Pernell Whitaker vs Willie Pep

This is Whitaker's weight, he would be slightly more on the point than Pep for a unanimous decision.

 

The winner fights Nicolino Locche.

 

Another unfair Fantasy fight...Why would you match a true 126lb featherweight Willie Pep
with the bigger Pernell Whitaker.? I saw Pep in his glorious prime and he was always a featherweight when he was in his prime. Makes no sense I believe...
Would you match the prime LW Pernell against the prime WW Sugar Ray Robinson in a fantasy match ? Nay, I say...

 

i think its good to think about this, willie is the underdog but whitaker never fought anyone remotley like pep. whitaker is no given to ko most guys, let alone someone with those pure skills.
it would probably be a very dirty fight, lots of heeling, one of the lost arts.
if pep fought well, and to a nice gameplan i would be happy sitting on 4/1 or more after 5 rounds.(over 15)

 

Pep may be greatest of all time, I can't say that about Whiticker. From Chalkey Wright bouts till loss to Sadler, he was greatest boxer ever. He also had amateur career with over 500 fights. If not for that plane crash maybe he ads a few years to prime.

 

Whitaker is bigger, and this would assist him, because he was also more physical as a boxer. When they got close, he'd rather clearly get the better of it, and this would allow him to win enough rounds to secure a definitive, if extremely competitive, win.

When they boxed at any type of range, though, it would be the finest of treats to see.

I wonder if they would be able to even land definitive and powerful hits on eachother, or if the distance battle would really be about jabs.

I think Pea has the better jab and its coming from the right side, but Pep was even harder to hit(Feels weird to write that somebody was harder to hit than Whitaker).

Shoot, man, talk about an amazing chess match.

 

Fighting a southpaw bothers everybody. The question is, to what extent.

I think it would be, at most, mildly uncomfortable for a master like Pep. I can't see it taking more than a round or two to make the adjustments to avoid whatever he's having trouble avoiding.

 

Pep at his best was the best, even though Pernell was a higher weight 10 lbs higher...I still like Willie Pep...one of the greatest ever

 

Well Whitaker wasn't a very big lightweight but he was big enough to win a title at 154. when pep fought a lightweight champion (with an admittedly more physical style than Pea) he lost.

 

Pea was better. The size advantage is just an extra plus for him.

 

Willie Pep did lose to Sammy [the clutch] Angott who would have given Whitaker fits, as he was on your chest like flypaper . Pep, much lighter lost a close decision. But for your information Willie Pep beat the great lightweight classy boxer Willie Joyce who beat the great Ike Williams 3 times. Joyce would be a handful for Whitaker,for he was a great artisan...

 

Well from what I've heard about Joyce he gave everyone fits. But my point was skill level being close I'll go with the bigger man. Who also happens to be a southpaw.
And I think Angott gives Pea more than a fit.

 

I'd have to give the nod to sweet pea, bigger, more physical etc. but i wouldn't be at all suprised if the will o wisp pulled of some magic like he did against saddler, either case it would be one beaut of a fight giving much credence to boxing being the 'sweet science'.

 

LR. To match a Fantasy fight, the two fighters SHOULD be from the same weight division, otherwise the thread should ask"who is the better P4P fighter ", Willie Pep at 126 pounds or Pernell Whitaker at 135 pounds.?
Were Pep and Whitaker to have fought at their FW and LW division weight is unfair to Pep, JUST as it would be unfair to match Whitaker against a Ray Robinson at LW and WW weights, to a Fantasy fight.
As far as P4P ,who was better, I'll just cite that Willie Pep had 242 bouts in his astounding career, whilst Pernell Whitaker had but 46 fights...And Willie Pep fought the last 70% of his fights, after his almost fatal plane crash which slowed the " Will of The Wisp" , down considerably...
So in response to who had the better record, I will take the man who had FIVE times as many bouts...Name ? Willie Pep, who I saw in his prime. For what it's worth. Cheers

 

I actually agree with you. From the scant film I've seen of Pep he's breathtaking. I can't imagine what he was like in his prime. And people (like myself) sometimes look at Pep's record and the number of fights he had and the activity rate is mind boggling. Even if several of those people were d level fighters lot weren't. I wonder of Whittaker would have looked as good if he was fighting once a month?