THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, November 20, 1995 TAG: 9511200177
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Comment
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. LENGTH: Medium: 98 lines
For most of his career, Pernell ``Sweetpea'' Whitaker has lacked the quality opponents that help define greatness.
Finally, as the end draws near, he has appealing antagonists.
Perhaps only the 1993 showdown with Julio Cesar Chavez - which elevated Whitaker to the perch of the world's best pound-for-pound fighter - will surpass what's in store for the World Boxing Council welterweight champion in 1996. Whitaker, who knocked out Jake Rodriguez on Saturday, has his sights set on two young, strong and undefeated fellow welterweight champions in Felix Trinidad and Ike Quartey.
The proposed welterweight unification series could have boxing abuzz. The question is: Will boxing's asinine politics interfere with the matchmaking?
Anyone who has followed Whitaker's career knows that possibility exists.
It took years for the consummation of a Whitaker-Chavez match. After the controversial draw, Don King, Chavez's promoter, stood on the ring apron at the San Antonio Alamodome smiling and shouting ``Rematch, rematch.''
However, King repeatedly has refused overtures for a rematch. Whitaker's camp contends that King knows that Chavez would lose, further tarnishing his reputation and box-office appeal.
Once again, King stands in the way of a climactic Whitaker fight. He is Trinidad's promoter - at least for now. Trinidad is suing King in an attempt to wrest free of a restrictive contract. His attorney, Fred Levin, believes that Trinidad, the International Boxing Federation champ, will win if it goes to court.
Levin is hopeful of a quick settlement and freedom from King, who has always buried Trinidad on the undercards of multifight shows. The Duvas' company, Main Events, won a purse bid to hold Trinidad's title defense on Saturday's undercard of Whitaker's sixth-round knockout of Jake Rodriguez. Trinidad reportedly received $1 million, three times his previous career-best payday, for his fourth-round knockout of Larry Barnes.
If Trinidad can get free of King, he's free to fight Whitaker.
``We'd love to make it next, but realistically I think they'll both have one more fight and then they'll fight in early September,'' said Main Events president Dino Duva. HBO is counting on another Whitaker fight in April, and Hector Camacho or Yori Boy Campas could be the foe. Norfolk is a possible site.
``I'll tell you one thing: Pete wants this Trinidad fight now,'' Duva said. ``He told me, `I don't want to screw around. It's hard for me to get motivated anymore, but a fight like Trinidad I can get motivated for.' ''
At Saturday's postfight press conference, Whitaker and Trinidad heaped praise upon one another interspersed with a little invective.
``He's one of boxing's great young fighters, but he's 22 years old,'' said Whitaker, who turns 32 in January. ``He's a baby.''
``You're a great fighter,'' the Puerto Rican Trinidad said through his interpreter. ``But I wanna tell you something: I'm no kid. And I'm going to show you that I'm not a kid. Hector `Macho' Camacho said I was a kid, and you saw what happened to him.''
Whitaker shot back: ``Respect your elders. Camacho couldn't carry my bags to the dressing room.''
And Trinidad with the counterpunch: ``I'm going to show Whitaker he doesn't have it anymore.''
Ah, boxing bluster. This is one fight that could be more entertaining than the buildup.
``Pete is salivating for that fight,'' said Lou DiBella, vice president of Time Warner Sports, owner of HBO Sports and its pay-per-view arm, TVKO.
The HBO folks have a little spittle on their chins as well. Trinidad is 27-0 with 23 knockouts. Whitaker is 37-1-1 with 16 knockouts. The World Boxing Association champ Quartey is 30-0 with 26 knockouts.
Like Trinidad, Quartey, 25, is a rising young star. HBO would like to have both of them in its stable long after Whitaker has retired.
According to Boxing Illustrated's ranking of the world's best fighters pound-for-pound, Whitaker is second behind Roy Jones Jr., Trinidad is third and Quartey is 11th. In The Ring, Whitaker is first, Trinidad is fifth and Quartey doesn't make the top 10, but would be in the top 15 if the magazine went that deep, editor-in-chief Steve Farhood said.
Welterweight is arguably boxing's best division right now. If everything goes according to plan, Quartey will fight on the Whitaker-Trinidad undercard, then meet the winner.
``It will be one of the most exciting series in boxing,'' Duva said.
Trinidad and Quartey are a pair of foils Whitaker's career has long lacked. Now if all the principals can just pull it off.
``Boxing is about putting the best against the best,'' Whitaker said. ``That hasn't happened too often lately.''
He speaks from experience. ILLUSTRATION: AP color photo
Pernell ``Sweetpea'' Whitaker gets a cooling splash of water after
his sixth-round knockout of Jake Rodriguez. The WBC welterweight
champ's next fight could be in Norfolk in April. After that,
undefeated fellow champs Felix Trinidad and Ike Quartey are
possibilities.
by CNB