Legends of Boxing: Pernell Whitaker

One of the sweetest movers in boxing history

Name: Pernell Whitaker

Nickname: Sweet Pea

Date of First Fight: 15th November 1984

Date of Retirement: 27th April 2001

Titles: World titles at lightweight, light-welterweight, welterweight and super-welterweight

Biography:

Pernell Whitaker was born on 2nd January 1964 in Norfolk, Virginia. Whitaker pulled on the gloves from an early age and had hundreds of amateur contests, many at the highest level. He won lightweight silver at the 1982 World Championships in Munich and gold in the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas.

This led to his crowning moment at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where ‘Sweet Pea’ won gold, beating Puerto Rican Luis Ortiz in the final.

Turning pro in that same year, Whitaker displayed good punching power early on as he worked through a series of journeymen and gatekeepers. As the levels increased, the KOs dried up, and Whitaker turned into a slick, defensive mover who could outbox his opponents with ease. Beating Roger Mayweather in 1987 led to a world title shot in 1988 where he was beaten by Jose Luis Ramirez on points.

After suffering his first defeat, Whitaker would not lose again for nearly 10 years. He first beat Greg Haugen for the IBF lightweight title before gaining revenge over Ramirez and adding the vacant WBC belt to his cupboard.

Whitaker later picked up the WBA belt from Juan Nazario to become undisputed king of the weight class. A brief stay at super-lightweight gained him a world title in 1992 before a controversial draw against Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez at welterweight in 1993. Many believed Whitaker had won the fight by a comfortable margin.

Pernell kept hold of his WBC 147-pound belt and continued defending it until he lost to Oscar De La Hoya in 1997. In his final defence before losing to the ‘Golden Boy’, Whitaker was in a strange fight against unbeaten Diosbelys Hurtado. Whitaker was showing signs of decline and had been dropped and hurt before he punched Hurtado through the ropes to save the fight.

With his career coming to an end, Whitaker began having personal problems, although he managed to go the distance against up-and-coming puncher Felix Trinidad in 1999. Whenever Whitaker lost his final bout by knockout, he was no longer the same fighter and was beaten by a boxer he would never have lost to in his prime.

Pernell had a unique skillset and is recognised as one of the greatest defensive fighters of all time. He was fast and slick, moving out of range, making him extremely difficult to hit. This often led to negative fights that lacked excitement, drawing criticism of Whitaker at times.

Following 17 years in the profession, Whitaker retired as a four-weight world champion, including undisputed and lineal honours. He made numerous defences of his lightweight titles. In 2006, Whitaker was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on his first attempt.

After finally exiting the ring for good, Whitaker became a trainer. He worked with world champions Zab Judah and Paul Spadafora, as well as prospect Joel Julio and heavyweight contender Calvin Brock. Whitaker died in 2019 when he was struck by a vehicle in his hometown.

Image credits: NBC Sports, Sweet Science.

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