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RIP Sweet Pea

Boxing great Pernell Whitaker dies aged 55 after being hit by vehicle

‘Sweet Pea’ was one of the greatest boxers to have ever lived.

BOXING ICON PERNELL Whitaker has died at the age of 55 after being struck by a vehicle.

He was hit by the vehicle at an intersection in Virginia Beach on Sunday night and died of his injuries at the scene, according to local police.

The driver of the car is known to the authorities, and the incident is being investigated.

Known as ‘Sweet Pea’, Whitaker is considered by many to have been the best defensive fighter of all time.

He won world titles in four weight classes before retiring with a record of 40-4-1(17KOs) in 2001. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame upon his first year of eligibility in 2006.

A ring wizard, Whitaker’s spellbinding skill and guile saw him win world titles at lightweight, light-welterweight, welterweight, and light-middleweight.

In 1989, he was named Fighter of the Year by both Ring Magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America. From 1993 to 1997, the aforementioned ‘Bible of Boxing’ ranked him as the world’s pound-for-pound kingpin.

The Virginia native also won gold at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Whitaker was adjudged by most observers to have been one of the finest proponents of the ‘Sweet Science’ in boxing history.

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