Pernell Whitaker
901457
219271388
2008-06-14T12:16:48Z
Fep70
5687065
/* External links */
{{Infobox_Boxer
|name=Pernell Whitaker
| nationality = American
| realname = Pernell Whitaker
<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: | image = RingMag93Jul.jpg -->
| nickname = Sweet Pea
| weight = [[Welterweight]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|1|2}}
| birth_place = [[Norfolk, Virginia]], [[United States|U.S.]]
| home = [[Norfolk, Virginia]]
| style = [[southpaw (boxing)|Southpaw]]
| total = 46
| wins = 40
| KO = 17
| losses = 4
| draws = 1
| no contests = 1
}}
{{MedalTableTop}}
{{MedalCountry | {{USA}} }}
{{MedalSport | Men’s [[Boxing]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Boxing at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[Boxing at the 1984 Summer Olympics|Los Angeles 1984]] | Lightweight}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[World Amateur Boxing Championships|World Amateur Championships]]}}
{{MedalSilver| [[1982 World Amateur Boxing Championships|Munich 1982]] | Lightweight}}
{{MedalBottom}}
'''Pernell Whitaker''' (born [[January 2]], [[1964]]), nicknamed "Sweet Pea," is a retired professional [[Boxing|boxer]], among the greatest of all-time. A native of [[Norfolk, Virginia]], Whitaker was the [[lightweight]] silver medalist at the [[1982 World Amateur Boxing Championships|1982 World Championships]], followed by the gold medal at the [[Boxing at the 1983 Pan American Games|1983 Pan American Games]] and the [[1984 Summer Olympics|1984 Olympics]], and then embarked on a pro career in which he became world champion in four different weight divisions. Whitaker was known for his outstanding defensive skills, which helped garner him consideration as one of boxing's top pound-for-pound fighters during his prime.
== Amateur Boxing career ==
Whitaker had an extensive amateur boxing career, having started at the age of nine. He had 214 amateur fights, winning 201, 91 of them by knockouts, though he says that he has had up to 500 amateur fights.
He lost to two-time Olympic Gold medalist [[Ángel Herrera Vera]] at the final of the World Championships 1982 but beat him four times, notably in the final of the [[Boxing at the 1983 Pan American Games| Pan American Games 1983 in Caracas]]. He crowned his amateur career with Olympic Gold 1984.
== Pro ==
In just his eleventh and twelfth pro bouts, Whitaker beat solid journeyman [[Alfredo Layne]] in December, [[1986]], and former [[World Boxing Association|WBA]] Super Featherweight world champion [[Roger Mayweather]] in March, [[1987]]. On [[March 12]], [[1988]], he challenged [[Jose Luis Ramirez]] for the [[World Boxing Council|WBC]] Lightweight Championship in [[Levallois]], France. He suffered his first pro defeat when the judges awarded a controversial split decision in Ramirez's favor.
Whitaker trudged on, decisioning [[Greg Haugen]] for the [[International Boxing Federation|IBF]] lightweight title on [[February 18]], [[1989]], but not before becoming the first boxer to knock Haugen down, dropping him in the sixth round. He then added the vacant WBC belt by avenging his loss to Ramirez on [[August 20]].
Now a champion, Whitaker proceeded to dominate boxing's middle divisions over the first half of the 1990s. In [[1990]], he defended his lightweight title against future champion [[Freddie Pendleton]] and [[super featherweight]] champion [[Azumah Nelson]] of [[Ghana]]. On August 11, 1990, he knocked out Juan Nazario in one round to add the WBA title and become the first undisputed lightweight champion since [[Roberto Duran]]. His highlight of [[1991]] was beating [[Jorge Paez]].
In [[1992]], he began his ascent in weight, winning the IBF junior welterweight title from Colombian puncher [[Rafael Pineda (boxer)|Rafael Pineda]] on [[July 18]].
On March 6, 1993, he decisioned [[James (Buddy) McGirt]] to become the linear and WBC welterweight champion.
Whitaker was gaining momentum, from boxing experts and fans, as the [[pound for pound]] best boxer in the world, though some felt that he needed win against [[Mexico|Mexican]] legend [[Julio César Chávez]]. The two met in a welterweight superfight on [[September 10]], [[1993]] in [[San Antonio, Texas]]. In the eyes of many of the spectators, Whitaker outboxed Chávez in a career-defining performance. The judges, not that impressed by his performance, saw an even bout. As in his first fight with Ramirez, Whitaker was not awarded a decision victory, this time having to settle for a draw.
Whitaker continued on to dominate for the next few years, defending his welterweight belt in a rematch against McGirt on [[October 1]], [[1994]].
For good measure, in his next fight on [[March 4]], [[1995]], Whitaker added [[Julio César Vásquez]]'s [[World Boxing Association|WBA]] junior middleweight title to his collection but remained at welterweight to successfully defend his WBC belt against [[Scotland]]'s [[Gary Jacobs (boxer)|Gary Jacobs]] on [[August 26]], [[1995]].
Despite his success, Whitaker's skills were in gradual decline, evidenced by lackluster defenses against [[Wilfredo Rivera]] and [[Diosbelys Hurtado]]. He met a bigger, younger [[Oscar de la Hoya]] on [[April 12]], [[1997]], in [[Las Vegas, Nevada]]. Whitaker 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, and despite receiving an official knockdown de la Hoya won by a disputed unanimous decision.
Following this defeat, Whitaker began an unfortunate decline, personally and professionally. His win over [[Andrei Pestriaev]] was declared a no-contest after a drug test revealed he had used [[cocaine]], which is a banned substance.
In [[1999]], Whitaker suffered his first sound defeat against the much bigger, much fresher [[Félix Trinidad]], gamely taking the [[Puerto Rico|Puerto Rican]] the distance. His last fight came on [[April 27]], [[2001]], against journeyman [[Carlos Bojorquez]]. Whitaker broke his clavicle in round four and was forced to retire, finishing with an official pro record of 40-4-1 (17 [[knockout]]s). Whitaker has since been in and out of prison for cocaine possession and is rumored to have squandered the millions of dollars he earned in fight purses.
In 2002, [[Ring Magazine]] ranked Whitaker as the 10th greatest fighter of the last 80 years.
On December 7, 2006, Whitaker was inducted in the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]] along with contemporaries [[Roberto Duran]] and [[Ricardo Lopez (boxer)|Ricardo Lopez]]. They were all elected in their first year of eligibility. While Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker's future seems uncertain, his record in the ring speaks for itself.
== Personal life ==
Pernell is married to Rovanda Whitaker (currently separated) and they have three sons, Dominique, Pernell Whitaker Junior, and Dantavious.
== After Boxing ==
As of December 2005, Whitaker has taken on the role as trainer in his home state of Virginia. While the decline of speed and agility have pushed him into retirement, his knowledge of the ring and components have led him to seek out up-and-coming boxers and train them to fight the way he did.
His first fighter, [[Dorin Spivey]], has several matches scheduled for 2006. Recently he's been training heralded young prospect [[Joel Julio]].
Pernell Whitaker is also the trainer for heavyweight [[Calvin Brock]] who, as recently as November 2006, fought for the IBF and IBO titles against Wladimir Klitschko.
== See also ==
*[[List of boxing triple champions]]
*[[List of boxing quadruple champions]]
==External links==
*[http://www.geocities.com/pedrinet/whitaker.html Amateur record (indcomplete)]
* {{boxrec|id=000555}}
{{start box}}
{{succession box |
before=[[Mike Tyson]] |
title= [[Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year]] |
years= 1989 |
after= [[Julio César Chávez]]
}}
{{Succession box|
before=[[Greg Haugen]]|
title=[[International Boxing Federation|IBF]] [[List of lightweight boxing champions|Lightweight Champion]]|
after=[[Freddie Pendleton]]|
years=18 February 1989–1992<br>Vacated Title
}}
{{Succession box|
before=[[Julio César Chávez]]<br>Vacated|
title=[[World Boxing Council|WBC]] [[List of lightweight boxing champions|Lightweight Champion]]|
after=[[Miguel Angel Gonzalez]]|
years=20 August 1989–1992<br>Vacated Title
}}
{{Succession box|
before=Juan Nazario|
title=[[World Boxing Association|WBA]] [[List of lightweight boxing champions|Lightweight Champion]]|
after=[[Joey Gamache]]|
years=11 August 1990–1992<br>Vacated Title
}}
{{Succession box|
before=[[Rafael Pineda (boxer)|Rafael Pineda]]|
title= [[International Boxing Federation|IBF]] [[List of light welterweight boxing champions|Light Welterweight boxing champion]] |
after=[[Charles Murray (boxer)|Charles Murray]]|
years=18 July 1992–1993<br>Vacated Title
}}
{{Succession box|
before=[[Buddy McGirt]]|
title=[[World Boxing Council|WBC]] [[List of welterweight boxing champions|Welterweight Champion]]|
after=[[Oscar de la Hoya]]|
years=6 March 1993–12 April 1997
}}
{{Succession box|
before=[[Julio César Vásquez]]|
title= [[World Boxing Association|WBA]] [[List of super welterweight boxing champions|Light Middleweight boxing champion]] |
after=[[Carl Daniels]]|
years=4 March 1995–1995<br>Vacated Title
}}
{{end box}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitaker, Pernell}}
[[Category:1964 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:African American sportspeople|Whitaker, Pernell]]
[[Category:American boxers|Whitaker, Pernell]]
[[Category:Olympic boxers of the United States]]
[[Category:People from Virginia|Whitaker, Pernell]]
[[Category:Boxers at the 1984 Summer Olympics|Whitaker, Pernell]]
[[Category:World boxing champions|Whitaker, Pernell]]
[[Category:Southpaw boxers|Whitaker, Pernell]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States|Whitaker, Pernell]]
[[Category:International Boxing Hall of Fame|Whitaker, Pernell]]
[[Category:United States Amateur Champions]]
[[de:Pernell Whitaker]]
[[es:Pernell Whitaker]]
[[fr:Pernell Whitaker]]
[[ja:パーネル・ウィテカー]]
[[pl:Pernell Whitaker]]
[[ru:Уитакер, Пернелл]]
[[sv:Pernell Whitaker]]