whitaker could have been undefeated?

**jabsRstiff** · 10-12-2004, 06:52 AM

Originally posted by tino

i just read an article where the guy stated that "sweet pea" could have ended his career undefetead .

he was robbed in france , he beat chavez , for a lot of people he beat DLH.

in his prime he was the best lightweight ever , and he went to welterweight were only tito convincingly beat him.

some say that a prime whitaker would have played with a prime TITO.(he had the infamous crack addiction fighting TITO and even before).

so is it safe to say that if he hadnt used drugs whitaker could have ended undefeated ?

There was no such thing as "prime Whitaker" at 147...so, you'd have never seen that version of Whitaker in with Trinidad.

If you're going to cite his decision "losses" to Oscar & Jose Luis Ramirez as fights that should have been victries....then you need to cite Pea's first "victory" over Wilfredo Rivera as a loss.
Whitaker lost 8 rounds in that fight, only to get a gift.

It all doesn't matter as Whitaker will go down as one of the greatest fighters in boxing history....deservedly so.

It's very possible that he could have defeated any 135lber in history. Of course, you'd have to make Duran a very slight favorite over him.

**tino** · 10-12-2004, 07:00 AM

Originally posted by jabsRstiff

There was no such thing as "prime Whitaker" at 147...so, you'd have never seen that version of Whitaker in with Trinidad.

If you're going to cite his decision "losses" to Oscar & Jose Luis Ramirez as fights that should have been victries....then you need to cite Pea's first "victory" over Wilfredo Rivera as a loss.
Whitaker lost 8 rounds in that fight, only to get a gift.

It all doesn't matter as Whitaker will go down as one of the greatest fighters in boxing history....deservedly so.

It's very possible that he could have defeated any 135lber in history. Of course, you'd have to make Duran a very slight favorite over him.

man you are a living boxing encyclopedia . your analysis are always so accurate. here is some karma for you

**jabsRstiff** · 10-12-2004, 07:07 AM

Thanks, Tino....

Here's one thing that I always forget about Pea...
He moved up to 154 & schooled the very tough Julio Cesar Vasquez.
It was pretty amazing, but never gets mentioned much.

let this be a lesson to the dummies on this board...
I never liked Whitaker...I find his fights boring, pretty redundant, & I almost always rooted against him.
BUT.....I never let that keep from analyzing his abilities & accomplishments...which were amongst the best in boxing history.

One of the reasons I wanted to see him lose was because I always viewed him as boxing's ultimate puzzle. Who was going to beat him ? How would they do it ?

Looking back.....he was a boxer in the truest sense.
He did not move incessantly. He stayed in the pocket, using great upper body movement....& subtle footwork to make his foes NARROWLY miss. He was always in range to counter, & did so.

He was unbelievable.

**tino** · 10-12-2004, 07:28 AM

julio cesar vasquez ? the one who beat wright in france ? damn that guy is sooooo bigger than whitaker .

whitaker lacked pop in his punches BTW . and not all his fights were boring , i enjoyed the one against diobelys hurtado.

**scap** · 10-12-2004, 02:39 PM

Way to go jabsrstiff, I have to say I view you as the father of the board, hell your probably 13 too. Anyways talk too me about this fight...Whitaker vs. Trinidad.

As you recall has PErnell Whitaker ever fought someone like that before (besides Greg Haugen)? He fought like he was Tyson, I have never seen PErnell attack someone and of all the guys he chose to attack it was Tito. I have stated a million times over that had Whitaker fought the same style fight that he fought against Oscar he would have won an easy decision against Tito. I lost a lot of money on that fight all because the Whitaker that I had watched my entire life didn't show up, he thought he was a power puncher. He did hurt Tito a couiple times in that fight but Tito recovered quciker and hit a lot harder, talk to me about that fight jab. What do ya think?

**jabsRstiff** · 10-12-2004, 02:45 PM

Whitaker no longer possessed the same reflexes & sharpness he always had, when he fought Tito.
Whitaker was getting caught out at the end of Trinidad's punches, early on. Look at that second round knockdown....it was a lengthy, but quick, right hand.
I think Pea was fighting the best way he could at the time....& Trinidad, who is a sharpshooter (especially with the lead right) was too quick, rangy, & accurate for that late-model version of Pea to deal with.

BTW...I'm 35.

**scap** · 10-12-2004, 02:58 PM

I agree that it was a far diffeent whitaker than we were used to seeing but he still needed to try and do the things that made him sweet pea, that was his only shot. I think he saw Trinidad as being someone that he could take out and he knew like you stated that his skills were not what they once were so he tried to go at Tito, big mistake, i have problems to this day with his fight plan, go with what got you there. Im 26 so you definately got me father jab.

**Exciterx30** · 10-12-2004, 02:58 PM

There were also a few nice matches that never happened.Imagine Whitaker against power hitters like Rosario or Mancini. A fight against Camacho would have been interesting. Two skilled southpaws going at it.

**jabsRstiff** · 10-12-2004, 03:02 PM

Whitaker-Mel Taylor wouldn't have been too bad, either !

whitaker could have been undefeated?