RIP Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker (1964 - 2019)
Posted: 15 Jul 2019, 10:07
Boxing legend Pernell ' Sweet Pea' Whitaker has died aged 55 after being struck by a car in his hometown of Virginia Beach.
Authorities responded to reports of an accident at the intersection of Northampton Boulevard and Baker Road just after 10.04pm Sunday.
Officers found the man who had been struck by a car and was seriously injured. He later died, and a family member confirmed the victim was Whitaker, WTKR reported.
The crash is still under investigation. The driver stayed on the scene to speak with police and it is unclear whether he was arrested.
Whitaker was an internationally renowned boxer who won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and another gold at the 1983 Pan American games.
Over his three-decade career, Whitaker clinched championships in four different WBC weight classes: Lightweight, Light welterweight, Welterweight and Light middleweight.
He took on some of boxing's biggest names, including Oscar De La Hoya, Greg Haugen, Jose Luis Ramirez and Julio Casar Chavez.
Whitaker retired in 2001 with an impressive professional record of 40 wins, four losses and one draw.
He went on to become a boxing coach who helped inspire athletes in his hometown of Virginia Beach.
In 2002 he was ranked as the 10th greatest boxer of the last 80 years by Ring Magazine.
He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2006.
Career
Whitaker (40-4-1, 17 KOs) may have had four losses and draw on his record but to many he truly only lost twice in the final two bouts of his career: a one-sided decision to a then-prime welterweight world titleholder Felix Trinidad and a fourth-round stoppage loss to Carlos Bojorquez when Whitaker suffered an arm injury.
A split decision loss for a lightweight world title in 1988 to Jose Luis Ramirez and the loss of his welterweight belt to Oscar De La Hoya in 1997 were highly controversial. But nothing was more controversial than the draw he was saddled with against Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. on March 12, 1993.
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, Texas, in a showdown for pound-for-pound supremacy. Whitaker appeared to win handily, but while one judge scored the fight 115-113 for Whitaker two others scored the fight 115-115, resulting in a majority draw that remains perhaps the most controversial decision in boxing history.
Whitaker won his first world title at lightweight by outpointing Greg Haugen in 1989. Two fights later, Whitaker avenged the draw against Ramirez by winning a unanimous decision to retain the title. During his lightweight title reign Whitaker also defeated fellow future Hall of Famer Azumah Nelson by clear decision and then stopped Juan Nazario by rare first-round knockout to become the undisputed champion.
Whitaker moved up to junior welterweight in 1992 and outpointed Rafael Pineda to win a 140-pound world title. In 1993, in the fight after the mega fight 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 would defend eight times before losing it to De La Hoya.
During his welterweight reign, Whitaker made a one-fight jump to junior middleweight and outpointed Julio Cesar Vasquez in 1995 to win a title in his fourth division.
Following the loss to De La Hoya, Whitaker outpointed Andrey Pestriev but tested positive for cocaine and the bout was changed to a no decision. Sixteen months later, Whitaker returned but he was a shell of himself against Trinidad.
As an amateur, Whitaker not only took home gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, he also won gold at the 1983 Pan American Games and a silver medal at the 1982 World Championships when he was only 18.
Authorities responded to reports of an accident at the intersection of Northampton Boulevard and Baker Road just after 10.04pm Sunday.
Officers found the man who had been struck by a car and was seriously injured. He later died, and a family member confirmed the victim was Whitaker, WTKR reported.
The crash is still under investigation. The driver stayed on the scene to speak with police and it is unclear whether he was arrested.
Whitaker was an internationally renowned boxer who won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and another gold at the 1983 Pan American games.
Over his three-decade career, Whitaker clinched championships in four different WBC weight classes: Lightweight, Light welterweight, Welterweight and Light middleweight.
He took on some of boxing's biggest names, including Oscar De La Hoya, Greg Haugen, Jose Luis Ramirez and Julio Casar Chavez.
Whitaker retired in 2001 with an impressive professional record of 40 wins, four losses and one draw.
He went on to become a boxing coach who helped inspire athletes in his hometown of Virginia Beach.
In 2002 he was ranked as the 10th greatest boxer of the last 80 years by Ring Magazine.
He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2006.
Career
Whitaker (40-4-1, 17 KOs) may have had four losses and draw on his record but to many he truly only lost twice in the final two bouts of his career: a one-sided decision to a then-prime welterweight world titleholder Felix Trinidad and a fourth-round stoppage loss to Carlos Bojorquez when Whitaker suffered an arm injury.
A split decision loss for a lightweight world title in 1988 to Jose Luis Ramirez and the loss of his welterweight belt to Oscar De La Hoya in 1997 were highly controversial. But nothing was more controversial than the draw he was saddled with against Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. on March 12, 1993.
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, Texas, in a showdown for pound-for-pound supremacy. Whitaker appeared to win handily, but while one judge scored the fight 115-113 for Whitaker two others scored the fight 115-115, resulting in a majority draw that remains perhaps the most controversial decision in boxing history.
Whitaker won his first world title at lightweight by outpointing Greg Haugen in 1989. Two fights later, Whitaker avenged the draw against Ramirez by winning a unanimous decision to retain the title. During his lightweight title reign Whitaker also defeated fellow future Hall of Famer Azumah Nelson by clear decision and then stopped Juan Nazario by rare first-round knockout to become the undisputed champion.
Whitaker moved up to junior welterweight in 1992 and outpointed Rafael Pineda to win a 140-pound world title. In 1993, in the fight after the mega fight 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 would defend eight times before losing it to De La Hoya.
During his welterweight reign, Whitaker made a one-fight jump to junior middleweight and outpointed Julio Cesar Vasquez in 1995 to win a title in his fourth division.
Following the loss to De La Hoya, Whitaker outpointed Andrey Pestriev but tested positive for cocaine and the bout was changed to a no decision. Sixteen months later, Whitaker returned but he was a shell of himself against Trinidad.
As an amateur, Whitaker not only took home gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, he also won gold at the 1983 Pan American Games and a silver medal at the 1982 World Championships when he was only 18.
