Nicknamed “Sweet Pea”, Pernell Whitaker is a retired American professional boxer and is now a professional boxing trainer. He has an estimated net worth of $5 million that he earned through his professional boxing career. He was the gold medallist at the 1982 World Championships as well as the gold medallist at the 1983 Pan American Games and the 1984 Olympics. When he turned pro, he became world champion in four different weight divisions. He has fought against world champions including Julio Cesar Chavez, Oscar De La Hoya, and Felix Trinidad. He was named the 1989 Fighter of the Year by Ring Magazine with his achievements. In 1989 and 1993, he was the BWAA Fighter of the Year.

Sweet Pea is a former WBA Light Middleweight Champion, WBC Welterweight Champion, IBF Light Welterweight Champion, WBC, WBA, & IBF Lightweight Champion, and NABF Lightweight Champion. He is considered as one of the top 5 lightweights of all time. He is a boxer known for his defensive skills who began his boxing career at the age of nine. He was called “Sweet Pete” during his amateur years where he won 201 out of 214 with 91 KO’s. It was later changed to “Sweet Pea” and he has won 40 out of 46 professional fights and 17 of them were won by KO.

Whitaker returned into the world of professional boxing as a trainer after retirement. Among his trained boxers include Dorin Spivey, Joel Julio, Calvin Brock, and served as the head trainer of Zab Judah. He was ranked at number 10 by Ring Magazine in their list of The 100 Greatest Fighters of the Last 80 Years in 2002. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility on December 7, 2006.