Boxing champ Pernell Whitaker dies; hit by car in Virginia ", Yes! Whitaker, 50, bought the two-story brick home near the Botanical Garden in Norfolk, Va., for his mother in 1984 when he was still flush from his many wins in the ring. In 2002, The Ring ranked Whitaker as the 10th Greatest Fighter of the Last 80 Years. Teofimo Lopez wants to leave a Muhammad Ali-like legacy, Pain, hope, science collide as athletes turn to magic mushrooms, How a gym in California's Coachella Valley became an international destination for boxing. Since then, Whitaker went through financial struggles as his career transitioned from professional fighter to boxing trainer. A planned fight in 1998 against Ike Quartey, then the W.B.A. At the end of the fight, the judges' scores were 111-115, 110-116, 110-116. Who has the edge? 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. Retained WBA, WBC, and IBF lightweight titles, longest unified lightweight championship reign, "Pernell Whitaker Dead At 55, Boxing Legend Hit By Car", "Floyd Mayweather Jr. and 25 Best Defensive Boxers in History", "Ranking the 15 Worst Judging Decisions in Boxing History", "5 More Of the Worst Decisions in Boxing", "The List: The 10 Worst Decisions in Boxing History", PERNELL WHITAKER V JULIO CEASR CHAVEZ: BOXING'S CONTROVERISAL SCORECARDS, "Julio Cesar Vasquez vs. Pernell Whitaker", Pernell Whitaker vs Julio Cesar Vasquez - HBO World Championship Boxing, "Whitaker, Knocked Down, Comes Back to Knock Out Challenger", "Pernell Whitaker vs Diosbelys Hurtado-part 5/6", OSCAR TIME IT WASN'T AN AWARD-WINNING PERFORMANCE, BUT OSCAR DE LA HOYA TOOK PERNELL WHITAKER'S WELTERWEIGHT TITLE, "De La Hoya beats Whitaker He takes WBC crown by unanimous decision", "EX-CHAMP WHITAKER COULD FACE 6-MONTH SUSPENSION FOR DRUGS", "Zab Judah continues his personal road to redemption", "Ex-Millionaire Boxer 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker Says Evicting Mom Is 'Beautiful Moment', "Former champion Whitaker hit by car, dies", R.I.P. Ring Magazine named him the Fight of the Year in 1989. #Boxing has lost one of its best and Ive lost a friend. Whitaker called the ruling, a beautiful moment, per ABC News. Other than this, there is no other information on his parents, siblings, or documented on his education. "I can't really say how I'm feeling because I'm feeling shocked. As an amateur, Whitaker won a silver medal in the lightweight division at the 1982 World Championships, followed by gold at the 1983 Pan American Games and 1984 Olympics. This was a history making fight for Whitaker, as he became only the fourth fighter in history - joining Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Roberto Durn - to have won a legitimate world title in four different weight classes. Whitaker (who's from Virginia) was a BEAST in the ring winning world titles at 4 different weights -- lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight and light middleweight. In 1993, in the fight after the megafight with Chavez, Whitaker notched the first of his two decision wins over Hall of Famer James "Buddy" McGirt to win a welterweight world title, which he defended eight times before losing it to De La Hoya. Whitaker was recognized by boxing publication Ring Magazine as Fighter of the Year in 1989 and was ranked as one of the top ten boxers in the past 80 years by the publication. He also won a gold medal as a lightweight at the 1984 Olympics. After retirement, he also survived a cocaine overdose in 2001. Examined. What happens when a boxer kills his opponent? Sweet Pea has two siblings: a brother, Raymond, Jr., and a sister, Monique. We are deeply saddened with this new; May the legend rest in eternal peace. In addition, he won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics and 1983 Pan American Games. "When officers arrived on scene, they located an adult male victim who had been hit by a vehicle. Seconds Out. Boxing legend Pernell Whitaker was killed Sunday night after he was hit by a car in Virginia Beach, TMZ Sports has learned. We ended up paying for the wedding and had the reception after the show at the fight hotel.". Now a champion, Whitaker proceeded to dominate boxing's middle divisions over the first half of the 1990s. 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. Source: Business Insider. Whitaker was a four-division world champion who emerged as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world during his prime, which stretched from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s. He was 55. Sports Illustrated 's post-fight edition had "ROBBED!" Outside of the Virginia courtroom where the eviction proceedings took place, he called the ruling in his favor "a beautiful moment. I couldnt have performed better.. Speaking of his persona life, he had married Rovanda Anthony. [12] The now-defuncted Bert Sugar's Boxing Illustrated" magazine had a heading on the cover of its post-fight edition telling readers not to buy the issue if they really believed "The Fight" was a draw.[13]. 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.. But he still showed up at the arena to marry his fiance, Rovanda Anthony, in the ring after the evenings last fight. His. Read about fighters likeJorge Masvidal,Nate Diaz,Kevin Lee (Fighter),Dave Rienzi. Whitaker, the former lightweight, entered the ring at 155 pounds. Though he was not particularly hard puncher still considered as a strong counterpuncher. "I'm going to surviveI'm a survivor..I'm going with my daughtershe is taking me in," said Novella Whitaker told WVEC. Boxing Hall of Famer Pernell Whitaker dies in auto accident - Yahoo Sports On behalf of everyone at Golden Boy, we send our prayers and condolences to his family and friends.". 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 . February 27, 2014. Death. In December 2005 Whitaker became a boxing trainer in his home state of Virginia. He was 55 years old.. but no information regarding it. The court ruled that Whitaker's 73-year-old mother, Novella Whitaker, had to vacate the house by March 31. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. "[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. While one judge did score the fight in favor of Whitaker (115-113), the other 2 judges saw an even bout (115-115), resulting in a majority draw. Former boxing champion Pernell Whitaker has died after he was hit by a car in . DIED 2019 PERNELL WHITAKER OBITUARY Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker was a boxing legend who was considered one of the best boxers pound for pound in the history of the sport. He also remained active in Norfolk and spoke at city council meetings on behalf of the residents in support of community improvements. pic.twitter.com/sa4qZIDIIG, Im truly lost for words to hear Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker is no longer with us. On Wednesday, a Norfolk General District Court judge ruled in Whitakers favor, ordering Novella Whitaker and two other children and their families also living in the home to leave the house by March 31. Whitaker also had a daughter from a prior relationship, Tiara. pic.twitter.com/pZZEceN7h2. One of the greatest boxers of my lifetime and my good friend Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker passed away last night. The driver was not cited -- though we're told that person is cooperating with authorities. They were all elected in their first year of eligibility. pic.twitter.com/pZZEceN7h2. One of the greatest boxers of my lifetime and my good friend Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker passed away last night. A Virginia judge ruled that Pernell Whitaker's mother must vacate a home she's been living in since 1984. In 1990, he defended his Lightweight title against future champion Freddie Pendleton and Super Featherweight Champion Azumah Nelson of Ghana. Whitaker, known as Sweet Pea or Pete, was an elusive fighter who deftly avoided being hit, or hurt, by his opponents. Then he later worked as a boxing trainer in his hometown Virginia after his retirement. We send our condolences to his family, as well as his extended family at Main Events and throughout the boxing community.". Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker Dead At 55 After Hit By Car, Driver Not As great as Whitaker was, many wondered how much greater he could have been without the drug addiction that plagued him throughout his career. By David K. Li. Whitaker, who has died aged 55 after being hit by a car while crossing a road in his hometown of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was an Olympic gold medallist for the US at the Los Angeles games of. Pernell 'Sweat Pea' Whitaker, former boxing champion, dies after being Max Kellerman (@maxkellerman) July 15, 2019 The Virginia Beach Police Department said the incident remains an active investigation, but Whitaker was apparently hit by a vehicle at around 10 p.m. Sunday when he was walking at an intersection. Following this fight, Whitaker officially announced his retirement. In 2001, he retired and then began another phase of his career as a professional coach from 2005. "I loved Pernell Whitaker, and he loved me -- there was no doubt," Duva, whose late husband, Dan, signed Whitaker out of the amateurs along with several 1984 U.S. Olympians, told ESPN. 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. He would smile at you and demonstrate to you, while smiling, how remarkably easy this was for him.. has died. 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. Four-weight champion struck by car on Sunday night, Considered by many to be greatest defensive boxer of all time. The Virginia Beach Police Department confirmed the death, saying he was crossing a street at night when he was hit. Boxing Legend Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker Dead At 55, Hit By Car - YouTube Pernell Whitaker obituary | Boxing | The Guardian Whitaker originally won the fight, but the win was nullified & changed to a No Decision after he failed a post-fight drug test. A post shared by Floyd Mayweather (@floydmayweather) on Jul 15, 2019 at 6:44am PDT. He added: I mentally and physically beat him. He was the pound for pound best for half a decade, and one of the 3 greatest pure boxers who ever lived. RIP Sweet Pea. Oscar De La Hoya (@OscarDeLaHoya) July 15, 2019, It was an honor to share the ring with him. Stars Arrive to Fashion's Biggest Night!!! But Bob Arum, De La Hoya's promoter at that time, decided against it. Whitakers career was recognized by other great boxers and athletes on social media, including Oscar De La Hoya and Magic Johnson. Loved him. SMH RIP SWEET PEA you will for ever be one of the greatest to ever lace em up. He suffered his first pro defeat when the judges awarded a split decision to Ramirez. Markian Hawryluk and Kevin Van Valkenburg, Whitaker was arguably the greatest lightweight ever (1:45), Hall of Fame boxer Whitaker hit by car, dies, Garcia, trainer Goossen part ways, sources say. His highlight of 1991 was a win over Jorge Pez and a fight against European Champion Poli Daz that ended in another win. Click Agree to accept our use of cookies or you can choose to opt out of our use of cookies by following the instructions in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Notice. Local boxing legend Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker dies in Virginia Beach accident by: WAVY Web Staff, Andy Fox Posted: Jul 14, 2019 / 11:13 PM EDT Updated: Jul 15, 2019 / 11:28 PM EDT VIRGINIA. But he was a cool guy.". #PernellWhitaker pic.twitter.com/IZv3IQOo2f Originally a UD win for Whitaker, later ruled an NC after he failed a drug test. Whitaker and Anthony, who are now divorced, had four children Domonique, the late Pernell Jr., Dantavious, and Devon. In the following rounds, both boxers used their jabs most of the time, with Trinidad gaining an advantage when Whitaker attempted to attack inside, eventually scoring a knockdown in round two. Whitaker was a legendary boxer who multiple titles in. He won his next fight by unanimous decision over Andrei Pestriaev, but the ruling was changed to no decision after Whitaker tested positive for cocaine. 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. The ring remained his best place until the loss to De La Hoya. July 15, 2019 Pernell Whitaker, a left-handed defensive master in the boxing ring who won a gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics and became a champion in four weight classes as a. "Hes not happy that it was necessary to go to court," Gould said. Whitaker, defending his WBC championship and the mythical status as the best boxer in the world, pound for pound, succeeded in making De La Hoya look bad through his crafty defense, but he was unable to mount a sufficient offense to convince the judges. Pernell Whitaker Jr Passes Away Today From Rare Cancer Boxing and Basketball 12.9K subscribers Subscribe 12K views 7 years ago Make Sure you hit the Thanks Button Down Below This Channel to. During his long and successful career I never missed one of his fights. Pernell Whitaker - BoxRec It was the first of Whitakers 15 consecutive victories through 1988, a pace that was slowed temporarily by an injury that kept him from fighting on a card at the Pavilion Convention Center in Virginia Beach in December 1985. Whitaker died on July 14, 2019 after being stuck by a vehicle in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Whitaker had an extensive amateur boxing career, having started at the age of nine. His death led to an outpouring of condolences from other the era's other superstars. 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. Pernell Whitaker, an Olympic gold medallist 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. His is a Hall of Fame legacy, which we are forever grateful to call our own heritage. Additionally, he has gained his nickname as Sweet Pea. welterweight belt. TMZ Sports provided details from the autopsy Tuesday and noted investigators don't believe alcohol, drugs or speed were factors, with one official calling the death a "horrible accident.". Waking up to this news just has me GUTTED. 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. On behalf of everyone at Golden Boy, we send our prayers and condolences to his family and friends. This was a highly controversial decision (considered one of the worst ever by many analysts), as most boxing observers felt that Whitaker easily won.[6][7][8]. 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. Legendary boxer, Pernell Whitaker passed away Sunday after being hit by a car. 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. 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. Whitaker won a gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics and became a champion in four weight classes as a professional. Women's boxing pound-for-pound rankings: Did Baumgardner do enough to overtake Serrano? However, in his last fight with journeyman Carlos Bojorquezz, he broke his clavicle in fourth round which forced him to retire. [25] In the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds the fighters exchanged combinations. Condolences to his family. [16][17] The win set up a showdown with undefeated 1992 Olympic gold medalist Oscar De La Hoya. No matter what he was going through, Pete had a great heart. He was 55. . He was also regarded as one of the best defensive boxers of all time. Pernell Whitaker | Biography, Record, & Facts | Britannica The victim succumbed to his injuries on the scene," Virginia Beach Police Department spokesman L.M. [25] Later in the fight, both boxers fell to the canvas in what were ruled as "accidental slips. 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. Moreover, from the age of nine, he started his training in an amateur boxing career. 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. Longtime friend, Olympic teammate and former heavyweight world champion Evander Holyfield tweeted: I am saddened to learn of my good friend and Olympic teammate Pernell Whitaker's untimely passing last night. In terms of his defense and ring generalship, Pernell Whitaker was the best fighter that I ever fought. He lost to two-time Olympic Gold medalist ngel Herrera Vera at the final of the World Championships 1982 but beat him four other times, notably in the final of the Pan American Games 1983 in Caracas. 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. He met Oscar De La Hoya on April 12, 1997, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Whitaker won titles in the lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight and light middleweight divisions. Thank you for inspiring me and all the future champions to do the sport that we love. pic.twitter.com/56T1ueHiLh, So Sad. On March 6, 1993, he decisioned Buddy McGirt to become the Lineal and WBC Welterweight Champion. Somebody that Ive always loved to watch and wanted to meet so bad and now it will never happen. Pernell Whitaker was an American professional boxer who had his fights from 1984 to 2001. mourned his death. It has garnered over 800 reactions, nearly 300 shares and many comments of support. 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. Whitaker appeared to win handily, but while one judge scored the fight 115-113 for Whitaker, two others scored it 115-115, resulting in a majority draw that remains perhaps the most controversial decision in boxing history. Pernell Whitaker, (born January 2, 1964, Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.died July 14, 2019, Virginia Beach, Virginia), American professional boxer, world lightweight (135 pounds), junior welterweight (140 pounds), welterweight (147 pounds), and junior middleweight (154 pounds) champion in the 1980s and '90s.
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