This Day in History (February 20, 1999)
By Aaron Tallent February 20th, 2007Today in Boxing History: Tito Trinidad decisions Pernell Whitaker
On this day in 1999, Felix Trinidad successfully defended his IBF Welterweight title with a 12-round decision over Pernell Whitaker at Madison Square Garden.
Trinidad, a champion in three weight classes, had held the WBC Welterweight title from 1993 to 1997. The latter year was a very rough time for him. In April of 1997 he lost his title via a unanimous decision to Oscar De La Hoya. Then in October, a decision victory over Andrei Pestriaev in a WBA title eliminator bout was changed to a no contest because Whitaker tested positive from cocaine. He did not fight for all of 1998, and had been absent from the ring for 16 months going into the Trinidad bout.
Trinidad won the IBF title in 1993 with a second-round knockout of Maurice Blocker. He then had ripped through the welterweight division, scoring knockout wins and establishing himself as one of the best and most popular fighters in boxing.
The 35-year-old Whitaker was unable to put much of a fight together against a prime Trinidad. While he lost a lopsided decision and his first unquestionable defeat, Whitaker finished the fight on his feet, something that Trinidad’s previous 10 opponents were unable to do.
Whitaker fought once more before retiring in 2001. Trinidad unified his welterweight title in September of 1999 with a 12-round decision over WBC champ De La Hoya.
February 20th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Felix Trinidad wasn’t HALF the fighter Pernell Whitaker was! In his prime “Sweet Pea” wouldn’t allow a VERY average “Tito” to land a punch if he didn’t feel like it. Trinidad was thoroughly out boxed by de la Hoya (who Pernell dismantled, no matter what the decision says), yet granted a bogus victory, befuddled by Winky Wright, and DESTROYED by Bernard Hopkins, all great BOXERS! He even got a gift win against another average pug in Fernando Vargas!!!! Pernell Whitaker Turned pro in 1984 and was never even in a close match until he had been Champ for nearly FIFTEEN YEARS!!! I guess you should remember this day in history, because Trinidad never beat ANYONE ELSE of note. His crowning achievement was beating a GREAT, yet aging champion! Congratu-friggin-lations!!!!!!!!!
March 4th, 2007 at 4:00 am
actually he kod vargas and basically ruined him as a fighter- how again was that a gift diggy?
August 21st, 2007 at 10:20 pm
hey diggy i guess u are a whitaker fan, its ok to be mad i feel u. u just gotta move on and not be mad at the talent that trinidad has. hes got that one hitter quiter, your boy tried his best but was just not good enough. oh well!!!