Lance Whitaker
Encyclopedia
Lance Whitaker is an American heavyweight
boxer
, who won the bronze medal
as an amateur at the 1995 Pan American Games
in Mar del Plata
. Nicknamed "Mount", or more recently "Goofi", Whitaker was known for his size and personability.
in 1999. Savarese ended Whitaker's 18 fight unbeaten streak with a decision win. Whitaker then went on later that year to hand Monte Barrett
his first loss and in 2000 knocked out undefeated Robert Davis.
Whitaker then scored a devastating KO victory over contender Oleg Maskaev
2001, perhaps the biggest win of his career. At this point Whitaker was seen by many as having the potential to be a future heavyweight champion. Unfortunately for Whitaker, he lost his next fight to Jameel McCline
by unanimous decision. He then drifted into journeyman obscurity, and was knocked out by Luan Krasniqi
in 2005. In 2006 Whitaker lost to Sultan Ibragimov
by knockout, effectively putting an end to his hope for future title belt opportunities. Whitaker continues to fight, but hasn't been highly ranked as a heavyweight in several years.
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, who won the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
as an amateur at the 1995 Pan American Games
Boxing at the 1995 Pan American Games
The Men's Boxing Tournament at the 1995 Pan American Games was held in Mar del Plata, Argentina from March 11 to March 27. It served as a qualification tournament for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia...
in Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Buenos Aires. Mar del Plata is the second largest city of Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" had apparently the sense of "sea of the Río de la Plata region" or "adjoining sea to the Río de la Plata"...
. Nicknamed "Mount", or more recently "Goofi", Whitaker was known for his size and personability.
Professional career
Whitaker turned pro in 1996 and quickly climbed the rankings with knockout wins over limited competition. A win over faded contender Alex Stewart landed him a fight against Lou SavareseLou Savarese
Lou Savarese is an Italian-American boxer, and a former professional boxer from Houston, Texas, United States.-Amateur career:...
in 1999. Savarese ended Whitaker's 18 fight unbeaten streak with a decision win. Whitaker then went on later that year to hand Monte Barrett
Monte Barrett
Monte Barrett is an American professional heavyweight boxer. He was regarded by many as a tough gatekeeper and was a former WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion and current WBO Asia Pacific Heavyweight and WBO Oriental Heavyweight champion...
his first loss and in 2000 knocked out undefeated Robert Davis.
Whitaker then scored a devastating KO victory over contender Oleg Maskaev
Oleg Maskaev
Oleg Alexandrovich Maskaev is a Russian professional boxer and a former WBC heavyweight champion. He is an ethnic Mordvin.-Boxing career:Maskaev, a former mine worker, began his career in the 1980s as an amateur boxer in the Soviet Union, where he held a victory over world champion Vitali...
2001, perhaps the biggest win of his career. At this point Whitaker was seen by many as having the potential to be a future heavyweight champion. Unfortunately for Whitaker, he lost his next fight to Jameel McCline
Jameel McCline
Jameel “Big Time” McCline is a professional heavyweight boxer notable for his speed, strength, and size at 6'6" and 269 lbs. Currently ranked at number 9 in the WBCworld heavyweight ratings...
by unanimous decision. He then drifted into journeyman obscurity, and was knocked out by Luan Krasniqi
Luan Krasniqi
Luan Krasniqi is a professional German boxer of Kosovo Albanian descent.On April, 2006, he was ranked #2 by the WBO, coming before other heavyweight contenders such as Lamon Brewster, Shannon Briggs, and Ruslan Chagaev....
in 2005. In 2006 Whitaker lost to Sultan Ibragimov
Sultan Ibragimov
Sultan-Ahmed Magomedsalihovich Ibragimov, is a retired professional boxer and a former WBO heavyweight champion. He is of Avar Dagestani Muslim descent...
by knockout, effectively putting an end to his hope for future title belt opportunities. Whitaker continues to fight, but hasn't been highly ranked as a heavyweight in several years.
Nickname
Whitaker is likely most known for his bizarre adoption of the "Goofi" nickname prior to his fight with McCline in 2001. Whitaker's popularity was skyrocketing in boxing circles, and his promoter, the infamous Rock Newman, concocted the stunt to generate publicity and sentiment towards Whitaker.Amateur career
- National Golden Gloves Super Heavyweight (1993)
- United States (AAU) National Amateur Super Heavyweight champion (1994)