Somebody that Ive always loved to watch and wanted to meet so bad and now it will never happen. welterweight belt. 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. In fact, as one person involved in the investigation put it "It appears to just be a horrible accident.". Outside of the ring, Sweet Pea served his community and the youth in everything that he did. Its significantly diminished over the years and hes not able to maintain this $400,000 house for his mother and siblings to live in.. 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. "Pernell Whitaker was beautiful -- both as a fighter and as a human being," HBO, his longtime television home, broadcasting 19 of his fights, said in a statement. Im praying for his family. I'm still trying to process everything that's going on. "He always brightened my day, and he was very loyal to our family," said Duva, who recounted the story of Whitaker's unusual wedding to ex-wife Rovanda Anthony on Dec. 21, 1985, in Virginia Beach. 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. mourned his death. Whitakers career was recognized by other great boxers and athletes on social media, including Oscar De La Hoya and Magic Johnson. But he was a cool guy.". Pernell Whitaker was born on Jan. 2, 1964, in Norfolk, Va., one of seven children of Raymond and Novella Whitaker. The Virginia Beach Police Department confirmed the death, saying he was crossing a street at night when he was hit. By David K. Li. When cops arrived, they located the man who had been hit by a vehicle who was in really bad shape -- and our sources tell us that man was Pernell Whitaker. He said to ABC News affiliate WVEC-TV that it was a beautiful moment.. "Hes not happy that it was necessary to go to court," Gould said. "From Olympic gold to world championships in four weight divisions, Pernell Whitaker was one of the greatest boxers to ever lace up a pair of gloves," Hall of Fame executive director Edward Brophy said. [25] Later in the fight, both boxers fell to the canvas in what were ruled as "accidental slips. His humble beginnings started in Youngs Park Housing Community where he was inspired to start his boxing career. Im going to get married in there, Whitaker said. In his lifetime career, he had won four-weight world champion with the titles lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight, and light middleweight; the undisputed lightweight title; and the lineal lightweight and welterweight titles. He was 55. Source: Business Insider. https://t.co/pZZEceN7h2, I am saddened to learn of my good friend and Olympic teammate Pernell Whitaker's untimely passing last night. A ghetto beating.. Legendary boxer Pernell Whitaker suffered "multiple blunt-force injuries" leading to his death at the age of 55 after being struck by a car while walking Sunday night in Virginia Beach, Virginia. SMH RIP SWEET PEA you will for ever be one of the greatest to ever lace em up. Whitaker was not boxing on the show, but his Olympic teammates and good buddies Holyfield, Mark Breland, Meldrick Taylor and Tyrell Biggs were. Its sad for him to have to take action against his mother, but none of the family would contribute to the real estate and he had no alternative but to use the court process, Whitakers lawyer Bruce Gould told ABC News in 2014. He drew some news media attention in 2014 when he got into a dispute with his mother, leading him to evict her from the house he had bought her in Norfolk because she was not paying for its upkeep. Following the fight, he announced his retirement and recorded his professional career with 40-4-1 with 17 knockouts. No matter what he was going through, Pete had a great heart. Main Events was promoting a card at the Virginia Beach Pavilion Convention Center. https://t.co/OzPUCeBmgK. Whitaker felt like neither his mother or other family members were contributing to the cost of the house, therefore he proceeded with the eviction. Also, he made national headlines in 2014 when he evicted his mother out of the house he bought in 1984 for her after winning a gold medal. Virginia Beach - Pernell Whitaker Jr was born on October 5, 1984 and passed on Tuesday September 1, 2015. #RipSweetPea https://t.co/TSzFcf5d5Y, Very sad to hear the news about Pernell Whitaker today.RIP Champ. He was one of the greatest boxers of all time. He suffered his first pro defeat when the judges awarded a split decision to Ramirez. In my Top 2 fave fighters. The fight secured Whitaker the WBC, IBF and WBA lightweight titles. It has garnered over 800 reactions, nearly 300 shares and many comments of support. Whitaker lost his first chance at a championship in 1988, but he rebounded the next year to win the International Boxing Federation world lightweight title from Greg Haugen. Pernell also had a daughter, Tiara, from a prior relationship. The victim succumbed to his injuries on the scene," Virginia Beach Police Department spokesman L.M. Whitaker died on July 14, 2019 after being stuck by a vehicle in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Moreover, as a professional boxer, he played around 46 fights in which he won 40. His youngest son, Devon, described his father as a . Let us scroll over to know more about his personal details. Getty RIP, Ex-NFL star Michael Vick, who's also from Virginia, tweeted about Whitaker's passing -- saying, 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker was our hometown legend and the greatest of all time. His death led to an outpouring of condolences from other the era's other superstars. He was 55. 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. February 27, 2014. Pernell Whitakerwas born on January 2, 1964, and he is an American professional boxer and four-weight world champion. [16][17] The win set up a showdown with undefeated 1992 Olympic gold medalist Oscar De La Hoya. By the way, we're told the area where Pernell was hit is NOT a popular nightlife area -- in other words, it's not like he was out partying. Felix Trinidad throws a punch during a fight against Pernell Whitaker. The late boxer had an average height of 5 feet 6 inches or 1.68 meters and weighs around 70 kg. Then he later worked as a boxing trainer in his hometown Virginia after his retirement. "He was far from a perfect person and a pain in the ass at times, but I still loved him. His first fighter, Dorin Spivey fought matches in 2006. Cops are investigating. "The driver of the vehicle remained on scene with police.". . "When officers arrived on scene, they located an adult male victim who had been hit by a vehicle. We're told officials received a call around 10:04 PM in response to an accident at the intersection of Northampton Boulevard and Baker Road. Rest in Peace my friend. welterweight title. Condolences to his family. The American was known as a brilliant defensive boxer with many opponents struggling to lay a hand on him. across the cover and they believed that Whitaker had won no less than 9 of the 12 rounds in the fight. What's next for Russia? Before his professional career, Whitaker won a gold medal in the lightweight division at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Sixteen months later, Whitaker returned, but he was a shell of himself against Trinidad. Send me email updates and offers from TMZ and its Affiliates. On March 6, 1993, he decisioned Buddy McGirt to become the Lineal and WBC Welterweight Champion. "He would smile at you and demonstrate to you, while smiling, how remarkably easy this was for him.". "An artist in the ring, 'Sweet Pea' appeared on our World Championship Boxing platform for a decade [1990-1999], giving fans many unforgettable moments. He had 214 amateur fights, winning 201, 91 of them by knockouts, though he said that he had up to 500 amateur fights. Im truly lost for words to hear Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker is no longer with us. Sweet Pea was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2006 -- and is considered by many to be one of the greatest fighters of ALL TIME. My prayers are with his family and loved ones. Im still trying to process everything thats going on. Outside the Virginia court, he said the ruling in his favor a beautiful moment. Apparently, back taxes were owed on the house and Pernell said that neither his mother nor his siblings, who also stayed in the house, were doing anything to help keep the house afloat financially. Other than this, there is no other information on his parents, siblings, or documented on his education. "Everyone at the Hall of Fame joins the boxing community in mourning his passing and offers our condolences to his family.". Loved him. Whitaker won titles in the lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight and light middleweight divisions. Three months after the Olympics, he and several other members of the United States boxing team, among them Evander Holyfield and Mark Breland, made their professional debuts at Madison Square Garden in New York. Pernell Whitaker is legally having his mother evicted from a home she's been living in since 1984. Waking up to this news just has me GUTTED. Pernell Whitaker was born in Norfolk, Virginia on January 2, 1964, the son of Raymond Whitaker Sr. and his wife, Novella. I always wanted a church wedding, Ms. Anthony said before the wedding. He retired after being stopped, his shoulder injured, in the fourth round of a fight against Carlos Bojorquez in 2001. pic.twitter.com/sa4qZIDIIG, Im truly lost for words to hear Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker is no longer with us. The victim succumbed to his injuries on the scene, a Virginia Beach Police Department spokesman said in a statement. 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. Since the glory days, Whitaker has been training young boxers, but work is slowly drying up, according to Gould. In his memory, there is an Instagram account @pernellwhitakerr with more than 2k followers. Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker went from success to struggling. [25] In the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds the fighters exchanged combinations. He was only 55.SUBSCRIBE -- http:. As great as Whitaker was, many wondered how much greater he could have been without the drug addiction that plagued him throughout his career. Following this fight, Whitaker officially announced his retirement. To everyone please respect my familys privacy in this trying moment as I wanna inform people that today we lost a legend truly one of boxings greatest Pound 4 Pound champions my father Pernell Sweetpea Whitaker, the post said. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. In 1992, he began his ascent in weight, winning the IBF light welterweight title from Colombian puncher Rafael Pineda on July 18. Im going to surviveIm a survivor..Im going with my daughtershe is taking me in, she said. Former boxing champion Pernell Whitaker has died after he was hit by a car in Virginia. He sponsored many events at Norfolk State University and spent countless hours training youth at boxing camps and gyms. I was robbed again, Whitaker said afterward. Following the loss to De La Hoya, Whitaker outpointed Andrey Pestriev but tested positive for cocaine, and the result was changed to a no decision. To help promote the event, Main Events went to Whitaker, who was popular in the region, with the idea of having him and Anthony wed in the ring in front of the crowd after the show. Name: Pernell Whitaker Alias: Sweet Pea Hometown: Norfolk, Virginia, USA Birthplace: Norfolk, Virginia, USA Died: 2019-07-14 (Age:55) Stance: Southpaw Height: 168cm Reach: 175cm Pro Boxer: Record . However, in his last fight with journeyman Carlos Bojorquezz, he broke his clavicle in fourth round which forced him to retire. 2023 EHM PRODUCTIONS,INC. Whitaker successfully defended his WBC belt against Scotland's Gary Jacobs on August 26, 1995. Glad I got to sit next to him at the Ward v Kovalev fight in Las Vegas. He retired in 2001 after three defeats in his final four fights with but he was in his prime in the 80s and 90s. Further, he holds the longest unified lightweight championship reign in boxing history to date with six title defenses. He then faced the undefeated Oscar De La Hoya in 1997 for the W.B.C. Sports Illustrated 's post-fight edition had "ROBBED!" Examined. He also remained active in Norfolk and spoke at city council meetings on behalf of the residents in support of community improvements. Pernell Whitaker was an American professional boxer who had his fights from 1984 to 2001. Pernell Whitaker, a former boxing champion and Olympic medalist, has died after he was hit by a car in Virginia Beach. I could watch hours and hours of him. In 2010, Whitaker was inducted into the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame, honoring those who have contributed to sports in southeastern Virginia. #PernellWhitaker pic.twitter.com/IZv3IQOo2f He was only 55. Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. But midway in the 11th round, Whitaker landed a left hook that hurt Hurtado and, in a rare display of aggression and power, unleashed a barrage of left-handed power shots, pummeling Hurtado into the ropes, knocking Hurtado out and almost completely out of the ring before referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stopped the fight at the 1:52 mark, giving Whitaker the come-from-behind TKO win. They were all elected in their first year of eligibility. [4] In 1989, Whitaker was named Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America. During his lightweight title reign, Whitaker defeated fellow future Hall of Famer Azumah Nelson by clear decision and stopped Juan Nazario by rare first-round knockout to become the undisputed champion. 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. Whitaker finished his career with a record of 40 wins, four losses and that one draw. De La Hoya also paid tribute to his rival. Whitaker had been scheduled to fight on a nationally televised card with four other former Olympians Mark Breland, Tyrell Biggs, Meldrick Taylor and Evander Holyfield on that day in the mid-1980s, but the boxing legend had other plans. He had demons, but when he was in the ring, that was when he was in control and when he was happy and when he was the very best at what he did, and he wanted to show that to everybody.". It was another controversial decision against Whitaker, but it wasn't seen as a blatant robbery like the Ramirez or Chavez decisions. He had black eyes and black hair color. "[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. The couples marriage held in the boxing ring at the Virginia Beach Pavilion Convention Center on 2 January 1964. His son Pernell Jr. died in 2015. 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 . Pernell Whitaker: Bio, Family, Education. Now a champion, Whitaker proceeded to dominate boxing's middle divisions over the first half of the 1990s. 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. 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. Devon and Tiara, while Pernell Jr died in 2015 at the age of 31 following a battle with cancer. His mother, Novella told ABC News she was heartbroken by the decision but mentioned she will be fine because she is a fighter. 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. Pernell Whitaker - Can't Be Touched https://t.co/VlhdiThsAt via @YouTube, The thing about Sweet Pea was that he was the antithesis of Mike Tyson in the boxing ring. His strong and fit body had a measurement of 42 inches chest, 32 inches waist, and 35 inches hips size. Boxing legend Pernell Whitaker was killed Sunday night after he was hit by a car in Virginia Beach, TMZ Sports has learned. The International Boxing Hall of Fame announced that it would fly its flags at half-staff in Whitaker's memory. On August 11, 1990, he knocked out Juan Nazario in one round to win the WBA and vacant lineal lightweight titles,[9] becoming the first Undisputed Lightweight Champion since Roberto Durn. A housing authority beating. Pernell Whitaker, widely considered to be one of the greatest defensive boxers of all time, has died after being hit by a car. WBC: Bivol not eligible for belt due to sanctions, Diaz surrenders to New Orleans police after brawl, Paul launches series for up-and-coming boxers, Ramirez to defend WBO title vs. Shimizu in July, IBA upset by 'rogue' boxing group as U.S. quits, Sources: Anderson-Kossobutskiy to meet July 1. On behalf of everyone at Golden Boy, we send our prayers and condolences to his family and friends.". I couldnt have performed better.. Boxing pound-for-pound rankings: Did Gervonta Davis make the top 10? We are deeply saddened with this new; May the legend rest in eternal peace. Whitaker, who was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2006, won world titles in four weight classes. ", Yes! They offered contrasting styles: Whitaker was mobile and slippery, Chavez an aggressive attacker. Oscar De La Hoya (@OscarDeLaHoya) July 15, 2019, It was an honor to share the ring with him. Source: Business Insider. 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. One of the greatest boxers of my lifetime and my good friend Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker passed away last night. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. In the eyes of many of the spectators, Whitaker outboxed the Mexican legend. In terms of his defense and ring generalship, Pernell Whitaker was the best fighter that I ever fought. Stars Arrive to Fashion's Biggest Night!!! R I P champ, one of the best fighters to ever do it. Max Kellerman (@maxkellerman) July 15, 2019 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. He was small in statue but yet so big in heart and skills inside the ring, there will never be another like him, he will truly be missed pic.twitter.com/IqmXkqpqkG, May you Rest In Peace.. Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker! Whitaker, the former lightweight, entered the ring at 155 pounds. It's NOT a hit and run situation. The fight was much closer than what the scorecards showed, and many observers felt that Whitaker won the fight. 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. world super lightweight title under Whitakers tutelage. Max Kellerman talks about Pernell Whitaker's legacy in the boxing world after Whitaker's death Sunday night. He was a flawless fighter. His problems continued in retirement, when he survived a cocaine overdose and in 2002 was convicted of cocaine possession. He passed away on Sunday, July 14, 2019.[27]. Anyone can read what you share. He was a flawless fighter. "I'm deeply saddened by the loss of this great champion, who gave a tremendous amount of joy to those who watched him," De La Hoya, now chairman of Golden Boy promotions, said in a statement. Pernell Whitaker, right, fighting Julio Cesar Vasquez in Atlantic City in April 1995. Whitaker won both bouts before hometown crowds at the Norfolk Scope, less than a mile from where he lived as a child in a Norfolk housing project. We send our condolences to his family, as well as his extended family at Main Events and throughout the boxing community.". 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. During his professional career, he had 40 wins, 17 knockouts, four losses and one draw, per CNN.
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