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Pernell Whitaker interview....
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/box...dan&id=2897822
Whitaker (40-4-1, 17 KOs), the defensive genius who ruled the pound-for-pound list for most of the 1990s while winning the undisputed lightweight championship and titles at junior welterweight, welterweight and junior middleweight, retired in 2001.
Despite battling drug addiction, Whitaker, 43, seemingly has pulled himself together and is now working as a trainer. Last weekend, he was at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, where he helped guide heavyweight contender Calvin Brock to a victory. Whitaker took time out from his training duties to sit down at ringside to talk about his impending induction, his career and other boxing-related topics.
Dan Rafael: Describe your feelings about being elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.
Pernell Whitaker: I didn't know it was coming this soon. It hasn't really dawned on me yet. It wasn't a goal of mine to make it into the Hall of Fame. My first goal was to win the [1984 Olympic] gold medal. I thought people got in [the Hall of Fame] when they were, like, 60 or 70 years old. I thought I'd be one of those 60-year-old guys, rolling up there in a wheelchair. But believe me, I'm ecstatic about it. A lot of guys don't get in on the first ballot. I'm going into the house where the legends are. It's going to be a little emotional.
I'm going to mention a few people, like my first trainer, Clyde Taylor. Pat Nappy, my Olympic coach. [Late Main Events promoter] Dan Duva. I wish Danny was here, but I'm sure he'll be there in spirit. And, of course, [trainers] Lou Duva and Georgie Benton.
Pernell Whitaker
Pernell Whitaker will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this weekend.
DR: Dan Duva, who signed you and most of your Olympic teammates, was very special to you. What did he mean to you?
PW: He still means a lot to me. To me, he was the greatest promoter and friend I ever had. He was like a big brother. I trusted him for everything. If he told me to go to Siberia, I'd be on the next flight.
DR: You are considered one of the greatest lightweights of all time and one of your Hall of Fame classmates, Roberto Duran, is generally considered the No. 1 lightweight of all time. How would you have fared against Duran?
PW: I knew that was coming. Obviously, I'm not going to say that this man would beat me, but it would have been something to see. I'm pretty sure he would say the same thing. I know one thing: He was a heck of a lightweight. He dominated the lightweight division. Then I came along and I started dominating the lightweight division.
DR: What was your most memorable fight?
PW: I'm going to say all of them because I was the champion most of the time. My whole thing was defending [the title]. Anybody can win a world title. A real champion holds onto it. I don't know where the stats come from that determine who was the best or who hit the hardest. I'm, like, the ultimate surprise. I'm not a gorilla. I surprised guys when I caught them.
DR: Were there any fights that you think you missed out on?
PW: Maybe some rematches, like [Julio Cesar] Chavez and [Oscar] De La Hoya. Those are fights I think the fans deserved to see twice.
DR: You were known for your incredible defensive prowess. Talk about that.
PW: That's something I try to give back to the other guys [I train]. It's a wonderful feeling, man, when you can hit and he can't hit you. It's not about going in there and brawling it out. The name of the game is boxing, hitting and not getting hit.
DR: Because of your great defense, some people viewed your style as boring. How do you respond to that?
PW: Most of the time, it was so one-sided because they couldn't hit me. It could have been a little boring because [the fans] wanted to see me get hit. They wanted to see the other guy crowding me, brawling with me. I wouldn't allow that.
DR: Now, you are training fighters. How is that going?
PW: This is a new career. After I was out about two years, I came back because boxing is my life. It's all I know. [Training fighters is] a big adjustment. I'm still learning. Everybody can't be Pernell Whitaker. I've got to understand that. I got to give these guys what I think they can do. I just show them all the danger spots in the ring. I've got to take what he does best and make it work for him. The main thing is to be consistent. You can't just do it once or twice and then don't see it no more. I tell a guy, 'Find what works, stick with it and ride it till the wheels fall off.'
DR: Did you ever think you would be a trainer?
PW: No. Nobody thinks that because you think you're going to fight forever. We all think that. But time goes fast and you got to move on.
DR: Your Olympic teammate Evander Holyfield is still fighting at age 44 and hoping for another heavyweight title shot. What's your take on him still being in the ring?
PW: You can say whatever you want of Evander, but when he fought on the card in Corpus Christi [and stopped Vinny Maddalone on March 17], that man looked good. I told him, 'Keep going, man.' He could have given anybody a fight that night. He looked like he reached back about 10 years.
DR: Do you ever talk to Meldrick Taylor, another one of your Olympic buddies?
PW: Meldrick called me one day [about two years ago] and I didn't understand a word he said [because of brain damage suffered during his career]. The guy could fight. Don't take nothing away from him. I love him. But, you know, he had too much Philadelphia in him. They got those wars in the gym. It's a tough city to be a fighter in.
DR: One of most appalling robberies in boxing history was you being given a draw instead of a clear victory against Julio Cesar Chavez in your 1993 showdown for pound-for-pound supremacy. What did you think when you heard the result?
PW: Probably what went through everybody else's head that was in that arena. Who was judging that fight, anyway? Were they nearsighted, farsighted or just plain blind? It don't matter. The people saw what happened.
DR: The one active fighter in boxing that is most often compared to you is Floyd Mayweather Jr. What's your take on that?
PW: He has a good defense, but sometimes you got to be able to take the lead and be aggressive. You can't keep falling back, waiting on the other man to punch at you. You got to be able to attack, too. He didn't have an attack game [against De La Hoya], but he got the decision.
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.
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Originally Posted by ICE COLD BOXING
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