What was the cause of Pernell Whitaker's knockdowns?

Do you think it was due to him being off balance?

Or that he was always the smaller man in every significant fight he has been in?

Or that his chin was shaky but his incredible defense prevented him from ever being knocked out?

 

Most were due to being caught off balance I'd say. The only knockdown when he was really hurt imo was against Roger Mayweather.

Other knockdowns, against Poli Diaz, Buddy McGirt, Diosbelys Hurtado, Julio Cesar Vasquez, Felix Trinidad were due to being caught off balance. I don't think having a bad chin had anything to do with it. Being so elaborate with his defense, ducking down, weaving left and right, it's easy to lose balance if tagged, and that's what pretty much happened in those instances.

Mind you, I don't think he had a granite chin or anything, but I wouldn't put those knockdowns due to chin issues.

 

I was leaning towards "off balance" issues aswell because the punches that usually knocked him down were never hard punches like the two knockdowns he suffered against Disobelys Hurtado, though that may not be the best example cause he was pass prime by that time.

 

Was Whitaker ever really hurt by a KD prior to Tito? Most of the KDs I can think of him were flashes (albeit legit) and were almost immediately recovered from.

 

I actually don't believe he was hurt from the knockdown he got from Tito which was in the 2nd round I believe, he was hurt by the knockdown from Roger Mayweather but Roger had expended so much energy when he knocked Pernell down that he could'nt really capatilize on Pernell too much.

 

Cannot remeber seeing Sweet Pea hurt, even vs Tito.

His knockdowns were from being off balance, but I might need to watch the Mayweather fight again.

 

drugs he like cocaine..its a shame

he would have beat PBF

 

Spot on for me.

 

He was definitely hurt vs Mayweather, following that (and another earlier knockdown a few fights before if I remember correctly) most people in the game felt he had a soft chin.

 

Whitaker was also knocked down by Rafael Williams early in his career.

Mayweather had a powerful right hand and caught Whitaker with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWmKcNVMi8s
3:35

I don't think this was counted as a knockdown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRLDqCHJhCo
1:10

 

How do you rate Whitaker's chin?

 

He did go the distance against Tito Trinidad with a broken jaw. He wasn't exactly in his prime either.

 

That's the key. When you twist and turn your way out of punches with your upper body, you're operating on a high-risk strategy: if you get caught, you're going over.

 

Appreciated. How bout this doozy posted in the "How to beat Whitaker" thread a couple weeks ago? This one even gave me some insight. Proof that the **** is still a mad genius I think.