greatest defensive fighters ever, has died after being hit by a car in Virginia. RIP Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker pic.twitter.com/JKj4yoFKiC, We have just received the sad news informing us that Pernell Whitaker has passed. Pernell Whitaker Sr.[2] (January 2, 1964 July 14, 2019)[3] was an American professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 2001, and subsequently worked as a boxing trainer. Three months after the Olympics, he and several other members of the United States boxing team, among them Evander Holyfield and Mark Breland, made their professional debuts at Madison Square Garden in New York. He has written for the likes of the New York Daily News, Men's Health, The Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, Complex, XXL and Vibe Magazine. #GoneButNeverForgotten, Rest in eternal peace Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker - IMO the greatest defensive fighter of all time pic.twitter.com/55KnItMmSq, Oh no, no, no Sweet Pea was one of the greatest fighters to ever lace up gloves. Whitaker, who made his professional debut on ABC with several of his Olympic teammates at Madison Square Garden in New York and eventually became a staple on HBO, moved up to junior welterweight in 1992 and outpointed Rafael Pineda to win a 140-pound world title. Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker dead: Former boxing world champ fatally Whitaker also had a daughter from a prior relationship, Tiara. Boxing legend Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker, 55, fatally hit by pickup Kathy Duva, the chief executive of Main Events, which promoted Whitakers fights, recalled telephone conversations between Whitaker and her husband, Dan, the president of Main Events, who died in 1996. Pernell Whitaker was an American professional boxer who had his fights from 1984 to 2001. The court ruled that Whitaker's 73-year-old mother, Novella Whitaker, had to vacate the house by March 31. What happens when a boxer kills his opponent? Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker, One of the All-Time Greats, Olympic boxing champions men's lightweight, Pan American Champions in Boxing Men's Lightweight, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pernell_Whitaker&oldid=1149470046, International Boxing Federation champions, Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States, Olympic gold medalists for the United States in boxing, International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees, Winners of the United States Championship for amateur boxers, AIBA World Boxing Championships medalists, World light-welterweight boxing champions, World light-middleweight boxing champions, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages with login required references or sources, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 12 April 2023, at 13:03. He was not a particularly hard puncher or knockout artist, but applied a consistent offense while being extremely elusive and difficult for his opponents to hit with a solid punch. Whitaker was a legendary boxer who multiple titles in. pic.twitter.com/56T1ueHiLh, So Sad. 2023 EHM PRODUCTIONS,INC. He won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics. Pernell Whitaker, widely considered to be one of the greatest defensive boxers of all time, has died after being hit by a car. "Pernell Whitaker was beautiful -- both as a fighter and as a human being," HBO, his longtime television home, broadcasting 19 of his fights, said in a statement. On August 11, 1990, he knocked out Juan Nazario in one round to win the WBA and vacant lineal lightweight titles,[9] becoming the first Undisputed Lightweight Champion since Roberto Durn. But he now has two mortgages on the house and the alternative was if he didnt sell, it was going to go to foreclosure.. As great as Whitaker was, many wondered how much greater he could have been without the drug addiction that plagued him throughout his career. American boxing legend, Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker died at the age of 55 Sunday after being struck by a car in Virginia Beach. Additionally, he has gained his nickname as Sweet Pea. Thats all I can say about him, he told the Virginian Pilot newspaper. Pernell graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1982 and later received an honorary Bachelors degree from Norfolk State University. Whitakers career was recognized by other great boxers and athletes on social media, including Oscar De La Hoya and Magic Johnson. Although Anthony said she always wanted to have a church wedding she told the Associated Press that the boxing ring was the best place. He could stand in front of you and you couldnt find him, Jim Lampley, the longtime HBO boxing announcer, said in a phone interview. He was born on 2 January 1964, in Norfolk, Virginia. Whitaker won both bouts before hometown crowds at the Norfolk Scope, less than a mile from where he lived as a child in a Norfolk housing project. He was small in statue but yet so big in heart and skills inside the ring, there will never be another like him, he will truly be missed pic.twitter.com/IqmXkqpqkG, May you Rest In Peace.. Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker! Heres what you need to know about Whitakers family: Getty Pernell Whitaker throws a punch at Wilfredo Rivera in a 1996 match. He jumped at it, and Rovanda loved it also. "[25] In the seventh round, Whitaker displayed more offense, trading power punches with Trinidad, but the champion retained control of the fight's tempo during the eight, ninth and tenth rounds. Its sad for him to have to take action against his mother, but none of the family would contribute to the real estate and he had no alternative but to use the court process, Gould said. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? In 1984, he won his amateur career with an Olympic gold medal. He was one of the greatest boxers of all time. "An artist in the ring, 'Sweet Pea' appeared on our World Championship Boxing platform for a decade [1990-1999], giving fans many unforgettable moments. In 2014, a Norfolk General District Court judge ruled in Whitakers favor, forcing his mother and siblings out of the house by the end of March of the same year. A loss to Carlos Bojorquez in April 2001 was his final match. He had black eyes and black hair color. Condolences to his family. I am saddened to learn of my good friend and Olympic teammate Pernell Whitaker's untimely passing last night.We share so many great memories. Whitaker, who won gold medals at the 1983 Pan American Games and the 1984 Olympics, turned pro in 1984 and went on to cement himself as an American boxing legend. Pernell Whitaker, a longtime pound-for-pound king and one of the greatest boxers in history, was killed Sunday night when he was hit by a car in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
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