Pernell Whitaker vs. Buddy McGirt II

Pernell Whitaker vs. Buddy McGirt II, billed as "The Final Say" was a professional boxing match contested on October 1, 1994 for the WBC and lineal welterweight titles.

The Final Say
DateOctober 1, 1994
VenueThe Scope in Norfolk, Virginia
Title(s) on the lineWBC/lineal Welterweight Titles
Tale of the tape
Boxer Pernell Whitaker James McGirt
Nickname "Sweet Pea" "Buddy"
Hometown Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. Brentwood, New York, U.S.
Purse $2,500,000 $600,000
Pre-fight record 33–1–1 64–3–1
Height 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) 5 ft 6 1⁄2 in (169 cm)
Weight 147 lb (67 kg) 146 lb (66 kg)
Style Southpaw Orthodox
Recognition WBC/lineal
Welterweight champion		 WBC
#1 Ranked Welterweight
Result
Whitaker defeats McGirt by unanimous decision (118–112, 117–113, 117–110)

Background

Following a hotly disputed draw with Julio César Chávez, reigning WBC welterweight Pernell Whitaker would then return to his hometown of Norfolk, Virginia to make a successful defense against Santos Cardona, winning by a easy unanimous decision.[1] Following his win over Cardona, Whitaker would next agree to a rematch with James "Buddy" McGirt.[2] Whitaker and McGirt had fought the previous year, with Whitaker scoring a close unanimous decision to capture McGirt's WBC welterweight title. Following the fight, McGirt would undergo surgery for a torn rotator cuff, an injury that had plagued him throughout both the Whitaker fight and his previous title defense against Genaro Léon.[3] Though expected to be out of boxing for a year, McGirt would return 7 months later with a unanimous decision victory over Nick Rupa.[4] McGirt would ultimately go 5–0 after his first loss to Whitaker and insisted on a rematch, calling Whitaker a "punk" and accusing him of ducking him.[5]

The fight

Unlike their close first fight, Whitaker would dominate most of the fight and won by a lopsided unanimous decision. Though Whitaker controlled most of the fight, McGirt would score the only knockdown of the fight, sending Whitaker down on the seat of his pants after landing a right hand. Said Whitaker of the knockdown "It was just a flash knockdown, it caught me off balance, it didn't bother me at all. It made me more aware of what I had to do. I still think I got the round." Knockdown notwithstanding, Whitaker threw a considerable amount of punches more than McGirt, throwing 816 punches of which he landed 330 for a 40% success rate, while McGirt only landed 154 of his 504 thrown punches for a 31% rate. The fight would go the full 12 rounds and all three of the judge's scorecards had Whitaker winning comfortably with scores of 118–112, 117–113 and 117–110.[6]

Fight card
Weight Class Weight vs. Method Round Notes
Welterweight 147 lb Pernell Whitaker (c) def. James McGirt UD 12/12 Note 1
Heavyweight 200+ lb David Tua def. Ken Lakusta KO 4/10
Light Middleweight 154 lb Raúl Márquez def. Darryl Cherry KO 6/10
Cruiserweight 190 lb Jade Scott def. Stacy McSwain TKO 2/10
Light Welterweight 140 lb Dorin Spivey def. James Edwards TKO 4/4
Heavyweight 200+ lb Courage Tshabalala def. Ken Williams RTD 1/4

^Note 1 For WBC and Lineal Welterweight titles

References
  1. Champion Whitaker Dispenses with Cardona, Washington Post article, 1994-04-10, Retrieved on 2020-04-15
  2. Whitaker Foe Shoulders His Way Into Rematch, Daily Press article, 1994-08-17 Retrieved on 2020-04-15
  3. McGirt to Have Surgery, NY Times article, 1993-03-10, Retrieved on 2020-04-16
  4. McGirt Armed for Redemption, South Florida Sun-Sentinel article, 1994-10-01, Retrieved on 2020-04-16
  5. Whitaker May Have "Final Say" Against McGirt, Associated Press article, 1994-08-17, Retrieved on 2020-04-16
  6. Whitaker Dominated McGirt in Rematch, NY Times article, 1994-10-02, Retrieved on 2020-04-16
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