The Boxing History Blog

Nigel Benn With three wins under his belt after surrendering his Commonwealth middleweight title to Michael Watson, Nigel Benn stayed in America and challenged Doug 'Cobra' DeWitt, the inaugural WBO middleweight champion. DeWitt proved his durability by taking Thomas Hearns the full twelve rounds in an unsuccessful bid for the North American Boxing Federation middleweight crown in October 1986. DeWitt was born in Youngstown, Ohio on 14th September 1961 and later moved to Yonkers, New York. He started boxing at fifteen and three years later turned professional, outscoring Peter Pennello in March 1980. The Hearns defeat was the seventh blemish on his record of 27-4-3 (17 KO's), with Ben Serrano, Robbie Sims and Milton McCrory all outscoring him. He also lost his next contest, a third-round TKO to Jose Quinones in February 1987 (Benn took care of Quinones in the first round in December 1989). Three wins and a draw later got him a shot at Sumbu Kalambay for the W...

Nigel Benn Nigel Benn, a Lance Corporal for the First Battalion of Royal Fusiliers was an undefeated welterweight between 1982 and 1984. Only Rod Douglas beat him as an amateur, a loss he later avenged. In 1986 he captured the ABA middleweight title, defeating Gloucester's Johnny Melfah in the final. Benn finished his unpaid career with a record of  41-1. He turned professional in disgust as Douglas was preferred by the Great Britain team to compete in the Commonwealth Games ahead of him. On 28th January 1987, Benn stopped Graeme Ahmed, from South Shields, in the second round on his debut in the paid ranks. The knockouts and stoppages came thick and fast and by April 1988 he was lined up to fight Ghana's Abdul Umaru Sanda for the Commonwealth middleweight crown. In typical explosive fashion, the champion succumbed to Benn's power in round two as he improved to 17-0, all by kayo. Six months later he made the first defence of his domestic title against the J...

Pernell Whitaker Now campaigning as a light-welterweight, Pernell Whitaker easily outpointed Harold Brazier in January 1992 and knocked out Jerry Smith in a round four months later. On 18th July 1992 he stepped back into world-class territory and challenged Rafael Pineda for his IBF light-welterweight title. The defending champion had been a professional since April 1986 and the sole loss on his record came in a challenge to Mark Breland's WBA welterweight crown three years later. The Colombian went on a winning run of six before facing Roger Mayweather for the vacant IBF light-welterweight championship in December 1991. Pineda stopped Mayweather in the ninth round and successfully defended the title for the first time against Clarence Coleman, the same night as Whitaker's first-round blowout of Jerry Smith. On 18th July 1992 at the Mirage Hotel, Las Vegas, Pineda and Whitaker clashed for the championship. The champion was docked points in rounds six and eight for low ...

Pernell Whitaker The new IBF lightweight champion made the first defence of his crown against undefeated Mexican Louis Lomelli at the end of April 1989. Whitaker staggered his opponent in the first round and went on to stop the Mexican in the third. Four months later Whitaker would face arch-nemesis Jose Louis Ramirez again in his home town of Norfolk, Virginia. The fight was also for the vacant WBC lightweight championship, as the holder, Julio Cesar Chavez, had moved up to the light-welterweight division. During fight week it very much looked as if both governing bodies wouldn't be sanctioning Whitaker-Ramirez II. Both organisations were squabbling over who would name the officials, them or the Virginia Athletic Commission. They also had trivial debates, such as what logo would be on the referee's shirt. As it turned out, referee Chris Wollesen, wore neither. On the Wednesday, which was four days before fight night, the IBF president, Bob Lee, was persuaded to sanctio...

Pernell Whitaker One of boxing's most masterful defensive fighters passed away at the age of fifty-five on 14th July 2019. Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker was struck by a vehicle in his home state of Virginia in Virginia Beach at approximately 22-00 on the intersection of Northampton Boulevard and Baker Road. Emergency personnel performed CPR in an attempt to resuscitate him, but they were unsuccessful. The driver of the vehicle also remained at the scene to speak to police. Born on 02nd January 1964 in Norfolk, Virginia, Whitaker went on to be one of America's top amateur boxers, capping off his multi-championships by taking gold at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 as a lightweight, finishing his record as 201-14. Whitaker turned professional in November 1984, ending Farrain Comeaux's 11-0 ledger with a second-round TKO at Madison Square Garden. Also on the card, making their debuts, were the other US Olympic medal winners, Evander Holyfield, Meldrick Taylor, Ma...