Pernell Whitaker at his peak was a defensive genius almost unparalleled in his ability to slip and avoid punches. Possessing the ring radar of a young Wilfred Benitez Whittaker frustrated a generation of top class opponents with his almost preternatural ability to dodge and slip punches. Whitaker captured titles from Lightweight to Light Middleweight in a career that saw him tussle with many of boxing’s greatest names.
Quality of Opposition
In a sixteen-year professional career Whitaker faced a veritable who’s who of boxing’s greatest names from Lightweight to Light Middleweight. The Norfolk, Virginia native defeated men of the calibre of Jose Luis Ramirez, Juan Nazario, Azumah Nelson, Greg Haugen, Rafael Pineda, James McGirt and Julio Cesar Vasquez. His incomparable skills saw him lauded as the premier defensive practitioner in the sport and allowed him to enjoy a protracted run near the top of the pound for pound ratings.
In 46 fights (40-4-1 with one no contest) he was only soundly defeated once, by a streaking and much younger Felix Trinidad in 1999. Whitaker also boxed to a draw with Julio Cesar Chavez, who was 87-0 at the time, though the consensus opinion was that he had soundly outfoxed the legendary Mexican. The only stoppage loss on his record came at the age of thirty-five, when he was forced to retire in four rounds against Carlos Bojorquez in 2001, having broken his left clavicle.
A Defensive Wizard
Whitaker possessed all the attributes necessary to secure greatness, notably superb technical skills, fast hands and under-rated power. Though only credited with 17 stoppage victories he hit hard enough to demolish rival Lightweight champion Juan Nazario in one round, as well as being the first fighter to drop the iron chinned Greg Haugen.
However it was Whittaker’s uncanny ability to avoid punches that was his hallmark. Swaying and dodging blows without moving unnecessarily, Whitaker was almost impossible to tag with a flush blow. His defensive wizardry allowed him to outbox potent punchers Chavez and Nelson, while seemingly in punching range at all times.
Matched Tough From the Start
Unlike many prospects today he was matched hard from the start. The confidence of his management team, led by Lou Duva was evident from the outset of his professional career. Whitaker’s first fight was against Farraign Comeaux who was 9-0 at the time. Pernell went on to outbox the dangerous former world champion Roger Mayweather (26-4) in only his 13th fight, rising from a knockdown in the ninth round to take a wide unanimous decision. Tough prospect and future title-holder Miguel Santana was impressively dispatched in six rounds two fights later, rubber stamping his readiness for the biggest names in his division.
Worst Decision of the Decade
Pernell was to receive his first title shot in 1988. The opponent, Mexico’s obdurate and insanely resilient Jose Luis Ramirez was the champion. Possessing a ring record of 100-6 (82 KO’s) that appeared to hark back to the Corinthian days of the sport’s golden age, the veteran Mexican was fighting in his adopted hometown of Paris. This was to prove decisive as Whitaker was robbed in one of the most shocking examples of judging larceny seen for many a year. Shrugging off a broken hand the 1984 Olympic Lightweight champion clinically outboxed the plodding Mexican, landing almost twice as many punches while avoiding any significant punishment himself.
The decision provoked a storm of protest around the boxing world, notoriety that helped Whittaker secure a quick match with IBF champion Greg Haugen (24-1-1). Haugen was granite chinned and awkwardly effective. Yet he was taken to school by the fleet footed Whittaker, being dropped for the first time ever in the sixth and unanimously outpointed.
Pernell Whitaker World Champion
With a title finally secured Pernell tore through the division, embarrassing Ramirez in a 1989 rematch and going on to blast out Nazario to unify all three alphabet titles at 135 pounds. By 1992 after a total of eight successful defences he had outgrown the division, moving up to capture the IBF Light-Welterweight crown from the hard-hitting Rafael Pineda (28-1), whose only previous loss had come against towering stablemate Mark Breland at Welterweight. He wasn’t to hang around long at 140 pounds, moving up again to soundly outpoint the excellent James “Buddy” McGirt (49-2-1) for the WBC Welterweight title, his third championship in as many divisions.
Whitaker finally secured the match his talent had long demanded, facing the unbeaten Chavez in defence of his newly minted title. Despite appearing to dominate a strangely flat Chavez, he once again fell victim to the vagaries of the judges. Jack Woodruff scored the bout 115-113 for Whitaker but was over-ruled by Mickey Vann and Franz Marti who both carded scores of 115-115, resulting in a majority draw.
Whitaker would go on to defend his title successfully a further five times before finally coming unstuck in a close tussle with a rising Oscar De Hoya. He even managed to make a brief foray up to 154 pounds, where he relieved the tough Julio Cesar Vasquez (53-1) of his WBA 154 pound title. Whitaker’s last major fight saw him soundly outpointed by the much bigger Trinidad in 1999; finally bringing down the curtain on a career that saw him go 18-3-1 in world title encounters.
One of the Best of His Generation
Whitaker was a rarity, a smooth southpaw and a defensive boxer who was genuinely compelling to watch. His outstanding ability to “shut down” outstanding offensive fighters kept him on top for over ten years. He is justifiably rated by Ring Magazine as the third best Lightweight ever and he would surely have given anyone in history between Lightweight and Welterweight the fiercest of battles. He is truly one for the ages and his many ring battles provide vivid testimony that defensive brilliance need not mean boring fights, something compatriots Mayweather and Dirrell would do well to remember.
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