Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker

Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker, a boxing legend was hit by a vehicle Sunday in Virginia Beach and died from his injuries. I always enjoyed watching him fight. In 1984 he won an Olympic gold medal, and went on to become one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world. Ring magazine named him 1989 fighter of the year. He won world championships in 4 different weight classes. Pernell was a master of defense and, HBO boxing announcer Jim Lampley said of him, " He could stand in front of you, and you couldn't find him". He was always very entertaining to watch. Max Kellerman said of him, " Pernell Whitaker was the best pound for pound fighter in the world for about half a decade, and one of the best pure boxers that ever lived." True boxing heads know what he meant to the sport. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2007. He was 55 years old.