Pernell Whitaker was a retired professional boxer and boxing trainer who had a net worth of $250,000 when he died. Known to his supporters as “Sweet Pea,” Whitaker established himself as a defensive maestro during his successful boxing career.
Whitaker gained millions as a professional player, but he later struggled financially. His career spanned from 1984 to 2001. Following his retirement from fighting, he became a boxing trainer.
How did Pernell Whitaker die?
In 2019, it was reported that Pernell Whitaker had been struck and killed by a vehicle in Virginia Beach. The incident occurred at 10 PM on July 14th while he was crossing the road. He was 55 years old.
Meanwhile, Pernell Whitaker Sr. was born on January 2nd, 1964, in Norfolk, Virginia. Whitaker was raised alongside two siblings and began boxing at the age of nine. He then went on to have an amazing amateur career, competing in 214 contests and winning 201. 91 of these victories came via knockout.
He later claimed that he had almost 500 amateur battles before turning professional. Early losses were against Angel Herrera Vera at the 1982 World Championships, but he went on to beat him four more times. Pernell completed his amateur career by earning an Olympic gold medal in 1984, defeating Luiz Ortiz in the process.
Whitaker defeated former world champion Alfredo Layne not long after turning professional. He went on to defeat Roger Mayweather, who was the Super Featherweight and WBC Light Welterweight champion at the time. In 1988, he faced José Luis Ramírez for the WBC Lightweight title, but lost in a disputed split decision. Many boxing experts later described the battle as a “disgrace” and one of the worst in the sport’s history.
Pernell continued to excel, eventually capturing the IBF Lightweight title over Greg Haugen in 1989. Previously, Haugen had never been taken down. Throughout the 1990s, Whitaker defeated numerous title opponents, including Freddie Pendleton, Azuma Nelson, and Juan Nazario. Whitaker defeated the latter fighter to become the first Undisputed Lightweight Champion since Roberto Duran. He also defeated Jorge Paez and Poli Diaz at this time.
Pernell opted to go up a weight class in 1992, challenging and defeating light welterweight champion Rafael Pineda. He subsequently stepped up again, defeating Buddy McGirt to capture the Lineal and WBC Welterweight titles. This prepared Whitaker for a bout against Julio César Chávez, who was largely regarded as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world at the time. The judges ruled the fight a majority draw, similar to his last fight with José Luis Ramírez, causing significant controversy. Several media outlets were confident Whitaker had won.
Source: www.ghgossip.com
