Whats so great about Pernell Whitaker??

[Burning Desire]

Pernell Whitaker dominated Buddy McGirt in there 2nd meeting, even Buddy McGirt said after the fight my shoulder was fine. I just got beat by the better man, the 1st fight was reasonably close but still a 7-5 win for Pernell Whitaker.

Pernell Whitaker only lost one fight IMO, and that was too Felix Trinidad while being way past his prime. And remind me how many people went the distance with a prime Felix Trinidad ?

[kaki]

why the **** are you people replying to this ****ing moron? he obviously formed his opinion on whitaker before he even started watching him.

he doesn't even know who azumah nelson is.

i doubt he's watched more than one matthew saad muhammad fight if any.

[Burning Desire]

You mean Diosbelys Hurtado, who had him down twice before he gassed out in the late rounds and lost? Baah! And what about Jose Luis Ramirez? The first man who beat Whitaker. I see on boxrec this also is considered a "robbery"...hmm, isnt it funny that each time Whitaker lost or had a draw it was a ROBBERY! Come on, lets get serious...you guys are biased because you like him. Everybody is biased! So cut the crap.

Uhh you clearly haven't got a clue about Pernell Whitaker, how in the world can you have an opinion when you clearly haven't seen those fights, and have just looked on boxrec then you tell us were biased, when we've actually seen the fights, and you haven't WTF how does that work ?

Pernell Whitaker was down twice briefly against Diosbelys Hurtado, while being past his prime. But he still comeback showed the heart of a champion, and he damn near killed Diosbelys Hurtado who was drapped over the ropes out cold.

Diosbelys Hurtado also dropped Kostya Tszyu twice in there fight, lastly every single boxing fan in the world, who has seen JLC vs Pernell Whitaker 1 knows it was a robbery. It was a clear 8-4 win for Pernell Whitaker, but still Pernell Whitaker beat him even worse in the rematch.

[JAB5239]

Greg Haugen (Future HOFer)

First off to the thread starter.......Whitaker was every bit as great as he's been talked about in this thread. P4P the best fighter since Duran and Leonard. His style never appealed to me either, but that doesn't mean he wasn't absolutely incredible.

*****.....do you really think Haugen is a future HOFer, and why? Im hoping you make a great argument for him as that would mean Vinny Pazienza would probably be in too considering he had the better career in my opinion, and was much more popular. I don't see either of them making it but would love for Paz to get in as we're from the same neighborhood.

[oldgringo]

First off to the thread starter.......Whitaker was every bit as great as he's been talked about in this thread. P4P the best fighter since Duran and Leonard. His style never appealed to me either, but that doesn't mean he wasn't absolutely incredible.

*****.....do you really think Haugen is a future HOFer, and why? Im hoping you make a great argument for him as that would mean Vinny Pazienza would probably be in too considering he had the better career in my opinion, and was much more popular. I don't see either of them making it but would love for Paz to get in as we're from the same neighborhood.

haha yeah that's taking things too far. haugen, to his credit, was something of an underrated fighter and was one of the better counter punchers at the lower weights for his time, but he sure as hell ain't making it in the hall of fame. still a good win for whitaker over an opponent who was in his prime. it's really the way pernell beat him that was so impressive. he completely undressed haugen and had him afraid to return fire in that fight. pea landed some vicious body blows throughout. i always loved those hooks he'd wing to the body.

[1SILVA]

Ok, I know he had a fantastic defense. But you gotta have more than just that and a few tricks to be worthy of the title ATG. I just don't see how he qualifies for that title. He lost to DLH and Trinidad, two best WWs of the 90's. And I know he lost clearly, everybody that says anything else is talking BS!

I think he is overated. He didn't beat that many great fighters. Who did he beat? Roger Mayweather, who imo was not a great fighter, just very good. And he floored Whitaker once in that fight and made it close. JC Chavez...I dunno, I haven't seen that fight really but I know its considered a controversial draw. Judging by the comments made on the DLH fight I am sceptical about the controversy.

Whitaker was the best defensive fighter I have ever seen and at worst the second greatest southpaw of all time(I won't argue if people say Hagler was better).

[JAB5239]

haha yeah that's taking things too far. haugen, to his credit, was something of an underrated fighter and was one of the better counter punchers at the lower weights for his time, but he sure as hell ain't making it in the hall of fame. still a good win for whitaker over an opponent who was in his prime. it's really the way pernell beat him that was so impressive. he completely undressed haugen and had him afraid to return fire in that fight. pea landed some vicious body blows throughout. i always loved those hooks he'd wing to the body.

A thorough beating given to a good fighter by a great fighter. That was the 1989 version of Lacy-Calzaghe.

[MANGLER]

Pea is a 4 division champ who beat a bunch of top comp over a long career. He never really lost til he was past it. And pretty much all his wins were schoolings where he str8 clowned his opponents. **** thread TS.

[oldgringo]

A thorough beating given to a good fighter by a great fighter. That was the 1989 version of Lacy-Calzaghe.

Yes, a virtuoso performance by the winning fighter in both instances. Both guys were southpaws who didn't have devastating punching power but landed everything but the kitchen sink on their inferior opponents. They dropped em, battered em and largely humiliated em.

Gotta respect Lacy and Haugen for taking those lashings like men though. Lesser fighters may have totally folded under those circumstances.

[Silencers]

5. Pernell Whitaker (1984-2001, 40-4-1 with 17 knockouts): Put together any list of greatest defensive fighters and the man known by many as "Sweet Pea" will be front and center – or, more accurately, to the side, out of range or crouched inches from the floor. With the help of the superb George Benton, Whitaker mastered the most difficult style of all, which is to be virtually untouchable while remaining within his opponent’s reach.

His array of slips, dips, sidesteps, spins and pivots not only made his opponents look silly they also set up an equally diverse offense. He possessed a stinging, accurate jab (a rarity for natural southpaws), a piercing left cross and an underrated body attack. Though capable of delivering quick knockouts (just ask Juan Nazario and his other four first round KO victims), Whitaker preferred blinding them with science and letting the embarrassingly lopsided nature of the judges’ scorecards speak for him.



Speaking of the scorecards, they are his most persuasive piece of evidence for his inclusion on this list. After losing a hotly disputed split decision to Jose Luis Ramirez in March 1988 Whitaker put together a prodigious 26-fight run over the next nine years that often saw him not only avoid defeat overall but barely lose a round. Consider these score lines and the competition it was achieved against:

* Greg Haugen (wins IBF lightweight title): 120-107, 120-107, 118-109

* Jose Luis Ramirez (wins vacant WBC lightweight title, retains IBF title): 120-108, 120-109, 117-111

* Freddie Pendleton (retains WBC/IBF lightweight titles): 116-112, 116-112, 117-113

* Azumah Nelson (retains WBC, IBF lightweight titles): 116-114, 115-113, 116-111 (Whitaker loses a point in last round)

* Anthony Jones (retains WBC, WBA, IBF lightweight titles): 120-108, 119-109, 120-108

* Policarpo Diaz (retains WBC, WBA, IBF lightweight titles): 120-108, 120-107, 120-106

* Jorge Paez (retains WBC, WBA, IBF lightweight titles): 116-110, 115-111, 115-112

* Harold Brazier (non-title fight): 100-90, 100-90, 100-91

* Rafael Pineda (wins IBF junior welterweight title): 116-110, 117-108, 117-108

* James "Buddy" McGirt II (retains WBC welterweight title): 117-110, 117-113, 118-112

* Julio Cesar Vazquez (wins WBA junior middleweight title): 118-110, 116-110, 118-107

Seldom has a fighter demonstrated this degree of dominance over this highly qualified a field, and most experts say the first three blemishes against Ramirez (fight one), Julio Cesar Chavez and Oscar de la Hoya were undeserved. Entering their bouts with "Sweet Pete," the opponents listed above had a combined record of 529-48-10 (a .901 winning percentage), and 26 of the 48 losses belonged to Pendleton (who was far better at the time he challenged Whitaker than his 16 defeats suggested) and the polished Brazier. To achieve these scores Whitaker had to maintain an extraordinary level of consistency and concentration because he lacked the one-punch power to cancel previous mistakes. At his best, Whitaker’s only enemies – at least in the ring – were boredom and complacency. In all, Whitaker was 19-3-1 in title fights and was considered the pound-for-pound best from 1993 (when he "drew" with Chavez) to 1997 when he lost to the "Golden Boy."

During the rare times he was challenged, he conjured the proper response. Rafael Williams (24-2 at the time) decked Whitaker in the fourth round of his ninth pro bout, but the ******ian picked himself up and won a unanimous 10 round decision. The same scenario played out against Roger Mayweather in the ninth round of fight 12 in a contest Whitaker was winning easily to that point. Three rounds later he had another decision win in hand. He was also pushed in his first fight against McGirt and both of his bouts with the rugged Wilfredo Rivera but in the end he still had the right stuff.



Whitaker’s intangibles come to the fore only after his considerable skills began to erode. He received the ultimate gut check against unheralded Cuban (and future champion) Diobelys Hurtado when he found himself trailing on points going into the final two rounds. With the superfight against De La Hoya in mortal danger Whitaker summoned an unlikely bolt of lightning and bludgeoned the semi-conscious Hurtado into an 11th round TKO defeat. Finally, during a comprehensive defeat to Felix Trinidad in his next-to-last fight in February 1999 Whitaker fought through a jaw broken in round six to last the distance.



Granted, Whitaker was not the most lovable of characters but no amount of showboating and braggadocio could obscure his wealth of talent and accomplishment

I think he put it quite well.

http://www.maxboxing.com/news/main-l...ghters-part-ii