Known as "Sweet Pea," Whitaker, a southpaw from Norfolk, Virginia, was revered as perhaps the best defensive fighter in history, and his slick moves confounded opponent after opponent. His fall from grace and solvency involved numerous incidences of drug abuse and a history of arrests and run-ins with police. Who has the edge? He was 55. Duva said. [25] In the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds the fighters exchanged combinations. Boxing great Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker, who won Olympic gold and championship belts in four weight classes, was killed after being struck by a pickup truck in his native . Sports Illustrated 's post-fight edition had "ROBBED!" Boxing Legend Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker Dead At 55, Hit By Car - YouTube He retired after being stopped, his shoulder injured, in the fourth round of a fight against Carlos Bojorquez in 2001. To me, he was one of the top five greatest boxers ever! Max Kellerman (@maxkellerman) July 15, 2019 Whereas the boxer was sentenced dead at the spot. Pernell Whitaker. R.I.P. Whitaker, known by the nickname "Sweet Pea," managed to become one of the best boxers in history despite suffering from adrug addiction. They were all elected in their first year of eligibility. After retirement, he also survived a cocaine overdose in 2001. Boxing community reacts to tragic death of Pernell Whitaker, Pernell Whitaker diedafter being struck by a vehicle. Pernell Whitaker was born on Jan. 2, 1964, in Norfolk, Va., one of seven children of Raymond and Novella Whitaker. What happens when a boxer kills his opponent? Whitaker now intends to sell the house to retain the $150,000 of equity in the home to recoup $18,000 in overdue taxes he paid on the building on behalf of his mother and two siblings living there, his lawyer said. Whitaker was awarded an official knockdown in the 9th round and, according to CompuBox stats, outlanded De La Hoya in overall punches and connect percentage, using the jab as his primary weapon; but De La Hoya threw and landed almost twice as many power punches and had a slightly higher power punch connect percentage than Whitaker and showed more agression in the fight, which may have been the key factors in De La Hoya winning by a disputed unanimous decision. Chavez, the reigning junior welterweight titlist at the time, moved up in weight to challenge Whitaker for his welterweight world title before some 65,000 at the Alamodome in San Antonio in a showdown for pound-for-pound supremacy. Pernell Whitaker Obituary (1964 - 2019) - Norfolk, VA - The Virginian-Pilot Whitaker was also the trainer for heavyweight Calvin Brock who, as recently as November 2006, fought for the IBF and IBO titles against Wladimir Klitschko, wherein Brock was knocked out in the 7th round. Hall of Fame boxer Whitaker hit by car, dies - ESPN 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. He was 55 years old.. Moreover, as a professional boxer, he played around 46 fights in which he won 40. On behalf of everyone at Golden Boy, we send our prayers and condolences to his family and friends.". Here's what you need to know about his family. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. pic.twitter.com/gqf41jo6IO, This man was one of the greatest boxers ever to lace up gloves, loved watching him growing, defensive savant and as brave as they come. Pernell Whitaker, widely considered to be one of the greatest defensive boxers of all time, has died after being hit by a car. pic.twitter.com/Zsgqa66FKF, When Pernell Whitaker was world champion from lightweight to light middleweight, he was something special. An autopsy stated that the cause of Whitaker's death was "multiple blunt force trauma.". I could watch hours and hours of him. ", Magic Johnson added "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. Whitaker successfully defended his WBC belt against Scotland's Gary Jacobs on August 26, 1995. Whitaker is survived by his 5 children. Pernell 'Sweat Pea' Whitaker, former boxing champion, dies after being Mark Lelinwalla is a contributing writer and editor for DAZN News. He had 214 amateur fights, winning 201, 91 of them by knockouts, though he said that he had up to 500 amateur fights. During his retirement, Whitaker dabbled as a trainer and remained close to Duva and her staff at Main Events. But in a fight that many observers thought Whitaker had won easily, two judges called it a draw and a third voted for Whitaker, leaving the fight ruled a draw. He was born on 2 January 1964, in Norfolk, Virginia. . Glad I got to sit next to him at the Ward v Kovalev fight in Las Vegas. On July 14, 2019, Whitaker was crossing the street in Virginia Beach, at the intersection of Northampton Boulevard and Baker Road, when he was struck and killed by a vehicle. "We thought, hey, here's an idea, but we can't actually do that, can we?" Let us scroll over to know more about his personal details. Whitaker also had a daughter from a prior relationship, Tiara. In 2010, Whitaker was inducted into the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame, honoring those who have contributed to sports in southeastern Virginia. super lightweight title in 1992 and Buddy McGirt for the World Boxing Council welterweight belt in early 1993. He was. 2023 EHM PRODUCTIONS,INC. Whitaker's youngest son, Devon Whitaker, told The Virginian-Pilot newspaper that his dad was a "cool guy. In addition, he won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics and 1983 Pan American Games. Hell be a son forever until death do us part, but he is putting a rip through the family, Whitakers eldest sister, Zelda Brown told ABC News. No matter what he was going through, Pete had a great heart. His highlight of 1991 was a win over Jorge Pez and a fight against European Champion Poli Daz that ended in another win. "Everyone at the Hall of Fame joins the boxing community in mourning his passing and offers our condolences to his family.". Im praying for his family. RIP Sweet Pea. Caption: Pernell Whitaker, late American professional boxer. (modern). Hes limited to what he can make training other boxers, Gould said. A street fighter as a youngster, he learned to box at a local recreation center. [18], For his part, De La Hoya wasn't too pleased with his own performance against Whitaker and had hinted at a possible rematch to prove that he could do better against him. He was a flawless fighter. Boxing community reacts to tragic death of Pernell Whitaker His humble beginnings started in Youngs Park Housing Community where he was inspired to start his boxing career. He was 55. 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. In fact, as one person involved in the investigation put it "It appears to just be a horrible accident.". world super lightweight title under Whitakers tutelage. His pro career began in 1984 and spanned all the way through 2001, with an amazing 40-4-1 record including 17 knockouts. He also won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics in L.A. From 1993 to 1997 he was considered the #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. 10:49 AM PT -- The driver in the crash was NOT arrested -- and law enforcement officials tell us they do NOT believe drugs, alcohol or speed was a factor. In addition, he also fathered a daughter Tiara Whitaker from his past relationship. Pernell Whitaker Wiki, Height, Age, Death, Wife, Net Worth, Family, Bio RIP Champ. American boxing legend, Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker died at the age of 55 Sunday after being struck by a car in Virginia Beach. When officers arrived on scene they located an adult male victim who had been hit by a vehicle. He was one of the greatest boxers of all time. Whitaker, known as Sweet Pea or Pete, was an elusive fighter who deftly avoided being hit, or hurt, by his opponents. We are deeply saddened with this new; May the legend rest in eternal peace. Police in Virginia Beach said Whitaker was killed as he crossed the road at an intersection on Sunday night. pic.twitter.com/56T1ueHiLh, So Sad. Moreover, in 2002, he was convicted of possessing cocaine after the judge found him violating the terms of his previous sentence in the month of March. "He was this person who was only comfortable in the ring. Examined. The two met in a welterweight superfight simply named "The Fight"[11] on September 10, 1993 in San Antonio, Texas. A ghetto beating.. I am saddened to learn of my good friend and Olympic teammate Pernell Whitaker's untimely passing last night. It's NOT a hit and run situation. He passed away on Sunday, July 14, 2019. "It was an honor to share the ring with him. He passed away on Sunday, July 14, 2019. RIP Sweet Pea. His son Pernell Jr. died in 2015. No matter what he was going through, Pete had a great heart. He was a flawless fighter. 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. [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. After his retirement in 2001, Whitaker returned to the sport as a trainer. Pernell 'Sweat Pea' Whitaker, former boxing champion, dies after being The fight was much closer than what the scorecards showed, and many observers felt that Whitaker won the fight. Read about fighters likeJorge Masvidal,Nate Diaz,Kevin Lee (Fighter),Dave Rienzi. In his amateur career, he won a silver medal in the lightweight division at the 1982 World Championship. Upon hearing thetragic news that Pernell Whitaker diedafter being struck by a vehicle while crossing the streetin Virginia Beachon Sunday, members of the boxing community paid tribute to thelegend known as "Sweet Pea.". A post shared by Floyd Mayweather (@floydmayweather) on Jul 15, 2019 at 6:44am PDT, I'm deeply saddened by the loss of this great champion, who gave a tremendous amount of joy to those who watched him. #Boxing has lost one of its best and Ive lost a friend. Loved him. After Whitakers boxing career ended, his personal life took a hit as he had several run-ins with drug abuse and legal troubles, according to ABC News. Other than this, there is no other information on his parents, siblings, or documented on his education. Now a champion, Whitaker proceeded to dominate boxing's middle divisions over the first half of the 1990s. Whitaker also trained former IBF world champion Paul Spadafora between 2009 and 2010 for 3 fights in which Spadafora won all three. He then faced the undefeated Oscar De La Hoya in 1997 for the W.B.C. One of the greatest boxers of my lifetime and my good friend Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker passed away last night. On behalf of everyone at Golden Boy, we send our prayers and condolences to his family and friends. #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. #ripsweetpea pic.twitter.com/un90hPmIO6. Where Tyson was a savage wrecking ball, Whitaker was smooth and an untouchable thief in the night. The International Boxing Hall of Fame announced that it would fly its flags at half-staff in Whitaker's memory. He was a successful trainer after his retirement although he became involved in an ugly dispute with his mother over money in recent years. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Whitaker trudged on, winning a decision over Greg Haugen for the IBF Lightweight title on February 18, 1989, becoming the first boxer to knock Haugen down by sending him to the mat in the sixth round. Boxing pound-for-pound rankings: Did Gervonta Davis make the top 10? 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. Following the fight, he announced his retirement and recorded his professional career with 40-4-1 with 17 knockouts.
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