No matter what he was going through, Pete had a great heart. His mother, Novella told ABC News she was heartbroken by the decision but mentioned she will be fine because she is a fighter. 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. Divisional rankings: Where do Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia land after their megafight? In his next fight on March 4, 1995, Whitaker added Julio Csar Vsquez's WBA super welterweight title to his collection. Also, Whitaker was known for his outstanding defensive skills who applied a consistent offense which makes it difficult for his opponents to hit with a solid punch. Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. 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 won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics. Condolences to his family. The cover of Sports Illustrated days later showed a photo of Whitaker landing a punch with the headline "Robbed!". Glad I got to sit next to him at the Ward v Kovalev fight in Las Vegas. 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. Unclear if the driver of the car was arrested but he did stay on the scene to speak with police. But unfortunately, he had a car accident in which he lost his life on the spot in Virginia Street on 14 July 2019. Video Former Boxer: Evicting Mom Is a 'Beautiful Moment' #GoneButNeverForgotten, Rest in eternal peace Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker - IMO the greatest defensive fighter of all time pic.twitter.com/55KnItMmSq, Oh no, no, no Sweet Pea was one of the greatest fighters to ever lace up gloves. 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. Though he was not particularly hard puncher still considered as a strong counterpuncher. 7:26 AM PT -- Pernell took a photo with Floyd Mayweather at an autograph show they were both appearing at in Virginia on the day before he died. 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. But he was a cool guy., Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Im going to surviveIm a survivor..Im going with my daughtershe is taking me in, she said. Whitaker, known by the nickname "Sweet Pea," managed to become one of the best boxers in history despite suffering from adrug addiction. Last night it was like someone put a knife in me and twisted it, Whitaker told Sports Illustrated the next day, irate at the decision. In 2002, The Ring ranked him in the list of 10th Greatest Fighter of the Last 80 Years. Examined. At 10 he fought in the Norfolk Arena; by 13 he was battling sailors from the nearby naval base. Then he later worked as a boxing trainer in his hometown Virginia after his retirement. He was also regarded as one of the best defensive boxers of all time. He was only 55. The court ruled that Whitaker's 73-year-old mother, Novella Whitaker, had to vacate the house by March 31. Whitaker, known as Sweet Pea or Pete, was an elusive fighter who deftly avoided being hit, or hurt, by his opponents. Whitaker, trained by the longtime team of Lou Duva and George Benton and managed by Shelly Finkel, won his first world title at lightweight by outpointing Greg Haugen in 1989. Somebody that Ive always loved to watch and wanted to meet so bad and now it will never happen. Moreover, from the age of nine, he started his training in an amateur boxing career. He earned money at autograph shows as well. Condolences to his family. This is insanely sad. An autopsy stated that the cause of Whitaker's death was "multiple blunt force trauma.". "I'm going to surviveI'm a survivor..I'm going with my daughtershe is taking me in," said Novella Whitaker told WVEC. I could watch hours and hours of him. American boxing legend, Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker died at the age of 55 Sunday after being struck by a car in Virginia Beach. . Im going to get married in there, Whitaker said. I am saddened to learn of my good friend and Olympic teammate Pernell Whitaker's untimely passing last night. "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. Caption: Pernell Whitaker, late American professional boxer. Since then, Whitaker went through financial struggles as his career transitioned from professional fighter to boxing trainer. 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 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. Pernell Whitaker Wife 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.. Whitaker outpunched De La Hoya and scored the only knockdown, but the judges awarded De La Hoya a unanimous decision. During his professional career, he had 40 wins, 17 knockouts, four losses and one draw, per CNN. 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. As a trainer, he trained Joel Julio and also the trainer for heavyweight Calvin Brock. 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 Whitaker Bio, Family, Career, Net Worth, Wife, Death R I P champ, one of the best fighters to ever do it. A southpaw, Whitaker was known for his outstanding defensive skills and for being a strong counterpuncher. pic.twitter.com/pZZEceN7h2. Whitaker (40-4-1, 17 KOs) might have had four losses and a draw on his record, but to many, he lost only twice, in the final two bouts of his career: a one-sided decision to then-prime welterweight world titleholder Felix Trinidad and a fourth-round stoppage loss to Carlos Bojorquez when Whitaker suffered a broken clavicle. Thank you for inspiring me and all the future champions to do the sport that we love. pic.twitter.com/sa4qZIDIIG, Im truly lost for words to hear Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker is no longer with us. The driver was not cited -- though we're told that person is cooperating with authorities. 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.". I cant really say how Im feeling because Im feeling shocked. Boxing legend Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker dies after being struck by a . He was only 55. We're told officials received a call around 10:04. "Sweet Pea" was one of the most brilliant boxers in the past decades and he was always a great friend of the WBC. Pernell Whitaker Obituary (1964 - 2019) - Woodbridge, VA - Wausau Daily Duva said. Pernell Whitaker - This is Boxing - YouTube Pernell Whitaker, a former boxing champion and Olympic medalist, has died after he was hit by a car in Virginia Beach. I always wanted a church wedding, Ms. Anthony said before the wedding. world super lightweight title under Whitakers tutelage. Outside of the ring, Sweet Pea served his community and the youth in everything that he did. The accident occurred at approximately 10 p.m . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Download the TMZ App on the Apple App Store, Download the TMZ App on the Google Play Store. Pernell Whitaker was born on Jan. 2, 1964, in Norfolk, Va., one of seven children of Raymond and Novella Whitaker. When officers arrived on scene they located an adult male victim who had been hit by a vehicle. "We thought, hey, here's an idea, but we can't actually do that, can we?" 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. One of the greatest boxers of my lifetime and my good friend Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker passed away last night. I put an old-fashioned project beating on him. We share so many great memories. Early on, Vasquez was the aggressor, and scored a flash knockdown on Whitaker in the 4th round; but Whitaker settled in & used his accuracy and defense to take over and outpoint Vasquez en route to a unanimous decision win. In 2006, Whitaker was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, in his first year of eligibility. 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. 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 professional, was killed on Sunday when he was struck by a car in Virginia Beach. 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. but no information regarding it. Sweet Pea has two siblings: a brother, Raymond, Jr., and a sister, Monique. Who has the edge? pic.twitter.com/56T1ueHiLh, So Sad. His wake will be on Monday September 7, 2015 at the Metropolitan Funeral Home in Berkley. ", Yes! As an amateur, Whitaker won a silver medal at the 1982 World Boxing Championships, a gold at the Pan-American Games in 1983 and a gold at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, all in the 132-pound lightweight division.
