Sweet Pea loses in ring return

Pernell Whitaker's return to the ring after a 26-month layoff ended in the fourth round Friday when the referee stopped the fight with Carlos Bojorquez after Whitaker hurt his left shoulder.

Whitaker, 37, winced midway through the second round when he hurt the shoulder. He mocked Bojorquez, but was unable to throw anything more potent than a right jab until referee Joe Cortez stopped the bout 27 seconds into the fourth round.

"He thinks he won. He didn't win. I hurt my shoulder," Whitaker said before he was taken to a hospital for evaluation. Dr. Margaret Goodman said he might have separated the shoulder, which had troubled him in training.

It was Whitaker's first fight since he lost a decision to IBF welterweight champion Felix Trinidad 26 months ago. He fought with a broken jaw for half of that bout. Whitaker surrendered his WBC welterweight to Oscar De La Hoya in a decision 22 months earlier.

"Sweet Pea" has held six championships in four weight categories and was fighting in the 154-pound junior middleweight class. He won the 1984 Olympic gold medal at 132 pounds.

Bojorquez (15-2-5, 11 KOs) said he was still feeling out Whitaker when the fight ended.

"I was working hard, taking my time. He hit me with some punches. He didn't hurt me," he said.

Bojorquez, 27, hit Whitaker (40-4-1) with a hard right at the start of the fourth of the scheduled 10-rounder before the referee stopped it.