What was Pernell Whitaker’s net worth?
| Net Worth: | $250 Thousand |
|---|---|
| Born: | January 2, 1964 |
| Died: | July 14, 2019 |
| Country of Origin: | United States of America |
| Source of Wealth: | Professional Boxer |
| Last Updated: | Jun 8, 2024 |
Introduction
At his time of passing, Pernell Whitaker’s net worth was estimated to be $250 Thousand.
Pernell Whitaker was an American professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 2001 and subsequently worked as a boxing trainer.
He was a four-weight world champion, having won titles at lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight, and light middleweight.
Early Life
Pernell was born in Norfolk, Virginia on the 2nd of January, 1964.
He had two siblings, a brother, Raymond, Jr., and a sister, Monique.
Pernell married Rovanda Anthony on December 21, 1985, in the boxing ring at the Virginia Beach Pavilion Convention Center. The couple later divorced.
Career
Pernell Whitaker began his career by defeating former world champion Alfredo Layne and the former WBA Light Welterweight titleholder, Roger Mayweather, in 1986 and 1987.
In 1988, he challenged José Luis Ramírez but suffered his first professional defeat when he lost in a split decision.
However, this ended up being a controversial verdict, as many fans of the sport felt that Whitaker had easily been the true winner.
Despite losing that match, Whitaker kept working hard to become one of the richest boxers in the world and his skills were undeniable.
The Boxing Champion
In 1989, Pernell Whitaker took out Greg Haugen for the IBF Lightweight title and became the first to knock Haugen down.
As the champion, Whitaker dominated the ring throughout the early 90s, defending his title against Freddie Pendleton and Azumah Nelson.
In 1990, he knocked out Juan Nazario and became the first since Roberto Durán to be an undisputed Lightweight Champion.
Whitaker entered the welterweight class in 1992 and easily snatched the IBF light Welterweight title from Rafael Pineda in July.
Soon after, he won by decision over Buddy McGirt to become the WBC and Lineal Welterweight Champion.
Thanks to his status, Whitaker earned a match with Julio César Chávez, who was seen as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
The two met in what was called The Fight in 1993, and many felt that Whitaker had outboxed the boxing legend, though judges ruled the match a draw.
A Boxing Titan
In 1994, Pernell Whitaker took on Julio César Vásquez and won the WBA Super Welterweight title via a unanimous decision.
This made him the fourth boxer in history, alongside Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Roberto Durán, to have won a world title in four weight classes.
However, despite this win, Whitaker chose to return to welterweight and defended his WBC belt against Gary Jacobs in 1995.
He then put his title on the line in a match against Diosbelys Hurtado, who had Whitaker down on the scorecards going into the 11th round.
Fortunately, Whitaker made a huge comeback, pummeling Hurtado into the ropes during a rare showing of sheer power and aggression.
Once the fight was stopped, Whitaker was ruled the champion in a come-from-behind TKO win that no one saw coming.
Taking On The Best
After his win against Hurtado, Pernell Whitaker was poised to fight Oscar De La Hoya, the undefeated Olympic gold medalist.
They faced off in 1997, with Whitaker defending his WBC Championship and status as the best boxer in the world.
Whitaker was awarded the knockdown during the 9th round, but De La Hoya was awarded the fight by unanimous decision.
This was another controversial loss for Whitaker, with many observers and fans feeling that Whitaker should have been given the win.
On the other hand, De La Hoya stated he wasn’t pleased with his performance and, while he hinted at a rematch, his promoter decided against it.
Whitaker then took on Andrey Pestryayev, and while Whitaker won, his victory was nullified, and he was suspended after failing a post-fight drug test.
Whitaker’s Final Fights
Pernell Whitaker suffered his first uncontroversial loss to Félix Trinidad, who was able to defeat Whitaker in the 11th round.
Whitaker’s final fight came in April 2001 against Carlos Bojorquez, but in the fourth round, his clavicle was broken, forcing him into retirement.
Following the fight, Whitaker officially announced he was retiring with a record of 40-4-1 with 17 knockouts.
He then pursued a career as a trainer, working with Dorin Spivey, Joel Julio, and heavyweight Calvin Brock.
In 2010, he was inducted into the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame, and soon after started training Zab Judah, the former welterweight champion.
Unfortunately, Pernell Whitaker lost his life after he was struck and killed by a vehicle while crossing the street in Virginia Beach in 2019.
He was only 55 when he died, and he left behind a lasting legacy that the boxing world will never forget.
Pernell Whitaker Net Worth
At his time of passing, Pernell Whitaker’s net worth was estimated to be $250 Thousand.
More Professional Boxers:
Highlights
Here are some of the best highlights of Pernell Whitaker’s career:
- Fighter of the Year (1989)
- The Ring Ranked Him The Best Active Boxer (1993-1997)
Favorite Quotes from Pernell Whitaker
“That’s the name they gave me when I was about 9 years old. I was just in the boxing ring and I had on my boxing shoes “Sweet Pete” and they misquoted it and as “Sweet Pea” and I couldn’t get it changed out of the papers so I just went with it and ever since then it stuck and it stayed with me and I guess it just grew on me, but it started when I was 9 years old.” – Pernell Whitaker
“I had no favorite fighters. I had none, none whatsoever. Everybody liked Muhammad Ali. So he’s the greatest of all time but me personally, I have no particular one fighter that sticks out. I have my own style.” – Pernell Whitaker
“I knew every time I stepped out there into that ring I gave 100% and every performance I put on showed something different and whatever it was, you guys used to call me a showboat and now you’re calling me the best pound-for-pound.” – Pernell Whitaker
“Every fight that I ever had that had anything to do with controversy was controversial. It wasn’t just a couple, but a fight’s a fight. I don’t complain about them. I don’t look back at them.” – Pernell Whitaker
“Chavez was a great fighter. He was a great, great fighter. When I competed against him it was big. That was one of the good fights of mine, that along with the other fifty.” – Pernell Whitaker
3 Strong Lessons from Pernell Whitaker
Now that you know all about Stephen Colbert’s net worth, and how he achieved success; let’s take a look at some of the strongest lessons we can learn from him:
1. Never Stop Learning
Mistakes are a key part of the curriculum of life. In short, you grow through what you go through. And the battles of today are preparing you for the battles you’ll face in the ring tomorrow. But not if you keep allowing yourself to get knocked out in round one.
2. Focus Your Attention
You are not your thoughts. You are not your emotions. You are not the sensations you experience. The only thing you really have control over in life is your attention.
3. Seize the Moment
Life is too damn short. As sad as it is, tragedy strikes every day. People and pets die all the time. Friends get married and start their families and buy homes across the country. It’s all a natural part of the cycle of life and the ebb and flow of all things.
Summary
Pernell Whitaker was a retired professional boxer and former world champion.
During his amateur days, he had 214 fights, of which he won 201. He is considered to be one of the best boxers in the world.
At his time of passing, Pernell Whitaker’s net worth was estimated to be $250 Thousand.
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