Quote Originally Posted by Beanflicker
As fans, we could argue abotu this all day. But the fact is we have three people who have been in the ring with him - Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, and Tex Cobb - who say he is the hardest hitter they've fought. This is saying a hell of a lot. Ali fought Liston, Frazier, Foreman, ect. Holmes fought a prime Tyson. The fact that these guys say Shavers hit harder says all that needs to be said IMO, because its coming from guys who have been in there and felt his power as opposed to people like us who have just seen it on video tape.
THat's all very true... But I always take what a fighter say about his opponents with a grain of salt.. I mean Shavers may have hit harder then a prime Tyson, but really, how the hell would Larry Holmes know that for sure?? I know, he fought them both, but Tyson put him to sleep and Shavers didn't.. At some point when your getting hit with a sledgehammer, especially as an older man, it can't be easy to say who honestly had more power.. Besides that Shavers landed probably his best possible punch on Holmes and he still got up from it.. I just don't know. If you ask James Toney the people who hit him hardest with Merqui Sosa and Iran Barkley. Not Sam Peter, of course