He was 55-years-old. In addition, he won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics and 1983 Pan American Games. Unclear if the driver of the car was arrested but he did stay on the scene to speak with police. Im truly lost for words to hear Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker is no longer with us. But unfortunately, he had a car accident in which he lost his life on the spot in Virginia Street on 14 July 2019. Its significantly diminished over the years and hes not able to maintain this $400,000 house for his mother and siblings to live in.. Pernell Whitaker, an Olympic gold medallist and four division champion who was regarded as one of the greatest defensive fighters ever, has died after being hit by a car in Virginia. 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. Waking up to this news just has me GUTTED. Outside the Virginia court, he said the ruling in his favor a beautiful moment. Pernell Whitaker, heralded as one of the greatest boxers to ever lace up a pair of gloves, died Sunday night after he was hit by a pickup truck while walking across a wide thoroughfare in Virginia . His fall from grace and solvency involved numerous incidences of drug abuse and a history of arrests and run-ins with police. He was born as the son to parents Raymond Whitaker Sr. and his wife, Novella Whitaker. He would smile at you and demonstrate to you, while smiling, how remarkably easy this was for him.. The ring remained his best place until the loss to De La Hoya. His survivors include his sons, Devon, Dominique and Dantavious, and his daughter, Tiara. Dan said, I can get you a couple of million dollars, but Pete would say, I dont want no easy fights. , Pernell Whitaker, Champion in Four Boxing Classes, Dies at 55, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/15/sports/pernell-whitaker-champion-in-four-boxing-classes-dies-at-55.html. 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. His strong and fit body had a measurement of 42 inches chest, 32 inches waist, and 35 inches hips size. Whitaker continued on to dominate for the next few years, defending his welterweight title against Santos Cardona on April 9, 1994 and in a rematch against McGirt on October 1, 1994. 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. 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. He was 55 years old.. In 2010, Whitaker was inducted into the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame, honoring those who have contributed to sports in southeastern Virginia. I put an old-fashioned project beating on him. Pernell Whitaker, widely considered to be one of the greatest defensive boxers of all time, has died after being hit by a car. After retirement, he also survived a cocaine overdose in 2001. ", I'm deeply saddened by the loss of this great champion, who gave a tremendous amount of joy to those who watched him. In his next fight on March 4, 1995, Whitaker added Julio Csar Vsquez's WBA super welterweight title to his collection. The couples marriage held in the boxing ring at the Virginia Beach Pavilion Convention Center on 2 January 1964. VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia -- Pernell Whitaker, an Olympic gold medalist and four division champion who was regarded as one of the greatest defensive fighters ever, has died after being hit by. A ghetto beating.. #PernellWhitaker pic.twitter.com/IZv3IQOo2f Whitaker had been going head to head against the matriarch of his seven-child family since last fall when he began eviction proceedings after unsuccessfully trying to convince his mother to move, his lawyer, Bruce Gould told ABC News. Markian Hawryluk and Kevin Van Valkenburg, Whitaker was arguably the greatest lightweight ever (1:45), Hall of Fame boxer Whitaker hit by car, dies, Garcia, trainer Goossen part ways, sources say. He was the pound for pound best for half a decade, and one of the 3 greatest pure boxers who ever lived. His main source of income was from boxing as well as from his endorsements and advertisements. Examined. 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 . DIED 2019 PERNELL WHITAKER OBITUARY Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker was a boxing legend who was considered one of the best boxers pound for pound in the history of the sport. SMH RIP SWEET PEA you will for ever be one of the greatest to ever lace em up. Where Tyson was a savage wrecking ball, Whitaker was smooth and an untouchable thief in the night. The American was known as a brilliant defensive boxer with many opponents struggling to lay a hand on him. Since the glory days, Whitaker has been training young boxers, but work is slowly drying up, according to Gould. Hes limited to what he can make training other boxers, 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. pic.twitter.com/sa4qZIDIIG, Im truly lost for words to hear Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker is no longer with us. Mark Schwarz reflects on Pernell Whitaker's legacy and notes that the fighter's toughest opponent might have been himself. 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. Hurtado had Whitaker down on all the judges scorecards going into the 11th round: Hurtado scored flash knockdowns against Whitaker in rounds 1 and 6, and Whitaker had a point deducted in the 9th round for hitting Hurtado behind the head. I am saddened to learn of my good friend and Olympic teammate Pernell Whitaker's untimely passing last night.We share so many great memories. Pernell Whitaker: Bio, Family, Education. He was a flawless fighter. Four-weight champion struck by car on Sunday night, Considered by many to be greatest defensive boxer of all time. I cant really say how Im feeling because Im feeling shocked. "He was this person who was only comfortable in the ring. "Hes not happy that it was necessary to go to court," Gould said. Getty Outside of the ring, Sweet Pea served his community and the youth in everything that he did. In 2002, The Ring ranked him in the list of 10th Greatest Fighter of the Last 80 Years. I'm still trying to process everything that's going on. "When officers arrived on scene, they located an adult male victim who had been hit by a vehicle. Emergency medical personnel at the scene tried to resuscitate Whitaker -- even performing CPR on him -- but unfortunately, Whitaker succumbed to his injuries and died. 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. mourned his death. Pernell Whitaker Sr.[2] (January 2, 1964 July 14, 2019)[3] was an American professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 2001, and subsequently worked as a boxing trainer. Glad I got to sit next to him at the Ward v Kovalev fight in Las Vegas. On behalf of everyone at Golden Boy, we send our prayers and condolences to his family and friends.". In fact, as one person involved in the investigation put it "It appears to just be a horrible accident.". His humble beginnings started in Youngs Park Housing Community where he was inspired to start his boxing career. [2] He had six siblings, two brothers, Raymond Whitaker, Jr, Raynell Whitaker; and four sisters; Zelda Brown, Sylvonia Whitaker, Lucinda Manley, and Monique Williams. 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. It's NOT a hit and run situation. Whitaker, who won gold medals at the 1983 Pan American Games and the 1984 Olympics, turned pro in 1984 and went on to cement himself as an American boxing legend. I was robbed again, Whitaker said afterward. No matter what he was going through, Pete had a great heart. Questions ahead of Paul vs. Diaz: Can Diaz box? 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. Teofimo Lopez wants to leave a Muhammad Ali-like legacy, Pain, hope, science collide as athletes turn to magic mushrooms, How a gym in California's Coachella Valley became an international destination for boxing. He later trained young prospect Joel Julio. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Download the TMZ App on the Apple App Store, Download the TMZ App on the Google Play Store. His wake will be on Monday September 7, 2015 at the Metropolitan Funeral Home in Berkley. 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. According to ABC News, the home was a two-story brick house near the Botanical Garden in Norfolk. Whitaker, defending his WBC championship and the mythical status as the best boxer in the world, pound for pound, 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. 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. Other than this, there is no other information on his parents, siblings, or documented on his education. Sports Illustrated 's post-fight edition had "ROBBED!" Jun 29. A post shared by Floyd Mayweather (@floydmayweather) on Jul 15, 2019 at 6:44am PDT, I'm deeply saddened by the loss of this great champion, who gave a tremendous amount of joy to those who watched him. pic.twitter.com/sa4qZIDIIG, Im truly lost for words to hear Pernell Sweet Pea Whitaker is no longer with us. Caption: Pernell Whitaker, late American professional boxer. Condolences to his family. "He had a lot of problems outside the ring, and those problems probably cut his career short," Duva said. 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. 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! Wow I cant believe this!!! In just his eleventh and twelfth pro bouts, Whitaker defeated former world champion Alfredo Layne on December 20, 1986 and former WBA and lineal Super Featherweight and WBC Light Welterweight title holder Roger Mayweather on March 28, 1987. They offered contrasting styles: Whitaker was mobile and slippery, Chavez an aggressive attacker. Moreover, from the age of nine, he started his training in an amateur boxing career. He earned money at autograph shows as well. . "I loved Pernell Whitaker, and he loved me -- there was no doubt," Duva, whose late husband, Dan, signed Whitaker out of the amateurs along with several 1984 U.S. Olympians, told ESPN. Whitaker would fight nine times in the Scope arena during his career. 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. Im praying for his family during this difficult time. [4] In 1989, Whitaker was named Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America. "The driver of the vehicle remained on scene with police.". Pernell's lawyers said that he is not making the same kind of money as a trainer that he was as a boxer, and needed to sell off the home to satisfy the tax debt owed in order to prevent the property from being seized and put into foreclosure. He also won a gold medal as a lightweight at the 1984 Olympics. A Virginia judge ruled that Pernell Whitaker's mother must vacate a home she's been living in since 1984. Whitaker stopped his opponent, Farrain Comeaux, on a technical knockout late in the second round. He had black eyes and black hair color. As a trainer, he trained Joel Julio and also the trainer for heavyweight Calvin Brock. It was the first of Whitakers 15 consecutive victories through 1988, a pace that was slowed temporarily by an injury that kept him from fighting on a card at the Pavilion Convention Center in Virginia Beach in December 1985. Pernell graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1982 and later received an honorary Bachelors degree from Norfolk State University. [24], On February 20, 1999, Whitaker suffered his first convincing defeat against the much bigger, much fresher Flix Trinidad, gamely taking the Puerto Rican the distance in an attempt to win Trinidad's IBF welterweight title. Im a scientist now, Im not a boxer. Cops are investigating. He added: I mentally and physically beat him. Police in Virginia Beach on Monday say Whitaker was a pedestrian when struck by the car. https://t.co/OzPUCeBmgK. Pernell Whitaker, an Olympic gold medalist and four division champion who was regarded as one of the greatest defensive fighters ever, has died after being hit by a car in Virginia. 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. "An artist in the ring, 'Sweet Pea' appeared on our World Championship Boxing platform for a decade [1990-1999], giving fans many unforgettable moments. Im praying for his family during this difficult time. #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 was an American professional boxer who had his fights from 1984 to 2001. The court ruled that Whitaker's 73-year-old mother, Novella Whitaker, had to vacate the house by March 31. He could stand in front of you and you couldnt find him, Jim Lampley, the longtime HBO boxing announcer, said in a phone interview. The victim succumbed to his injuries on the scene," Virginia Beach Police Department spokesman L.M. Following the fight, he announced his retirement and recorded his professional career with 40-4-1 with 17 knockouts. The judges gave the champion scores of 117111, 118109 and 118109.[25]. Whitaker and Chavez, who was 87-0 at the time, were considered two of the greatest boxers, pound for pound, of their day. 11:09. But he now has two mortgages on the house and the alternative was if he didnt sell, it was going to go to foreclosure.. Whitaker, known by the nickname "Sweet Pea," managed to become one of the best boxers in history despite suffering from adrug addiction. However, he chose to move back to welterweight.[14][15]. Source: Business Insider. He was born on 2 January 1964, in Norfolk, Virginia. #RipSweetPea https://t.co/TSzFcf5d5Y, Very sad to hear the news about Pernell Whitaker today.RIP Champ. pic.twitter.com/pZZEceN7h2. #Boxing has lost one of its best and Ive lost a friend. We are deeply saddened with this new; May the legend rest in eternal peace. A southpaw, Whitaker was known for his outstanding defensive skills and for being a strong counterpuncher. According to reports, he was a pedestrian and while crossing the street in Virginia Beach, he was struck and killed by a vehicle and the driver remained on there. His mother, Novella told ABC News she was heartbroken by the decision but mentioned she will be fine because she is a fighter. 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. 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. This is insanely sad. Whitaker won. He was the pound for pound best for half a decade, and one of the 3 greatest pure boxers who ever lived. Let us scroll over to know more about his personal details. 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,. 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. Whitaker died on July 14, 2019 after being stuck by a vehicle in Virginia Beach, Virginia. I could watch hours and hours of him. On behalf of everyone at Golden Boy, we send our prayers and condolences to his family and friends. Women's boxing pound-for-pound rankings: Did Baumgardner do enough to overtake Serrano? Send me email updates and offers from TMZ and its Affiliates. "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. He was the undisputed lightweight world champion and won titles at junior welterweight, welterweight and junior middleweight as one of the dominant forces in boxing for much of the 1980s and 1990s. The fight secured Whitaker the WBC, IBF and WBA lightweight titles. He had 214 amateur fights, winning 201, 91 of them by knockouts, though he said that he had up to 500 amateur fights. RIP Sweet Pea. His marriage ended in divorce. He was not a particularly hard puncher or knockout artist, but applied a consistent offense while being extremely elusive and difficult for his opponents to hit with a solid punch. To me, he was one of the top five greatest boxers ever! The house started to gather back taxes and since Whitaker could no longer afford it, he had to take action. Whitaker and Anthony, who are now divorced, had four children Domonique, the late Pernell Jr., Dantavious, and Devon. #ripsweetpea pic.twitter.com/un90hPmIO6. Brett Caprioni Bio, Family, Career, Wife, Net Worth, Measurements. He was 55. In terms of his defense and ring generalship, Pernell Whitaker was the best fighter that I ever fought. We're told officials received a call around 10:04. Thank you for inspiring me and all the future champions to do the sport that we love. He was 55. He was 55. . R I P champ, one of the best fighters to ever do it. Devon and Tiara, while Pernell Jr died in 2015 at the age of 31 following a battle with cancer. However, at the time of his demise, his net worth has an estimation of around $5 million. American boxing legend, Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker died at the age of 55 Sunday after being struck by a car in Virginia Beach. He posted a 40-1-1 record across his first 42 fights before failing to win any of his final four bouts, a stretch that featured three losses and a no-contest. Boxing legend Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker dead at 55. It was a blowout, a shutout. 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. Whitaker was recognized by boxing publication Ring Magazine as Fighter of the Year in 1989 and was ranked as one of the top ten boxers in the past 80 years by the publication. 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. Whitaker, known as Sweet Pea or Pete, was an elusive fighter who deftly avoided being hit, or hurt, by his opponents. Pernell Whitakerwas born on January 2, 1964, and he is an American professional boxer and four-weight world champion. Main Events was promoting a card at the Virginia Beach Pavilion Convention Center. He crowned his amateur career with an Olympic gold medal in 1984, beating Luis Ortiz to obtain it. 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. July 15, 2019 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. In 2014, a Norfolk General District Court judge ruled in Whitakers favor, forcing his mother and siblings out of the house by the end of March of the same year. We ended up paying for the wedding and had the reception after the show at the fight hotel.". It was another controversial decision against Whitaker, but it wasn't seen as a blatant robbery like the Ramirez or Chavez decisions. He retired after being stopped, his shoulder injured, in the fourth round of a fight against Carlos Bojorquez in 2001. 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. We share so many great memories. Rest in Peace my friend. 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.. ", Magic Johnson added "Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker was in the class of Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard as one of the most entertaining fighters in my lifetime. 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. 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. Sweet Pea has two siblings: a brother, Raymond, Jr., and a sister, Monique. Somebody that Ive always loved to watch and wanted to meet so bad and now it will never happen.
