It is with great sadness that we inform you that one of the best to ever do it, Pernell Whitaker, has passed away at the age of 55.
Rest in Love King! 🙏🏾
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Pernell Whitaker 1964-2019 pic.twitter.com/tNznlMbTpo— Lennox Lewis (@LennoxLewis) July 15, 2019
The former four-weight world champion (40-4-1) died Sunday night after being struck by a vehicle in Virginia Beach, police announced. Domonique, one of the sons of the 1984 Olympic gold medalist posted the following on social media.
“To everyone please respect my family’s privacy in this trying moment. I wanna inform people that today we lost a legend truly one of boxing’s greatest Pound for Pound champions, my father Pernell ‘Sweetpea’ Whitaker.”
“Sweet Pea”, as they called him, was one of the greatest defensive boxers in the history of the sport. His unique style made him one of the most recognizable names in the lightweight and the welterweight categories in the late ’80s and early ’90s.