Comments Thread For: Measured Against All Time: Pernell Whitaker In Memoriam

[john l]

Clearly one of the two best since class of 1980(Chavez,Curry,Nelson). Defense will almost always trump offense. Could hang with ANYONE in history at 35,40. Could not hit him with a handful of rice RIP Champ from one of your biggest fans.

[john l]

Mayweather was exciting too when he was young and before his hands started to bother him.

In any case there's no question that Whitaker is an all-time great. The debate is just how high to rank him. At lightweight he might not have the deepest resume ever but I could see him beating Gans, Duran, Benny Leonard, etc head-to-head.

Amen I agree 100% and your right about Mayweather when he was at 130-5 they called him "sweet pea with power". I never liked that because Sweet Pea could hit harder then most people think esp to body. He just liked to dominate and make a fool out of his opponents more then a KO, but he also had bad hands too. Since class of 1980(my era) he was one of the two best I ever seen live defense will almost always trump offense and him and Mayweather are the two best imo. I will always regret not meeting him I have been planning on going to the Hall of Fame last few years , but my business has made it hard to get away. Cant believe I will never get to tell him how great I always thought he was, a personal favorite and a ATG who could hang/beat ANYONE in his prime and best weight(35,40).

[john l]

May 4, 2012
Kevin Iole
Yahoo Sports

Shelly Finkel, one of the sport's leading managers for more than two decades, was at his peak at the time and had a stable of elite fighters led by superstars Evander Holyfield and Pernell Whitaker.

Finkel, like most top managers, was desperate to get Mayweather signed to a contract when he turned pro, which was expected to be after the Atlanta Olympics. So, Finkel would send money to Mayweather to help him with his expenses and, in essence, try to remain in his good graces.

Finkel brought Mayweather to Norfolk, Va., to train with Whitaker, whom many at the time believed was the best fighter in the world.

"Way, way back, long before the Olympics, anybody who knew boxing knew he'd be a star," Finkel, now a concert promoter, said of Mayweather. "He was the guy. You knew he was going to do big things. He was brought up in a boxing family and he was so dedicated to the sport.

"There's so much hype around him now for things outside of the ring; the money and the cars and the flashiness and what not. But the truth of the matter is, the reason he's successful is that he trains his [expletive] off. I don't know if there is anybody in the game who works harder, and he was that way even back then when he was a kid."

Mayweather was one of several amateurs, along with Zahir Raheem and Zab Judah, who went to Norfolk to train with Whitaker in 1994.

Mayweather wouldn't say much about how the sparring went.

"I've got respect for champions," he said. "It was good work for both of us. That's all I'll say."

Ronnie Shields, now one of the sport's best trainers, was an assistant trainer under George Benton at the time working with Whitaker. He was there to see Whitaker and Mayweather spar. And while he said Whitaker had few problems with the 17-year-old prodigy, it was obvious that Mayweather was destined to be a superstar.

"Pernell handled him, like he handled all of those guys," Shields said. "He wasn't hitting them hard, just playing with them, going down low like he did and fighting with his hands at his side. They couldn't hit him. But remember, Pernell was the best in the world at the time. When Mayweather was in there, even though he was having trouble with Pernell, it was obvious how good the kid was.

"Pernell is a guy who doesn't give out a lot of compliments. He didn't want to say anything about another fighter, because he didn't like the idea of anyone upstaging him. But I remember him saying to me, 'Man, this kid is good right now.' He said to Floyd, 'You stay with this and you remain dedicated, ain't nobody going to touch you.' "

https://www.yahoo.com/news/naturally...severance.html

Steel sharpens steel!!! R.I.P. Sweet Pea...a.k.a. "The Blueprint!"

Great detailed post!!!

[Alan Smithee]

Mayweather was exciting too when he was young and before his hands started to bother him.

In any case there's no question that Whitaker is an all-time great. The debate is just how high to rank him. At lightweight he might not have the deepest resume ever but I could see him beating Gans, Duran, Benny Leonard, etc head-to-head.

I agree that at times Mayweather was exciting and maybe the injuries did take a toll but for me Whitaker rarely bored you if ever! The all time debate is difficult for me. Even though there are film of some the old timers I do not get the same feel if they aren't from the early 70's and on. That is my era of watching and attending fights. There is also limited or no film of some of the supposed "greats" so I would have to go by the word of others. That is why I am not a huge history buff. "Seeing is believing", for me anyways!

[GrandpaBernard]

the Southpaw GOAT

[Luilun]

Had Whitaker had Mayweather judges and Joe Cortez he would have retired undefeated

[GrandpaBernard]

May 4, 2012
Kevin Iole
Yahoo Sports

Shelly Finkel, one of the sport's leading managers for more than two decades, was at his peak at the time and had a stable of elite fighters led by superstars Evander Holyfield and Pernell Whitaker.

Finkel, like most top managers, was desperate to get Mayweather signed to a contract when he turned pro, which was expected to be after the Atlanta Olympics. So, Finkel would send money to Mayweather to help him with his expenses and, in essence, try to remain in his good graces.

Finkel brought Mayweather to Norfolk, Va., to train with Whitaker, whom many at the time believed was the best fighter in the world.

"Way, way back, long before the Olympics, anybody who knew boxing knew he'd be a star," Finkel, now a concert promoter, said of Mayweather. "He was the guy. You knew he was going to do big things. He was brought up in a boxing family and he was so dedicated to the sport.

"There's so much hype around him now for things outside of the ring; the money and the cars and the flashiness and what not. But the truth of the matter is, the reason he's successful is that he trains his [expletive] off. I don't know if there is anybody in the game who works harder, and he was that way even back then when he was a kid."

Mayweather was one of several amateurs, along with Zahir Raheem and Zab Judah, who went to Norfolk to train with Whitaker in 1994.

Mayweather wouldn't say much about how the sparring went.

"I've got respect for champions," he said. "It was good work for both of us. That's all I'll say."

Ronnie Shields, now one of the sport's best trainers, was an assistant trainer under George Benton at the time working with Whitaker. He was there to see Whitaker and Mayweather spar. And while he said Whitaker had few problems with the 17-year-old prodigy, it was obvious that Mayweather was destined to be a superstar.

"Pernell handled him, like he handled all of those guys," Shields said. "He wasn't hitting them hard, just playing with them, going down low like he did and fighting with his hands at his side. They couldn't hit him. But remember, Pernell was the best in the world at the time. When Mayweather was in there, even though he was having trouble with Pernell, it was obvious how good the kid was.

"Pernell is a guy who doesn't give out a lot of compliments. He didn't want to say anything about another fighter, because he didn't like the idea of anyone upstaging him. But I remember him saying to me, 'Man, this kid is good right now.' He said to Floyd, 'You stay with this and you remain dedicated, ain't nobody going to touch you.' "

https://www.yahoo.com/news/naturally...severance.html

Steel sharpens steel!!! R.I.P. Sweet Pea...a.k.a. "The Blueprint!"

good artciel

from one slickstar to another slickstar

[Liondw]

Pernell was amazing. Probably 'Sugar' Ray Leonard was better overall, but Whitaker likely could beat the welterweight version of Duran, while having great difficulty against the lightweight version of Roberto. An all-time great without a doubt.

[Bronx2245]

good artciel

from one slickstar to another slickstar

Was never that "slick" which is why I switched to football and basketball! Lol! I didn't want to go through high school looking like Shane Mosely Jr.!

[budfr]

The writer as usual biased with Whitaker. He was great defensively and counter attacks but was boring, a hugger, a runner, quite dirty, little power, etc. The media was always bised towards him since he was an ex Olympian, American. Funny that they all say his losses vs Ramirez, De la Hoya and his draw with Chavez were controversial. They hate the fact that Hispanics beat him. Rivera was robbed in his 2 fights vs Whitaker then but they never mention that. Oh, and Bojorquez ( another Hispanic )made him quit, yes he was past his prime but still.