With the untimely passing of Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker, a tribute to honor his patriotism and incredible sports talent was planned for April 16, 17 & 18, 2020. The most exciting boxing event in Virginia will be rescheduled for later this year due to outbreak worries over the spread of COVID-19.
Mid Atlantic Boxing, the event organizer, announced today that the Sweet Pea Whitaker Tribute Weekend is cancelled out of an abundance of concern for the health and wellbeing of all athletes and participants, regarding the
coronavirus outbreak and impending travel restrictions.
On behalf of the Whitaker Family, this year’s event was scheduled to begin on Thursday, April 16, 2020 with the Tribute Event. Friday was the Weigh-In, and Saturday was the main event with 12 Bouts of professional boxing including one world championship and two Virginia State Titles. Mid-Atlantic Boxing is working with the Virginia Boxing Commissioner to identify available dates later this year.
The inaugural event will establish the City of Norfolk as the east coast destination for competitive Boxing. Attendance from Sweet Pea’s 1984 Olympic Boxing Team and many professional boxers is expected, as well as an audience of 10,000 people for the championship bouts. Organizers will assess the progress of the outbreak and announce the new dates when the risk subsides.
The Sweet Pea Tribute Weekend being cancelled is not a unique incident. Other sporting and business events have also announced intentions for delays, rescheduling or cancellations as a result of coronavirus concerns. Over two dozen industry events in Asia have announced postponements. For additional information, please please contact the event organizer, Mid-Atlantic Boxing LLC at [email protected]
