Pound for Pound: Who's Number One?
DateMarch 6, 1993
VenueMadison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
Title(s) on the lineWBC welterweight title
Tale of the tape
Boxer James McGirt Pernell Whitaker
Nickname Buddy Sweet Pea
Hometown Brentwood, New York, U.S. Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
Purse $1,000,000 $1,250,000
Pre-fight record 59–2–1 (44 KO) 31–1 (15 KO)
Height 5 ft 6+1⁄2 in (169 cm) 5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Weight 147 lb (67 kg) 146+1⁄4 lb (66 kg)
Style Orthodox Southpaw
Recognition WBC welterweight champion
The Ring No. 5 ranked pound-for-pound fighter
2-division world champion		 IBF junior welterweight champion
The Ring No. 2 ranked pound-for-pound fighter
2-division world champion
Result
Whitaker wins via 12-round unanimous decision (117-111, 115-114, 115-113)

Buddy McGirt vs. Pernell Whitaker, billed as Pound for Pound: Who's Number One?, was a professional boxing match contested on March 6, 1993, for the WBC welterweight title.

Background

A match between reigning WBC welterweight champion James "Buddy" McGirt and reigning IBF light welterweight champion Pernell Whitaker was made official for March 6, 1993, after McGirt's victory over Genaro Léon in January.[1] McGirt had suffered a left shoulder injury prior to his fight Léon, forcing him to win the fight virtually one-handed. McGirt decided to continue with his title defense despite the injury, claiming that "it's not an injury, it's just tendinitis." and that he was going into the fight against Whitaker at "95 percent."[2]

Both McGirt and Whitaker were considered among the best pound-for-pound fighters in boxing (along with the then-WBC light welterweight champion Julio César Chávez and then-WBC light middleweight champion Terry Norris). The winner of the fight was expected to be recognized as the number-one pound-for-pound fighter in the sport.[3]

Whitaker entered the fight as a 12-to-5 favorite, and both fighters were set for a 7-figure payday. McGirt's purse was $1 million while Whitaker's was $1.25 million.[4]

The fight

The fight lasted the full 12 rounds with Whitaker ultimately earning a close but unanimous decision. The fight started off close but Whitaker took control in the middle rounds as McGirt struggled with his left shoulder injury, basically fighting one-handed as he had his previous fight. Whitaker would out-land McGirt in punches, landing 314 of 768 punches for a 41% success rate, while McGirt landed 238 of 717 for a 33% rate. One judge had Whitaker comfortably ahead with a score of 117–111, while the other two judges scored the fight close with Whitaker narrowly winning by scores of 115–114 and 115–113. Whitaker would describe the victory as "easy" while McGirt when asked of the loss, simply stated "My arm went. What can I say?"[5]

Aftermath

Unbeknownst to Whitaker, a deal had already been made prior to his fight with McGirt between his promoter Dan Duva and Julio César Chávez's promoter Don King that would see Chávez challenge for Whitaker's newly won title. Dan's father and Whitaker's trainer and manager Lou Duva had not told Whitaker of the Chávez bout until after his fight with McGirt because he "didn't want to take away his focus."[6]

McGirt was discovered to have a torn rotator cuff after the fight and would undergo surgery to repair the tear days later.[7] After returning to boxing in November and going 5–0 in his subsequent five fights, a rematch with Whitaker was agreed to in August 1994 and took place later in the year in October.[8]

Fight card

Weight Class Weight vs. Method Round Notes
Welterweight 147 lb Pernell Whitaker def. James McGirt (c) UD 12/12 Note 1
Bantamweight 118 lb Junior Jones def. Juan Pablo Salazar KO 4/12 Note 2
Welterweight 147 lb Larry Barnes def. Clarence Coleman UD 10/10
Super Middleweight 168 lb Joe Gatti def. Oscar Noriega TKO 2/8
Light Heavyweight 175 lb Lou Del Valle def. Daren Zenner UD 6/6
Super Middleweight 168 lb Lonnie Bradley def. Ken Wallace MD 4/4

^Note 1 For WBC and lineal welterweight titles
^Note 2 For vacant WBC Continental Americas Bantamweight title

References

  1. ↑ McGirt's Victory Is Anything But Routine, NY Times article, 1993-01-13, Retrieved on 2020-04-12
  2. ↑ McGirt and His Obstacles: One Savvy Boxer, One Sore Shoulder, NY Times article, 1993-03-01, Retrieved on 2020-04-12
  3. ↑ Out on a Limb, Sports Illustrated article, 1993-03-15, Retrieved on 2020-04-12
  4. ↑ McGirt and Whitaker use different approaches for the same results, UPI article, 1993-03-05, Retrieved on 2020-04-12
  5. ↑ Pernell Whitaker, using his speed and capitalizing on his..., UPI article, 1993-03-06, Retrieved on 2020-04-13
  6. ↑ Whitaker Is Winner Over McGirt, NY Times article, 1993-03-07, Retrieved on 2020-04-12
  7. ↑ McGirt Is Undaunted After Shoulder Surgery, NY Times article, 1993-03-16 Retrieved on 2020-04-12
  8. ↑ Whitaker Foe Shoulders His Way Into Rematch, Daily Press article, 1994-08-17 Retrieved on 2020-04-12
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