earnie shavers: the hardest heavyweight puncher ever?

[Ron Swanson]

You don't have to wait too long. I watched Shavers /Cobb this morning and Shavers was gasping for air after round 1.

[Bill Paxtom]

The Bout

Round 1

This time, Earnie took it easy in the 'Opening Round', and was not Hell-Bent
on trying to take out 'Irish Pat' in the 1st-Round.

Earnie was both patient and cautious, as Duncan had decent hand-speed.

The action in the 1st-Round was 'even', as both Heavyweights were looking
to counter while looking for an opening.
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Round 2

In Round 2, Earnie {208 lbs.} used his strength to get in a bit closer, as Pat {203 lbs.}
was on the defensive side.

Earnie clubbed in a few right-hands as Pat moved backwards during the first-half
of the session.

But, as Earnie moved in at the {1:45 Mark}, Pat fired off quick 'left-right'
combinations to stall Earnie's attack.

Pat was more effective over the last minute of Round 2, as he was faster than Earnie.

Earnie tried for the Home-Run near the end of the Round, and just missed Pat's chin
with a whistling right-hand.
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[Bill Paxtom]

'Round 3'

Both fighters meet at Center-Ring.

'Irish Pat' decides to test Earnie's chin, and starts off by wailing away
with a fast flurry.

The punches bounce off of Earnie's head, but he is not bothered by the
blows.

'Irish Pat' slams another hard flurry into Earnie, and then backs out fast.

Earnie trudges forward, and is starting to put aggressive pressure on Pat
who is backing away slowly.

At the {1:40 Mark}, Earnie slams in a hard left-hook, and digs a hard right
into Pat's side. Pat gasps, and circles to his left.

Earnie 'zings' Pat with a looping right-hand. Pat is shaken, and grabs onto
Earnie's arms, and holds on until the Referee breaks them apart at the
{2:05 Mark}.

Earnie starts working {one-two's} into Pat at the {2:30 Mark}.

Earnie traps Pat along the Ropes, and starts slamming him with hard blows
to the upper-body and face.

At the bell, Pat looks weary and his face is red.

[Bill Paxtom]

'Round 4'

Earnie comes out with intention of ending the bout, as 'Irish Pat' looked
weary at the end of Round 3.

Earnie starts off with forward-pressing, and sends in hard blows to Duncan's
body.

Pat goes back to the Ropes, and tries to fend off the punches. But Earnie will
not be denied, and continues with a steady flow of hard body-punches.

Pat comes back with a '3-Punch' combination, but he has no 'zip' behind his
punches. Pat lands a good right-hand lead to Earnie's face at the {1:30 Mark}.

Earnie rocks Pat with a long right-hand to the head at the {1:45 Mark}. Earnie
keeps up the pressure.

Pat in now bleeding from the nose, and his face is beet red. Pat reels on
his heels at the {2:20 Mark} after taking another barrage of blows to the head.

Earnie nearly drops Pat, when he lands a left-hook to the head and hard right-hand
into the left side Pat's body at the {2:30 Mark}.

Pat spends the last 20-Seconds of the Round in 'survival-mode'.

[Bill Paxtom]

Round 5

'Irish Pat' is slow in coming out for Round 5.

Earnie, knowing that he has a hurt opponent in front of him, takes it
easy for the first 1-Minute, and eases into Pat with light-punches.

At the {1:10 Mark}, Earnie picks up the pace and forces Pat back to the
Corner.

There, Earnie unloads with his heavy-bombs. 'Irish Pat' takes about a
half-dozen bombs before going down at the {1:26 Mark}.

Pat gets up at the '6-Count', and looks hurt. But he wants to continue.

Earnie moves in, and rips away with left-hooks and several right-hands
to the left-side of Pat's head, as Pat turns to his right-side.

Pat Duncan goes down on his right-side, and is counted out at the
{1:57 Mark} of Round 5.

AP Report > "Shavers Captures Nevada State Heavyweight Title"

[brocktonblockbust]

Round 5

'Irish Pat' is slow in coming out for Round 5.

Earnie, knowing that he has a hurt opponent in front of him, takes it
easy for the first 1-Minute, and eases into Pat with light-punches.

At the {1:10 Mark}, Earnie picks up the pace and forces Pat back to the
Corner.

There, Earnie unloads with his heavy-bombs. 'Irish Pat' takes about a
half-dozen bombs before going down at the {1:26 Mark}.

Pat gets up at the '6-Count', and looks hurt. But he wants to continue.

Earnie moves in, and rips away with left-hooks and several right-hands
to the left-side of Pat's head, as Pat turns to his right-side.

Pat Duncan goes down on his right-side, and is counted out at the
{1:57 Mark} of Round 5.

AP Report > "Shavers Captures Nevada State Heavyweight Title"

There! Right there! @Max Power @Beanflicker Right there, you see Earnie beating a Top 25 heavyweight. "Irish" Pat Duncan, a big man with very fast combinatins for a heavyweight, highly-touted, touted even higher than Scott LeDoux or Duane Bobick was, for that time. EARNIE SHAVERS RUINED DUNCAN'S CAREER BEFORE IT EVEN GOT STARTED. A devastating KO for Shavers that night.

[Bill Paxtom]

Brockton Blockbuuster,

Correct on 'Irish Pat' Duncan.

A Good Heavyweight.

After the 'loss' to Earnie Shavers on September 28, 1971 >

'Irish Pat' won 14-of-15 over the next 2 1/2 years.

By March 1974 >

'Irish Pat' {Age; 25 years, 2 months} got to > 33-5-1 {23 KO's}, which included wins
over quality opponents;
* Fred Lewis
* Elmer Rush
* Danny McAlinden {@ Royal Albert Hall, London, United Kingdom}

Pat Duncan reached the #15 WBC Heavyweight position in February 1974.