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Kronk's Owner Details Whitaker's Camacho Encounter
February 02, 1990|By WARNER HESSLER Staff Writer
ATLANTIC CITY — This story has been told before, about an 18-year-old amateur from Norfolk named Pernell Whitaker who scrapped with World Boxing Council super featherweight champion Hector "Macho" Camacho in Detroit in 1984.
Most of the stories were told second or third hand about Whitaker embarrassing the world champion. Some of the stories involved the owner of the gymnasium chasing Camacho and then-trainer, Billy Giles, out of the gymnasium with a gun.
Emanuel Steward, owner of Kronk's Gym in Detroit, was there.
"I'm the only one who can tell you the real story because, except for a few fighters and handlers, I'm the only one who saw it," Steward said Thursday.
Steward, whose World Boxing Organization light-heavyweight champion, Michael Moorer, fights on a card Saturday night at the Convention Center at Trump Plaza featuring Camacho against Vinny Pazienza and Whitaker against Freddie Pendleton, said the Norfolk amateur embarrassed the champion.
"Some Americans on the 1984 Olympic team were training at my gym," said Steward, "and Whitaker came to Detroit to see his Olympic teammates.
"Camacho was training for a fight against a left-hander, and I suggested that maybe Whitaker, being a lefty, might want to go a few rounds with Camacho and help him get ready."
Steward said there were about 10 people in the gym that day, including Mark Breland and Meldrick Taylor, Whitaker's teammates on the Olympic team and both current world champions. He said everybody stopped what they were doing to watch the sparring session.
"Whitaker wasn't warmed up ..." Steward said, "but he beat the hell out of Camacho for three rounds. He beat up on the Macho Man, Hector couldn't touch him.
"Camacho and Giles were embarrassed and really mad."
When the bell rang after the third and final round, Whitaker turned his back and prepared to exit the ring.
"Giles told Hector to go get Whitaker," said Steward. "Hector grabbed him around the head from behind, held his head under a rope and tried to hit him.
"We had enough fighters around to break it up, but things got ugly after that. Giles and I had a lot of bad words, and he and I almost got into it right there in the ring."
Steward said that, counter to rumors, he never pulled a gun from his office to get Giles and Camacho to leave his gym.
"No, no gun was ever used," said Steward. "It was just a case of they were embarrassed because Whitaker beat the crap out of a world champion."
Whitaker, who will defend his WBC and International Boxing Federation title against Pendleton, didn't want to talk about the incident, but he did say he turned down an offer to spar with Camacho last week.
"Camacho asked `why don't you spar with me,'" said Whitaker. "I said `I'm here to fight Freddie Pendleton and that's it."
Dan Duva, Whitaker's promoter, said it's unlikely the two would ever meet in the ring. Camacho, the WBO junior welterweight (142 pounds) champion, may move up to the welterweight division. And Whitaker is comfortable in the 135-pound lightweight division.
"They will never fight," said Steward, "but Whitaker would beat him again."
Just like he did six years ago.
Kronk's Owner Details Whitaker's Camacho Encounter
February 02, 1990|By WARNER HESSLER Staff Writer
ATLANTIC CITY — This story has been told before, about an 18-year-old amateur from Norfolk named Pernell Whitaker who scrapped with World Boxing Council super featherweight champion Hector "Macho" Camacho in Detroit in 1984.
Most of the stories were told second or third hand about Whitaker embarrassing the world champion. Some of the stories involved the owner of the gymnasium chasing Camacho and then-trainer, Billy Giles, out of the gymnasium with a gun.
Emanuel Steward, owner of Kronk's Gym in Detroit, was there.
"I'm the only one who can tell you the real story because, except for a few fighters and handlers, I'm the only one who saw it," Steward said Thursday.
Steward, whose World Boxing Organization light-heavyweight champion, Michael Moorer, fights on a card Saturday night at the Convention Center at Trump Plaza featuring Camacho against Vinny Pazienza and Whitaker against Freddie Pendleton, said the Norfolk amateur embarrassed the champion.
"Some Americans on the 1984 Olympic team were training at my gym," said Steward, "and Whitaker came to Detroit to see his Olympic teammates.
"Camacho was training for a fight against a left-hander, and I suggested that maybe Whitaker, being a lefty, might want to go a few rounds with Camacho and help him get ready."
Steward said there were about 10 people in the gym that day, including Mark Breland and Meldrick Taylor, Whitaker's teammates on the Olympic team and both current world champions. He said everybody stopped what they were doing to watch the sparring session.
"Whitaker wasn't warmed up ..." Steward said, "but he beat the hell out of Camacho for three rounds. He beat up on the Macho Man, Hector couldn't touch him.
"Camacho and Giles were embarrassed and really mad."
When the bell rang after the third and final round, Whitaker turned his back and prepared to exit the ring.
"Giles told Hector to go get Whitaker," said Steward. "Hector grabbed him around the head from behind, held his head under a rope and tried to hit him.
"We had enough fighters around to break it up, but things got ugly after that. Giles and I had a lot of bad words, and he and I almost got into it right there in the ring."
Steward said that, counter to rumors, he never pulled a gun from his office to get Giles and Camacho to leave his gym.
"No, no gun was ever used," said Steward. "It was just a case of they were embarrassed because Whitaker beat the crap out of a world champion."
Whitaker, who will defend his WBC and International Boxing Federation title against Pendleton, didn't want to talk about the incident, but he did say he turned down an offer to spar with Camacho last week.
"Camacho asked `why don't you spar with me,'" said Whitaker. "I said `I'm here to fight Freddie Pendleton and that's it."
Dan Duva, Whitaker's promoter, said it's unlikely the two would ever meet in the ring. Camacho, the WBO junior welterweight (142 pounds) champion, may move up to the welterweight division. And Whitaker is comfortable in the 135-pound lightweight division.
"They will never fight," said Steward, "but Whitaker would beat him again."
Just like he did six years ago.
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