RIP Pernell Whitaker

[Primo Carnera]

Terrible news.

[Master]

I forgot what a brutal body puncher Sweet Pea was, what an boxing artist.

[Baal]

He was a legend. It is very sad news. I express my condolences to his family

[Spicoli]

The terms legend, a great, ring general, robbed and the p4p are all overused when we talk about top fighters. But Pernell Whitaker was unequivocally without a doubt all of the above with room to spare. The man was simply superb and fought all comers. He is the first fighter I can say I came around on when it came to respect and appreciation, from early career to the bitter end. I sat there one day watching him out fight and out tough Haugen and I was seething, then he takes the hof Azumah Nelson and literally clowns with him to the level of disrespect amid dominance. But overtime and over years you know greatness when you see it. He was no backfoot tinker bell simply trying to avoid a fight..he wanted to stand in front of you, flat footed in large spans, and put on a true display of defensive wizardry and make a guy pay for lacking their own. He didn't play tip toe weight classes and pick trinkets from warm bodies..he jumped to 154 to beat the brakes off a buzzsaw in dominate champion Vasquez and he did it just to mess around. He had his own close calls on the cards, his own personal trials and tribulations that caught up and cost him and those around him dearly. But he did what champions in life and in the ring do..he came back, sacked up and fought his arse off with Trinidad through a broken jaw and every odd stacked against him. Short on the cards that night but no shortness on greatness and heart. Thank you Champ, you made more memories for young fans than you probably ever knew and you sir will be truly missed. Rest easy Sweet Pea.

[mrbig1]

I don't use the word great very often but Whitaker was an all time great. Could not be hit but could hit anybody at will. R.I.P. champ.

[THE THIRD MAN]

Very sad to hear this news, i always enjoyed watching him fight just in case somebody actually did hit him? He was a magnificent boxer and the epitome of the old saying "hit and don't get hit".. He made a fool of Chavez and the judges just didn't understand what boxing was all about that night.... R.I.P. Champ.

[p4pking]

Extremely sad, sounds like it was just one of those things.

[p4pking]

They should overturn the Chavez fight in light of his passing. The literal definition of a robbery.

[mikeeod]

I live in Hampton Roads, Va, and would see Pea out regularly. He was one of my favorite fighters growing up so I would always make a point to go shake his hand and talk boxing with him. I’m a nobody, and Pernell never once acted too good, or disturbed/annoyed, and would always take the time to talk to me and whoever I was with. Such a great and humble guy.

I don’t want to turn this into a who was greater post, but I have to say that from my perspective, Pea was the best of his generation (and I realize that is a strong and biased comment). Think of how confident and great he was to move up from 135 to 140 to force the undefeated and great Chavez to fight him (winning a title from a murderous punching Pineda), and then moving up AGAIN to 147 to beat P4P #3 Buddy Mcgirt (behind Chavez and Sweet Pea) to make it happen. He then boxes circles around Chavez, and goes up in weight to fight one of the top two guys at 154 (Terry Norris was likely #1) to win a title. Pure greatness and he was brilliant in the ring.

R.I.P. champ.

[TitoFan]

They should overturn the Chavez fight in light of his passing. The literal definition of a robbery.

Are you kidding?? That would've given JCC the first loss of his career. Unacceptable!

Instead..... it was through clenched teeth that the WBC allowed a decision to be awarded to Frankie Randall a couple of fights later. (And that was only 'cause Frankie knocked his ass down).