Poche Pictures
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PERNELL WHITAKER vs. Carlos Bojorquez
vs. Harold Brazier
vs. Santos Cardona
vs. Julio Cesar Chavez
vs. Oscar De La Hoya
vs. Poli Diaz
vs. Greg Haugen
vs. Diobelys Hurtado
vs. Gary Jacobs
vs. Anthony Jones
vs. Louie Lomeli
vs. Buddy McGirt I
vs. Buddy McGirt II
vs. John Montes (Rds 5 to 8, 10)
vs. Juan Nazario
vs. Azumah Nelson
vs. Jorge Paez
vs. Freddie Pendleton
vs. Andrei Pestriaev
vs. Rafael Pineda
vs. Jose Luis Ramirez I
vs. Wilfredo Rivera I
vs. Wilfredo Rivera II
vs. Jake Rodriguez
vs. Felix Trinidad
vs. Rafael Williams (rds 4 to 6, 10, NO
decision)
vs. Julio Cesar Vasquez
Whitaker vs. Mencez
Whitaker vs. Nyeko
Whitaker vs. Byrd
Whitaker vs. Santana
Whitaker vs. Smith
vs. Harold Brazier
vs. Santos Cardona
vs. Julio Cesar Chavez
vs. Oscar De La Hoya
vs. Poli Diaz
vs. Greg Haugen
vs. Diobelys Hurtado
vs. Gary Jacobs
vs. Anthony Jones
vs. Louie Lomeli
vs. Buddy McGirt I
vs. Buddy McGirt II
vs. John Montes (Rds 5 to 8, 10)
vs. Juan Nazario
vs. Azumah Nelson
vs. Jorge Paez
vs. Freddie Pendleton
vs. Andrei Pestriaev
vs. Rafael Pineda
vs. Jose Luis Ramirez I
vs. Wilfredo Rivera I
vs. Wilfredo Rivera II
vs. Jake Rodriguez
vs. Felix Trinidad
vs. Rafael Williams (rds 4 to 6, 10, NO
decision)
vs. Julio Cesar Vasquez
Whitaker vs. Mencez
Whitaker vs. Nyeko
Whitaker vs. Byrd
Whitaker vs. Santana
Whitaker vs. Smith
Pernell Whitaker Fights on DVD
$29.95
$29.95
Fights in the set include:
Pernell Whitaker (born January 2, 1964), nicknamed "Sweet Pea", is a retired American professional boxer. A native of
Norfolk, Virginia, Whitaker was the lightweight silver medalist at the 1982 World Championships, followed by the gold
medal at the 1983 Pan American Games and the 1984 Olympics, and then embarked on a pro career in which he
became world champion in four different weight divisions. During his career he has fought world champions such as Julio
César Chávez, Oscar De La Hoya and Félix Trinidad. For his achievements, he was named the 1989 Fighter of the year
by Ring Magazine.
Whitaker is also the former WBA World Light Middleweight champion, WBC World Welterweight champion, the IBF
World Light Welterweight Champion, the WBC World Lightweight Champion, the WBA World Lightweight Champion,
the IBF World Lightweight Champion and the NABF Lightweight Champion. During his prime, Whitaker was many
boxing fan's, critic's and writer's choice as the number 1 pound for pound fighter in the sport.
After his retirement, Whitaker returned into the world of boxing as a trainer. Among his boxers there are Dorin Spivey,
Joel Julio and Calvin Brock. In 2002, Ring Magazine ranked him at number 10 in their list of 'The 100 greatest fighters of
the last 80 years.' On December 7, 2006, Whitaker was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, in his first
year of eligibility.
Fighting style
Whitaker was known for his outstanding defensive skills and for being a strong counterpuncher. He was not an over-
powering hitter on offense but applied a steady attack while, at the same time, being extremely slippery and difficult to hit
with a solid blow.
Amateur 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 Pan American Games 1983 in Caracas. He crowned his amateur career with Olympic Gold 1984.
Professional career
Lighweight
In just his eleventh and twelfth pro bouts, Whitaker beat Alfredo Layne on December 20, 1986, and another former
WBA Super Featherweight world champion Roger Mayweather on March 28, 1987. 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.
Whitaker would fight nine times in the Scope arena during his career.
On March 12, 1988, he challenged José Luis Ramírez for the WBC Lightweight Championship in Levallois, France. He
suffered his first pro defeat when the judges awarded a controversial split decision in Ramirez's favor.
Undisputed champion
Whitaker trudged on, winning a decision over Greg Haugen for the 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 Durán. His highlight of 1991 was beating Jorge Páez.
Light Welterweight
In 1992, he began his ascent in weight, winning the IBF junior welterweight title from Colombian puncher Rafael Pineda
on July 18.
On March 6, 1993, he decisioned James (Buddy) McGirt to become the linear and WBC welterweight champion.
Welterweight
Julio Cesar Chavez
Whitaker was gaining momentum, boxing experts and fans felt that he needed to win against the pound for pound best
boxer in the world: 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 the Mexican legend. However, 2 of the 3 judges saw an
even bout, with the other scoring in favor of Whitaker. As in his first fight with José Luis Ramírez, Whitaker was not
awarded a decision victory, this time having to settle for a draw. Sports Illustrated featured a cover entitled "ROBBED!"
after the conclusion of this fight [1] and believed that Whitaker had won 9 of the 12 rounds in the fight.[2] Chávez stated
after the fight: "I felt I was forcing the fight ... he just kept holding me too much, he was throwing too many low blows too."
[3] There was no rematch.
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 WBA junior middleweight
title to his collection but remained at welterweight to successfully defend his WBC belt against Scotland's Gary Jacobs on
August 26, 1995.
Oscar De La Hoya
He met 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. At the end of the fight, the judges'
scores were 111-115, 110-116, 110-116. Aft[4][5].
Felix Trinidad and farewell fight
On February 20, 1999, Whitaker suffered his first sound defeat against the much bigger, much fresher Félix Trinidad,
gamely taking the Puerto Rican the distance.[6] The bout was for the latter's IBF welterweight title. The fight began with
both boxers displaying aggressive styles, which included excessive pushing. 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.[6] In the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds the fighters exchanged combinations.[6] Later in the fight
both boxers fell to the floor in what were ruled as "accidental slips."[6] On the seventh round Whitaker displayed more
offense, trading power punches with Trinidad, but the champion retained control in the fight's tempo during the eight,
ninth, and tenth rounds.[6] In the last round Whitaker, with a badly swollen right eye, displayed a purely defensive stance,
avoiding his opponent throughout the round while Trinidad continued on the offensive until the fight concluded. The judges
gave the champion scores of 117–111, 118–109 and 118–109.[6]
His last fight came on April 27, 2001, against journeyman Carlos Bojorquez. The former undisputed lighweight champion
jumped into the ring at 155 pounds. Whitaker broke his clavicle in round four and was forced to retire; at the time of the
stoppage Whitaker was trailing in all the judges' scorecards by 28-29. Following this fight, Whitaker officially announced
his retirement. He finished his professional career with an official record of 40-4-1 (17 knockouts).
In 2002, The Ring 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 Durán and Ricardo López. They were all elected in their first year of eligibility.
Nickname
As a youngster, Whitaker was known to friends and family as "Pete", and when he began to emerge as a top amateur,
fans in his hometown of Norfolk used to serenade him with chants of "Sweet Pete." This was misinterpreted by a local
sportswriter as "Sweet Pea", and when this erroneous report came out in the local newspaper, the new nickname stuck.
Personal life
Pernell was married to Rovanda Whitaker until they divorced. They had four children together, Dominique, Pernell Jr.,
Dantavious, and Devon.
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, had 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, where Brock was knocked out in the 7th round.
In 2010, he was selected to the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame, honoring those who have contributed to sports in
southeastern Virginia. He is scheduled to be inducted into that Hall of Fame in October 2010.
Norfolk, Virginia, Whitaker was the lightweight silver medalist at the 1982 World Championships, followed by the gold
medal at the 1983 Pan American Games and the 1984 Olympics, and then embarked on a pro career in which he
became world champion in four different weight divisions. During his career he has fought world champions such as Julio
César Chávez, Oscar De La Hoya and Félix Trinidad. For his achievements, he was named the 1989 Fighter of the year
by Ring Magazine.
Whitaker is also the former WBA World Light Middleweight champion, WBC World Welterweight champion, the IBF
World Light Welterweight Champion, the WBC World Lightweight Champion, the WBA World Lightweight Champion,
the IBF World Lightweight Champion and the NABF Lightweight Champion. During his prime, Whitaker was many
boxing fan's, critic's and writer's choice as the number 1 pound for pound fighter in the sport.
After his retirement, Whitaker returned into the world of boxing as a trainer. Among his boxers there are Dorin Spivey,
Joel Julio and Calvin Brock. In 2002, Ring Magazine ranked him at number 10 in their list of 'The 100 greatest fighters of
the last 80 years.' On December 7, 2006, Whitaker was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, in his first
year of eligibility.
Fighting style
Whitaker was known for his outstanding defensive skills and for being a strong counterpuncher. He was not an over-
powering hitter on offense but applied a steady attack while, at the same time, being extremely slippery and difficult to hit
with a solid blow.
Amateur 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 Pan American Games 1983 in Caracas. He crowned his amateur career with Olympic Gold 1984.
Professional career
Lighweight
In just his eleventh and twelfth pro bouts, Whitaker beat Alfredo Layne on December 20, 1986, and another former
WBA Super Featherweight world champion Roger Mayweather on March 28, 1987. 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.
Whitaker would fight nine times in the Scope arena during his career.
On March 12, 1988, he challenged José Luis Ramírez for the WBC Lightweight Championship in Levallois, France. He
suffered his first pro defeat when the judges awarded a controversial split decision in Ramirez's favor.
Undisputed champion
Whitaker trudged on, winning a decision over Greg Haugen for the 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 Durán. His highlight of 1991 was beating Jorge Páez.
Light Welterweight
In 1992, he began his ascent in weight, winning the IBF junior welterweight title from Colombian puncher Rafael Pineda
on July 18.
On March 6, 1993, he decisioned James (Buddy) McGirt to become the linear and WBC welterweight champion.
Welterweight
Julio Cesar Chavez
Whitaker was gaining momentum, boxing experts and fans felt that he needed to win against the pound for pound best
boxer in the world: 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 the Mexican legend. However, 2 of the 3 judges saw an
even bout, with the other scoring in favor of Whitaker. As in his first fight with José Luis Ramírez, Whitaker was not
awarded a decision victory, this time having to settle for a draw. Sports Illustrated featured a cover entitled "ROBBED!"
after the conclusion of this fight [1] and believed that Whitaker had won 9 of the 12 rounds in the fight.[2] Chávez stated
after the fight: "I felt I was forcing the fight ... he just kept holding me too much, he was throwing too many low blows too."
[3] There was no rematch.
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 WBA junior middleweight
title to his collection but remained at welterweight to successfully defend his WBC belt against Scotland's Gary Jacobs on
August 26, 1995.
Oscar De La Hoya
He met 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. At the end of the fight, the judges'
scores were 111-115, 110-116, 110-116. Aft[4][5].
Felix Trinidad and farewell fight
On February 20, 1999, Whitaker suffered his first sound defeat against the much bigger, much fresher Félix Trinidad,
gamely taking the Puerto Rican the distance.[6] The bout was for the latter's IBF welterweight title. The fight began with
both boxers displaying aggressive styles, which included excessive pushing. 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.[6] In the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds the fighters exchanged combinations.[6] Later in the fight
both boxers fell to the floor in what were ruled as "accidental slips."[6] On the seventh round Whitaker displayed more
offense, trading power punches with Trinidad, but the champion retained control in the fight's tempo during the eight,
ninth, and tenth rounds.[6] In the last round Whitaker, with a badly swollen right eye, displayed a purely defensive stance,
avoiding his opponent throughout the round while Trinidad continued on the offensive until the fight concluded. The judges
gave the champion scores of 117–111, 118–109 and 118–109.[6]
His last fight came on April 27, 2001, against journeyman Carlos Bojorquez. The former undisputed lighweight champion
jumped into the ring at 155 pounds. Whitaker broke his clavicle in round four and was forced to retire; at the time of the
stoppage Whitaker was trailing in all the judges' scorecards by 28-29. Following this fight, Whitaker officially announced
his retirement. He finished his professional career with an official record of 40-4-1 (17 knockouts).
In 2002, The Ring 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 Durán and Ricardo López. They were all elected in their first year of eligibility.
Nickname
As a youngster, Whitaker was known to friends and family as "Pete", and when he began to emerge as a top amateur,
fans in his hometown of Norfolk used to serenade him with chants of "Sweet Pete." This was misinterpreted by a local
sportswriter as "Sweet Pea", and when this erroneous report came out in the local newspaper, the new nickname stuck.
Personal life
Pernell was married to Rovanda Whitaker until they divorced. They had four children together, Dominique, Pernell Jr.,
Dantavious, and Devon.
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, had 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, where Brock was knocked out in the 7th round.
In 2010, he was selected to the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame, honoring those who have contributed to sports in
southeastern Virginia. He is scheduled to be inducted into that Hall of Fame in October 2010.