Feb. 18, 1989: Whitaker vs Haugen

Looking back it’s difficult not to feel some measure of regret for Pernell Whitaker, and this is apart from the fact he was taken from us far too soon in a deadly car accident in  2019. And while it may seem absurd to wish things had been different for a boxer who won six world titles in four divisions and made a boatload of money, the fact is one of the greatest boxers who ever lived never received the credit and popularity he truly deserved. It was uphill all the way, and for one reason: his ring brilliance just didn’t provide the kind of excitement most fight fans crave. It’s impossible to compete with a boxer you can’t hit, thus so many of Whitaker’s matches were, in terms of action, something less than scintillating. Constantly shifting and sliding, bobbing and weaving, “Sweet Pea” was as elusive as a wisp of smoke in his prime. As the great southpaw himself put it, “If I don’t want God to hit me, He’s not going to hit me.”

111Whitaker

Too cute for some, too cocky for others, Whitaker’s name rarely comes up when it should. The best boxer of the 1990s? Pose the question and you’ll hear fans orate passionately about Lennox Lewis, Roy Jones Jr., and Evander Holyfield, ignoring the fact Whitaker bested stiffer opposition than all three and didn’t suffer a legitimate defeat until the decade was almost over. That was when Felix Trinidad outpointed him, but by then Whitaker was 35-years-old and his best days and moves were long behind him. His last great performance was a highly competitive tilt against a younger and much bigger Oscar De La Hoya, but the judges took the win from Pernell, just as they had when he clearly out-boxed Mexican champions Julio César Chávez and Jose Luis Ramirez.

Pernell Whitaker
Against Ramirez, Pernell was blatantly robbed.

Whitaker’s first fight with Ramirez remains one of the most blatant robberies in the long history of pugilism and the circumstances surrounding it should have merited a full-blown investigation. Incredibly, despite the howls of outrage from every quarter, Whitaker did not receive an immediate rematch. Instead, a year later he got a second chance at a world championship against Greg Haugen, for the IBF version of the lightweight title.

If one were to make a list of the most anti-climactic fights in boxing history, Whitaker vs Haugen would have to rank fairly high. Pernell had already established himself as the top talent in the division, if not the best in the entire sport, pound-for-pound. Haugen, while as tough and game as they come, simply was not in the same league as “Sweet Pea” in terms of talent, skill and versatility.

Haugen (left) battles Hector Camacho.
As game as they come: Haugen (left) battles Hector Camacho.

But that’s not to say he didn’t belong in the ring that day. Haugen had earned his opportunities the hard way, competing in over three hundred amateur fights and winning a bunch of “Tough Man” competitions in his native Alaska before turning pro and pulling off a major upset when he bested Jimmy Paul for a world title. His defense against Whitaker was his third after splitting two tough fifteen round battles with Vinny Pazienza. An effective counterpuncher with a good jab, Haugen had experience and skill, but his power was middling at best and he was going up against a truly gifted boxer, a pugilistic artist in the vein of Willie Pep, not to mention a man on a mission. Having been robbed against Ramirez, Whitaker was determined to leave no doubt in anyone’s mind as to who was the true champion of the lightweights.

"Sweet Pea" dominated.
“Sweet Pea” punishes Haugen.

Performing in front of his hometown fans in Hampton, Virginia, Whitaker started fast and as early as the second round he had taken full control of the action. Backing Haugen up, scoring repeatedly with right jabs and beautiful combinations to both head and body, “Sweet Pea” was already dominating the champion. Pernell’s superior speed and timing were glaringly apparent as Haugen was reduced to smiling and mugging after getting tagged with clean, jarring punches. At the end of round three the crowd came to its feet when Haugen was hurt by two hard shots to the body followed by a powerful uppercut.

By the fifth, Haugen wasn’t just being dominated; he was taking a beating. Having prepared for a boxer who would be moving and circling, the champion had no answer for an aggressive Whitaker who came forward behind a stinging jab and refused to give ground on the inside. Overwhelmed and out of options, the champion regularly backed to the ropes where Whitaker took target practice, snapping sharp shots to Haugen’s face before digging both fists to the body.

Pernell Whitaker
Haugen was hand-cuffed.

In the sixth, a precise counter left put Haugen down, the first knockdown of his entire career, amateur or pro. Near the end of the seventh Whitaker forced Haugen to the ropes with four hard right jabs, feinted a fifth and immediately clobbered the champion with a vicious straight left and an uppercut. He then got home seven thudding body shots, while mixing in some more jabs and uppercuts. It was like watching Picasso or Pollack attack a blank canvas as the fight became a rout, as well as a pugilistic masterpiece.

Whitaker slowed his attack somewhat in the eighth and ninth, dancing and using the ring more, though he clearly won both rounds. A desperate Haugen came out hard in round ten and Whitaker, like a stern schoolmaster correcting an errant pupil, immediately put Greg in his place, forcing him to the ropes and battering him with both hands. The ever game champion never stopped trying, but Whitaker was toying with him now, snapping his head back with almost every jab and strafing him with extended flurries of sharp shots to which Haugen had no reply.

Pernell Whitaker
For most of the 90s, Whitaker was clearly ‘The Best.’

The first two minutes of the final round saw Whitaker content to circle and showboat, but then he closed with a flourish, unleashing one vicious salvo after another. After each lathering of leather, the tough-as-iron Haugen would smile, drop his hands and shake his head, as if to say, “That all you got?” and Whitaker would then mete out another sustained volley, as if to say, “Okay, here’s some more,” bringing the crowd to its feet as he concluded his masterful performance with authority. After the final bell Haugen, showing class, applauded Whitaker before the official scorecards were even tabulated.

Later that same year Whitaker would avenge his “loss” to Ramirez with a shut-out points win before going on to steam-roll the super-lightweight and welterweight divisions. Julio Cesar Chavez finally agreed to meet Whitaker in 1993 and “Sweet Pea” gave a virtuoso performance against a legend and a Hall of Famer, only to have the judges, once again, deny Whitaker his rightful glory when they absurdly deemed the bout a draw. It’s been said many times before, but let it be said again: Whitaker vs Chavez is a straight-up robbery. Pernell won no fewer than eight rounds.

Haugen: "
Haugen: “Hands down, Pernell Whitaker.”

Haugen fought for another decade, winning against Héctor Camacho and Ray Mancini, but losing to Pazienza and Chavez. He willingly took on all comers, amassing a record of more than fifty pro fights. And years later, when asked who was the best boxer he ever faced, he didn’t hesitate for a second. “Hands down,” he said, “Pernell Whitaker.”       — Michael Carbert

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2 thoughts on “Feb. 18, 1989: Whitaker vs Haugen

  • June 17, 2021 at 12:25 pm
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    Whitaker was not “hands down” better than Chavez. When Chavez fought Whitaker and Haugen, he was three years past his prime. When Whitaker fought Haugen, he was in his prime.

    Reply
    • February 18, 2022 at 10:23 pm
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      Maybe you shouldn’t be telling Greg Haugen who the best he ever faced was. If he said it was Pernell, that’s who it was. Just because it doesn’t fit with how you want to see it, that doesn’t mean much to the fighter who fought them both..

      Reply

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