why is pernell whitaker sounding punch drunk when he was a good defensive fighter?

I had a bad feeling about headgears, because in high school when I tried out for the football team, the football headgear I wore gave me the worst headache I've ever head without even being tackled. It was so heavy that it felt as if my head's weight was disproportionate to my entire body. Something was wrong there so I had to quit. I think getting hit in the head with those helmet/headgear on does more damage than the actual blow. No wonder the NFL has a bigger brain damage/concussion issues than boxing really does. People need to look into this. I think the problem becomes more internal rather than something you could see, external. Just because you didn't bleed people think you're OK. As for sparring in the gym with boxing headgear and crotch protector, it does make it hard to move to avoid punches. The so called "cushion" is nothing more than padding, it does not make heavy blows less damaging. I've seen lots of people spar and they appeared to be out of it, I don't get why they do it. Why couldn't they just work on defense and let the real fighting where they actually get paid do the talking? I do not get why boxers spar as if doing well in sparring will determine how they'll do in an actual fight without headgear. It doesn't determine it. James Toney do well in sparring according to some but in the ring not so much as the damage had been done while sparring. Not sure if it was this forum I had asked about it but someone responded that one needs to spar to determine where their skill level and chin (if they can take a punch) stand? Can they take a punch? Why would anyone have to find out in sparring when it can be found out during the real fight? And if one is able to take a punch during sparring, it's because of the headgear and sparring gloves, and the reason why they are able to be punched to create the illusion that they can take a punch is because the peripheral vision isn't quite there that they are able to be hit, and those little punches that one can "take" adds to the damage. I was always anti sparring but usually the clueless trainers would want to see how you do. Head gear is for one thing and one thing only preventing cuts. Anyone who says other wise is full of it. I dont know where people get this idea that headgear "softens" the blow. Im not sure what type of gym people ate training at where they get this misinformation. It surprises me to hear others say that it gives people a false sense on protection because if you have ever used headgear you would know the punches you the same. EVERY decent gym ive been to tells their students headgear is for preventing cuts.

pernell whitaker sounds a lot like meldrick taylor now. it's mind boggling because pernell had superiro defenseive skills and never got hit flush often. what happened? where did it go wrong for him? One thing I think people forget when it comes to topics like this is Whittaker had an extended amateur career which means he just didnt start taking blows to the head in the pros, you also have to take into consideration the amount of sparring fighters do and sometimes gym wars can be more wearing believe it or not. If I am not mistaken Whittaker used to spar grown men as a young teen which now that you say hes sounding punch drunk, proves a lot.

Cocaine is a helluva drug Greent. Lol Also Trinidad did a number on him. Broke his jaw even if I remember correctly.

I had a bad feeling about headgears, because in high school when I tried out for the football team, the football headgear I wore gave me the worst headache I've ever head without even being tackled. It was so heavy that it felt as if my head's weight was disproportionate to my entire body. Something was wrong there so I had to quit. I think getting hit in the head with those helmet/headgear on does more damage than the actual blow. No wonder the NFL has a bigger brain damage/concussion issues than boxing really does. People need to look into this. I think the problem becomes more internal rather than something you could see, external. Just because you didn't bleed people think you're OK. As for sparring in the gym with boxing headgear and crotch protector, it does make it hard to move to avoid punches. The so called "cushion" is nothing more than padding, it does not make heavy blows less damaging. I've seen lots of people spar and they appeared to be out of it, I don't get why they do it. Why couldn't they just work on defense and let the real fighting where they actually get paid do the talking? I do not get why boxers spar as if doing well in sparring will determine how they'll do in an actual fight without headgear. It doesn't determine it. James Toney do well in sparring according to some but in the ring not so much as the damage had been done while sparring. Not sure if it was this forum I had asked about it but someone responded that one needs to spar to determine where their skill level and chin (if they can take a punch) stand? Can they take a punch? Why would anyone have to find out in sparring when it can be found out during the real fight? And if one is able to take a punch during sparring, it's because of the headgear and sparring gloves, and the reason why they are able to be punched to create the illusion that they can take a punch is because the peripheral vision isn't quite there that they are able to be hit, and those little punches that one can "take" adds to the damage. I was always anti sparring but usually the clueless trainers would want to see how you do.

Brain damage is not about the fights, it's about the gym work. Headgear gives you more brain damage than a punch. Not only because of the swivel effect, but it also discourages good defense, makes your head a bigger target and limits your peripheral vision and makes it harder to defend. IMO, head gear should only be used if you know you'll be in risk of headbutts. I try using it as little as possible. Your kinda right. Headgear neither makes punches feel worse or feel better, the punch feels the same. They do not absorb the punch, they are there to protect from cuts and clash of heads only, nothing else. You are right about everything else, like peripheral vision and it may discourage good defense for noobs that don't know that the headgear will not protect them from the power of the punch. I've seen kids wear headgear and just swing away at eachother, brawling it out, not knowing that the punches will hurt the same. I bet those newer headgears that cover the mouth, people think it's some kind of chin protector, they don't know that's just to now protect cuts in the lips.

Gym sparring is the number one for becoming punchy, but was Sweet Pea a notorious gym sparrer? I just remember him being one of those special talents who loved to party and wasn't much of a sparring guy he was not the type to let you hit him on the ropes like Ali. He sounds more like Ozzy Osbourne a hard drug user, who used week, coke and liquor combined almost weekly. James Toney is a result of daily sparring, as well as Terry Norris, these guys were notorious gym sparring guys, just like Brandon Rios, they would spar even if they never had a fight. Sparring will make your head rattle, I remember the old school fighters felt you could condition your punch resistance by taking heavy shots in sparring. Which is later found to be BS, most guys who can take a punch are just born that way, I seen some videos of regular guys who got sucker punched by a flush hard shot and drop like a sack of bricks and others who didn't even wobble and knocked the other coward out who sucker punched them, having a good chin is genetics. I know Freddie Roach said he doesn't advise guys to spar unless they have fights coming up, its why he tends to get sparring partners for his fighters who also have fights coming up so they can both be competitive and give good work. You dont see guys like Juan Manuel Marquez slurring their words, and that guy has been in more damaging wars than Sweet Pea, that guy has taken some beatings, but he still alert and talks clear. Big George Foreman is another guy he wasn't a guy who sparred year round either, and he doesn't slur and he took some heavy beatings in his career but still sharp as a tack and alert and witty, Ali was a notorious gym sparrer, he would sparr for fun even without fights, and would let guys tee off on his head in the corner just to tease them and say is that all you got?

I'm pretty sure Whitaker got clobbered quite a bit. There's no specific threshold on what a mount of blows to the head can cause issues. It could have been one punch.

you only see a small part of a boxers career on tv, for all we know he got bonked stupid for years in sparring Yep its the accumulation of the gym sparring that is more long term damaging than the fights in many instances .

Brain damage is not about the fights, it's about the gym work. Headgear gives you more brain damage than a punch. Not only because of the swivel effect, but it also discourages good defense, makes your head a bigger target and limits your peripheral vision and makes it harder to defend. IMO, head gear should only be used if you know you'll be in risk of headbutts. I try using it as little as possible.

he took tons of shots over the course of his career in spite of the fact taht he was a great defensive fighter. sparring, amateurs, pros from 135 to 147, where he fought trinidad, de la hoya, two hellish punchers. even fought at 154 briefly, and he was not that big of a dude. also got dropped by uncle rodge, IIRC, but i haven't seen that fight in a long, long time. and as others have mentioned, whitaker was into drugs and he drank. that will absolutely ruin a boxer.

You're not including all the sparring he might have done, regardless of him not taking a huge amount of damage he still had a long career, I mean look at Floyd he sounds more and more like his father punch drunk to heaven.

you only see a small part of a boxers career on tv, for all we know he got bonked stupid for years in sparring

- Main reason was drugs, and yes he was an amazing defensive fighter, But after he faced Tito, he took way to many shots in that fight, that was the 1st time I actually saw Sweet Pea loose a fight.

Drugs the guy used to binge on Coca and henney

pernell whitaker sounds a lot like meldrick taylor now. it's mind boggling because pernell had superiro defenseive skills and never got hit flush often. what happened? where did it go wrong for him? partying, drugs, sparring, and fighting...he had an extensive amatuer career, fough tat the highest level as a pro, and regardless of being a great defensive fighter, you are still taking shots and it only takes one shot to change your life for ever

ggg hit him once

Sparring......

That white girl is no joke, plus an extensive Amatuer career and a tough pro career. I'm a true believer, that an extensive Amatuer career can be as harmful on the body/mind as a extensive pro career. Their are many past greats with long pro careers and litte Amatuer careers but still have their mind but the mm with a long Amatuer career and shorter pro career have lost their mental/body health. Prime example is Archie Moore. Marciano went 49-0 going all out in fights with less than 20 Amatuer fights and before he past away tragically spoke and looked physically well(outside of gaining weight).

He sounded that way for years. Unfortunately he was and apparently still is a crackhead. Crack can effect the lungs, nasal passage, brain etc.. Lots of people who do crack have the same sort of vocal nuances as Whitaker. Shame because he was a hell of a fighter and a lot more entertaining than Floyd plus he would have almost certainly not ducked Khan like Floyd did on multiple occasions. Whitaker was the real deal and he was no ducker, he just unfortunately hit the pipe as much the bag.

because of Chavez