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Thread: earnie shavers: the hardest heavyweight puncher ever?

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    Default earnie shavers: the hardest heavyweight puncher ever?



    29.03.06 - By James Slater: Earnie Shavers turned pro in 1969. When he reached his peak it coincided with a heavyweight division that was enjoying a golden era. Muhammad Ali was at the very top of the pile throughout most of the 1970's, closely followed by his successor- Larry Holmes,the frighteningly strong George Foreman and the man from whom Big George took the title - Joe Frazier. There were other great heavyweights doing there stuff during this time also. Men like Ken Norton, Ron Lyle, Jerry Quarry, Jimmy Ellis, Jimmy Young and George Chuvalo. It truly was a special era. And right in the middle of this fabulous period of heavyweight talent there was Earnie Shavers.

    One of Don King's first fighters, Earnie made his pro debut in November 1969, with a second round KO over one Silas Johnson. Johnson became the first in a number of fighters to be knocked flat or stopped, this number would eventually total sixty seven! Shavers didn't waste any time following up his first victory - he fought another two times in the same week in November.. However, the third of these fights was his first loss, a points defeat over six rounds to a guy named Stan Johnson. Refusing to be discouraged, Shavers reeled off ten straight KO's after this setback. Then came a loss that would reveal one of the weaknesses that this huge puncher would have throughout his career- a suspect chin. Earnie was stopped for the first time, against Ron Stander in round five. It would be three more years before Earnie lost again and despite the loss to Stander, he was about to enjoy a very successful roll.

    In 1973, Earnie, by now a rising contender, scored a KO win that in hindsight was far more impressive than initially thought. He knocked out the incredibly crafty Jimmy Young - the first man to do so, and one of only two men ever to stop Jimmy ( Gerry Cooney being the other). This was a superb win and one indicative of just how dangerous Earnie was in the ring. He followed this up with arguably his finest ever victory. He crushed former champ Jimmy Ellis in the very first round. Earnie looked very shaky himself before dropping Ellis for the count, but claimed later he was simply faking so as to draw Ellis in. It worked and Shavers became a serious threat to reigning champion George Foreman. What a pity these two would never meet! What a slugfest that fight would have been. Unfortunately, Earnie lost some momentum after his great win over Ellis. He was stopped again- in one round by Jerry Quarry. Once again his weakness was exposed. Earnie may have been a lethal puncher but his chin left a lot to be desired. If an opponent could get past the early rounds this, as well as Earnie's suspect stamina, gave them a chance of victory. Shaver's high ranking dipped somewhat due to the humbling loss to Quarry.

    He was far from finished though. After his loss to Quarry, he scored a first round win the following year over Roy Wallis and then, after a points defeat to Bob Stallings, he gave Jimmy Young a return bout. Young had evidently learned a fair amount since his loss to Shavers and this time he knew enough to fight to a draw, showing the cagey skills that would one day allow him to go the full fifteen with Ali. Earnie's career carried on in its up and down phase the following year when he fought the huge Ron Lyle. He had Lyle down in the second round but couldn't keep him there. Lyle, showing some of the same grit that would be on display in his incredible brawl with George Foreman four months later, hung in there long enough for Earnie to tire, stopping him in the sixth round of an entertaining fight. At this point it was clear to all that while Shaver's power was something to behold, he was far from unbeatable. However, he was by now a genuine crowd pleaser. His kill or be killed style thrilled the fans. And his most famous and memorable fights were still to take place!

    In 1977, after logging up five victories after the wild affair with Ron Lyle, Earnie was given his first shot at the title. He was to face the incomparable Muhammad Ali. By this stage in his career, however, Ali was showing some serious wear and tear. Looking back, it really was a crazy move for the ageing Ali to sign to defend against the murderous punching Shavers. The fight didn't turn out quite like most thought it would beforehand, however. From somewhere, Earnie found the stamina to fight for fifteen long rounds and equally impressively, Ali was able to go to the well one more time to pull out a gruelling points win. Ali really had to take some bombs though. He was badly hurt on a number of occasions and only his legendary chin allowed him to survive. At the end it was mighty close, but the judges sided unanimously with The Greatest. Ali lovingly dubbed Shavers "The Acorn" in the build-up to the fight because of Earnie's shaved dome and to this day the nickname has stuck. Ali would only manage one more win after his war with "The Acorn", his return bout with Leon Spinks.

    After the confidence boost of proving he could go the full fifteen rounds, as well as giving the best heavyweight in history such a hard fight, Earnie entered the year 1978 feeling good. He fought fellow contender Larry Holmes, in an eliminator for the WBC title, and was as determined as ever to be champion. But Larry knew too much for him and won a wide points verdict. These two would meet again though! At this time, Ken Norton was felt by many to be one of the best big men in the world. He had lost a razor thin decision to Ali in 1976 and then did likewise to Holmes, two years later in a fight that Larry earned with his win over Earnie. This is very significant because one year after Larry became champ with his close points win over Kenny, Earnie fought and destroyed Norton in a single round. How close to the title he had been then. If Norton had been given the decision over Holmes, Shavers would now be champion of the world! There certainly is an amount of luck needed in becoming king!Still, this superb win earned Earnie a second crack at Holmes. And this time he did a bit better.

    He cracked Holmes with a huge right in the seventh and Holmes went down in a manner that would have signalled certain defeat for many a fighter. Larry wasn't simply put on the canvas, it looked as though he would almost be sent right through it! How he got up and survived, no-one- least of all Shavers, will ever know. Earnie's chance at winning had passed and Larry regained the initiative, stopping him on cuts in round eleven. Shaver's days as a top contender were over.

    He carried on until 1987, wining a few and losing a few - to men like Randall "Tex" Cobb- a loss, Joe Bugner- a win and James "Quick" Tillis- a loss. He retired in the summer of '87 after a win over Larry Simms, only to make a shocking return to the ring in 1995! Aged fifty, Earnie managed a win over a guy named Brian Morgan but was then stopped in two rounds by somebody called Brian Yates.

    Earnie's final pro record reads - 72 wins 13 defeats 1 draw with 67 KO's.

    He may have never won a world title, but to my mind he is the undisputed holder of the title "Hardest heavyweight puncher of all-time!"
    Last edited by Fenster; 12-31-2014 at 03:55 PM.

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    Default Re: earnie shavers: the hardest heavyweight puncher ever?

    To all the Tyson Addicts:
    If Earnie Shavers couldn't knock out an aging Ali.
    A prime Tyson could never KO a prime Ali.

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    Default Re: earnie shavers: the hardest heavyweight puncher ever?

    Earnie Shavers definetly punched harder than tyson but he did not have the skills of a young mike tyson. When asked who hit him harder Tyson or Shavers, Larry Holmes said it was definetly Shavers and that he was knocked out by tyson not because he hit him hardest but rather he hit him in the right spots. young tyson would punch up and down, to the body and to the head and down would come the tree thats why his earlier knockouts were more devastating.

    P.S. I am not suggesting that tyson would ko ali 4sure but the logic that if shavers couldn't do it so tyson couldn't does not hold much weight.
    "Very few people really understand what it means to be a fighter. I hate it when I hear someone say, 'That fighter doesn't have guts. I hate that, I don't care if you're a world champion six times over or a four-round fighter, to step inside that ring, you have to have guts" Oscar De La Hoya

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    Default Re: earnie shavers: the hardest heavyweight puncher ever?

    Quote Originally Posted by chamiley
    Earnie Shavers definetly punched harder than tyson but he did not have the skills of a young mike tyson. When asked who hit him harder Tyson or Shavers, Larry Holmes said it was definetly Shavers and that he was knocked out by tyson not because he hit him hardest but rather he hit him in the right spots. young tyson would punch up and down, to the body and to the head and down would come the tree thats why his earlier knockouts were more devastating.

    P.S. I am not suggesting that tyson would ko ali 4sure but the logic that if shavers couldn't do it so tyson couldn't does not hold much weight.
    I'm just trying to shut the Tyson Addicts up. Alright!!! Can't I have fun sometimes!!!!!


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    Default Re: earnie shavers: the hardest heavyweight puncher ever?

    Tyson had the power to KO anyone.Who knows what would have happened against Ali, just because one guy couldn't do it, that doesn't mean someone else couldn't.Every fighter throws different punches from different angles, Tyson was faster than Shavers and threw a better upercut as well.I would never count Tyson out of that fight.

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    Default Re: earnie shavers: the hardest heavyweight puncher ever?

    I saw several of Shavers' fights, including his fight with Ali, his fights with Holmes, his debacle against Quarry and his knockout of Ken Norton. The thing that made Shavers such a hard puncher was the effort that he put into his power punches, particularly his hooks. Shavers was by no means a big heavyweight at 6'1" and weighing in the neighborhood of 210 lbs. but he got incredible leverage from his shots.

    In a different thread I used this analogy: Imagine that someone really makes you angry but you're not in a position to do anything about it. For example, your boss belittles you openly in front of several others without warning and without checking out his facts carefully. You feel like killing the guy, but you just have to take it and bide your time. You go home and go into your garage where a heavy bag waits, and you decide to pretend that the heavy bag is your boss. You grunt loudly as you put everything you have into a few shots against the heavy bag. That's the way Earnie Shavers threw his hooks. I ain't kidding!


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    Default Re: earnie shavers: the hardest heavyweight puncher ever?

    i think foreman was the hardest hitter in boxing history---ripping through his opponents--foreman also has one hell of a chin--ali was the only man to ko him!

    4 the record and no disrespect to shavers -i think tyson could have knocked out an ageing ali--he was a much better fighter than shavers--and i think he can hit harder

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    Default Re: earnie shavers: the hardest heavyweight puncher ever?

    I would think somebody like David Tua would be the hardest puncher... He is like 5'9 and 230 with so much power... I haven't seen as clean of knock outs as his against a Ruiz and Moorer. Also Foreman was very strong, but alot of times it took alot of punches from him to bring somebody down because he had no snap on his punches. Mike Tyson had snap on his punches, but with his wild swinging punches he didn't root his feet because he was just short he had a to leap at the guy which took alot off his power, or he would have the hardest punches ever. Earnie Shavers punched hard no doubt, but I don't think he hit harder than Tyson and Tua.

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    Default Ali/Holmes/Lyle all say Shavers was Hardest Puncher

    Muhammad and Larry and Ron Lyle ALL said Earnie The Black Destroyer Shavers was the hardest puncher they ever faced. Thats saying alot because Ali fought Foreman and Holmes fought Tyson. Both Ali and Holmes took MONSTER SHOTS from Big George or Mike Tyson. And Lyle fought BOTH Foreman and Shavers!! And was floored (and also floored!) several times by BOTH fighters.

    Larry Holmes: "Mike Tyson hit very sharp and very fast, but he didn't have tremendous power. He put me down 3 times, but I was 38 years old and trained only 2-3 weeks for the fight. He didn't hit anywhere near as hard as Earnie Shavers. Earnie Shavers hit harder than anyone I ever fought, and that includes Mike Tyson, Gerry Cooney, Witherspoon, Mike Weaver. WHEN EARNIE SHAVERS HIT ME AND KNOCKED ME DOWN, IT WAS LIKE THEM OLD-TIME FLASH CAMERAS,--- POP!!! --- I JUST SAW THIS WHITE FLASH and the next thing I know the ref was saying "5.......6.......! "Earnie Shavers...that's the hardest I ever been hit."
    -Larry Holmes


    Muhammad Ali: "George Foreman was a powerful puncher no doubt. He hurt me once in Zaire to the heart, it was in the second round I think. But I would have to say that The Acorn hit me harder than I was ever hit before, and I fought a lot of heavy hitters---Ron Lyle, Foreman, Frazier, Sonny Liston. "EARNIE SHAVERS, WHEW! That was the hardest I ever got hit."
    -Muhammad Ali


    "Earnie Shavers, he's the hardest puncher I ever faced, and that's including George Foreman. I ain't never been hit like that."
    -Ron Lyle

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    Default Re: Ali/Holmes/Lyle all say Shavers was Hardest Puncher

    If two of the best heavyweights ever in boxing say that Shavers hit harder than Foreman and Tyson then you have to say he was the hardest hitting heavyweight of all time.
    Do not let success go to your head and do not let failure get to your heart.

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    Default Re: Ali/Holmes/Lyle all say Shavers was Hardest Puncher

    Quote Originally Posted by Master View Post
    If two of the best heavyweights ever in boxing say that Shavers hit harder than Foreman and Tyson then you have to say he was the hardest hitting heavyweight of all time.
    you would think so Master, but we got these here young whippersnapper know-it-alls saying Lamon Brewster and Wladimir Klitschko and Dereck Chisora hit harder. haha look how stupid each successive generation is getting. No reason to even dignify responses to their diarrhea drivel.

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    Default

    So this is what the 300th thread about this gatekeeper with a punch? See you tomorrow with this same topic again. Proving Max Power wrong is no impressive accomplishment. Just let him talk and he'll do it on his own. Better yet let's devote the entire board to Shavers, at least it won't be more Floyd talk or Manny.

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    Default Re: Ali/Holmes/Lyle all say Shavers was Hardest Puncher

    Quote Originally Posted by Ron Swanson View Post
    So this is what the 300th thread about this gatekeeper with a punch? See you tomorrow with this same topic again. Proving Max Power wrong is no impressive accomplishment. Just let him talk and he'll do it on his own. Better yet let's devote the entire board to Shavers, at least it won't be more Floyd talk or Manny.
    TV Dinners are good.
    Last edited by brocktonblockbust; 12-25-2014 at 07:30 PM.

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    Default Re: Ali/Holmes/Lyle all say Shavers was Hardest Puncher

    swansonTVdinnersSADDO.jpg

    You a turkey dinna
    Last edited by brocktonblockbust; 12-25-2014 at 07:38 PM.

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    Default Re: Ali/Holmes/Lyle all say Shavers was Hardest Puncher

    Quote Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust View Post
    Muhammad and Larry and Ron Lyle ALL said Earnie The Black Destroyer Shavers was the hardest puncher they ever faced. Thats saying alot because Ali fought Foreman and Holmes fought Tyson. Both Ali and Holmes took MONSTER SHOTS from Big George or Mike Tyson. And Lyle fought BOTH Foreman and Shavers!! And was floored (and also floored!) several times by BOTH fighters.

    Larry Holmes: "Mike Tyson hit very sharp and very fast, but he didn't have tremendous power. He put me down 3 times, but I was 38 years old and trained only 2-3 weeks for the fight. He didn't hit anywhere near as hard as Earnie Shavers. Earnie Shavers hit harder than anyone I ever fought, and that includes Mike Tyson, Gerry Cooney, Witherspoon, Mike Weaver. WHEN EARNIE SHAVERS HIT ME AND KNOCKED ME DOWN, IT WAS LIKE THEM OLD-TIME FLASH CAMERAS,--- POP!!! --- I JUST SAW THIS WHITE FLASH and the next thing I know the ref was saying "5.......6.......! "Earnie Shavers...that's the hardest I ever been hit."
    -Larry Holmes


    Muhammad Ali: "George Foreman was a powerful puncher no doubt. He hurt me once in Zaire to the heart, it was in the second round I think. But I would have to say that The Acorn hit me harder than I was ever hit before, and I fought a lot of heavy hitters---Ron Lyle, Foreman, Frazier, Sonny Liston. "EARNIE SHAVERS, WHEW! That was the hardest I ever got hit."
    -Muhammad Ali


    "Earnie Shavers, he's the hardest puncher I ever faced, and that's including George Foreman. I ain't never been hit like that."
    -Ron Lyle
    What is this, the "EXPOSURE OF EARNIE SHAVERS WEEK".

    We all know that Earnie Shavers is far below normal intelligence. And we all know that is a typical thing from boxers from what I call the "punch-bag eras" of boxing.

    Pre-defence eras. Pre-80's era's.

    So let's take a look at these guys statements...

    Lyle was knocked out by Foreman, yet Lyle wasted Shavers. Foreman was obviously the hardest puncher LYle fought.
    Ali was stopped by Holmes and knocked down very many times, pretty much knocked out by Cooper. Shavers never managed to knock Ali down.
    Mike Tyson dealt Holmes his only canvas KO of career, Holmes beat Shavers 2ce. Tyson was obviously the hardest hitter Holmes ever faced.

    All 3 are full of shit and exposed as the biggest crap artists in the sport as far as fighters go, exceeded in stupidity only by Shavers himself!
    "Enough with the games mate! Your messing with the Grand Master!"

    Lennox Lewis

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