Pernell Whitaker vs Juan Nazario

Pernell Whitaker became the undisputed lightweight champion with a sudden first-round knockout of Juan Nazario at the outdoor arena at Caesars Tahoe, Stateline, Nevada, on August 11, 1990. Whitaker, holder of the WBC and IBF championships, stopped the WBA champion with one second remaining in the opening round of their scheduled 12-round contest. Both men weighed 135 pounds. Referee Mills Lane counted Nazario out after a clean left hand sent him heavily to the canvas. A crowd of 5,500 saw Whitaker become the first universally recognised lightweight champion since Roberto Duran left the division in 1978.

Whitaker entered as a 9-1 favourite, although an early knockout was not widely expected. The southpaw from Norfolk had acquired his reputation through speed, balance, defensive skill and precise counter-punching rather than through one-blow finishes. He had won the IBF title from Greg Haugen in February 1989 and added the vacant WBC championship by comprehensively defeating Jose Luis Ramirez six months later. His previous appearance had been a points victory over Azumah Nelson in May. Nazario had taken a different route to the unification contest. The Puerto Rican had been stopped by Edwin Rosario in their first meeting in 1987 but reversed that result at Madison Square Garden in April 1990, winning the WBA title and earning the opportunity to meet Whitaker.

Nazario began carefully, keeping his guard high and attempting to establish his position against Whitaker’s southpaw stance. Whitaker moved lightly before him, showing the right jab and changing the distance with small shifts of his feet. There was no prolonged assault during the early part of the round. Whitaker observed, probed and waited for Nazario to commit himself. The challenger to Nazario’s WBA title was also the recognised favourite, but he did not rush the work or attempt to force a premature opening.

Whitaker’s right jab gradually began to find the target. He struck Nazario to the head and then varied his attack to the body, using the change in level to draw the Puerto Rican’s attention downward. Nazario remained upright and appeared in no immediate difficulty as the round entered its closing seconds. Whitaker then drove a firm left into the body and followed with another left over the top. The finishing punch travelled directly to the chin from an angle Nazario did not appear to see. His legs gave way at once, and he fell onto his back near the ropes.

Lane began the count as Whitaker moved to a neutral corner. Nazario made no effective attempt to rise. The count reached ten at 2 minutes 59 seconds, leaving only one second on the clock. No judges’ decision was required, although Patricia Morse Jarman, Dave Moretti and Ray Solis had been appointed to score the contest. The knockout was complete and without controversy. Nazario had not been worn down, cut or subjected to a prolonged beating. One accurately placed punch had ended the contest before the first bell.

The result was notable because it contradicted the common view that Whitaker lacked finishing power. He had often been content to accumulate points while making opponents miss, and his finest qualities were normally displayed over the full championship distance. Against Nazario, however, the same timing which made him an exceptional defensive boxer produced a perfect attacking opportunity. The body punch lowered Nazario’s attention, the follow-up left arrived unseen, and the accuracy of the blow made additional force unnecessary.

Whitaker received a $500,000 purse, while Nazario earned $450,000. The contest concluded a three-bout championship programme which also included Hector Camacho’s points victory over Tony Baltazar and Meldrick Taylor’s decision over Primo Ramos. Those earlier contests had travelled the distance, and another long technical match had been anticipated in the principal event. Instead, Whitaker supplied the only abrupt finish of the evening and did so against a recognised champion who had been stopped only once previously.

For Nazario, the defeat ended his WBA reign in his first defence. He had entered with a record of 21 victories and two defeats and had earned his position by avenging the loss to Rosario, but he was given no opportunity to test Whitaker over a sustained period. For Whitaker, the victory brought together the WBA, WBC and IBF championships and confirmed his position at the head of the lightweight division. He had won major decisions through superior boxing before; at Caesars Tahoe, he settled the matter with the cleanest and most decisive punch of his championship career.

I’ve always said people confuse punching power with the ability to score knockouts. Pernell Whitaker was never a heavy-handed destroyer like Edwin Rosario, but his timing and accuracy were so good that a clean shot could do serious damage. Juan Nazario found that out with one second left in the opening round.

Nazario was no useless champion. He had avenged his earlier stoppage defeat by Rosario to win the WBA lightweight title, while Whitaker arrived holding the WBC and IBF belts after thoroughly outboxing men such as Greg Haugen, Jose Luis Ramirez and Azumah Nelson. The expectation was for a technical 12-round contest, not a one-punch finish.

What impressed me was the setup. Whitaker occupied Nazario with the right jab, changed levels and worked downstairs, then brought the straight left over the top. Nazario never saw it properly. His legs switched off immediately, and Mills Lane counted him out at 2:59.

That is elite punching, not loading up, not swinging from the cheap seats, but creating the opening and placing the shot exactly where it belongs. Whitaker became the first undisputed lightweight champion since Roberto Duran, and he did it in the least expected manner.

For me, this was Sweet Pea at his most complete. People remember the defence, the angles and the showmanship, but this finish showed that his attacking intelligence was every bit as special.