Shavers Magic

 

Earnie Shavers, Heavyweight Puncher of The Century

 

By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent

 

Muhammad Ali called Heavyweight boxer Earnie Shavers ‘The Acorn’ due to his bald head, which made him look like an acorn. Ali pounded on the acorn for 15 rounds, and Larry Holmes pounded on the acorn for 12 rounds. In the rematch,  Shavers knocked Holmes down for a nine count and had him staggering around the ring on queer street in the seventh round. It was the brightest moment in the career of Shavers. In actually, Shavers had a boxing career with a rough start and a rough ending.

 

Shavers versus Holmes II Knockdown Highlight on YouTube 1979

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhwLnZSt-us

 

Born in 1945, Shavers. 68, had a ring record of 74-14-1 with an incredible 68 knockouts. Shavers has a partial retinal tear after being thumbed in the third round in one of his Holmes fights which had to be repaired. He was never quite the same fighter after that.

 

Shavers lost twice early in his career, to 6-0 Stan Johnson and 9-0 Ron Stander. Shavers reached 45-2 when Irish Jerry Quarry stopped him in a one round slugfest in December 1973. Shavers beat Vincente Rondon and Jimmy Young. Shavers later lost a ten round decision to Bob Stallings, got stopped in six rounds by Ron Lyle, and drew with Young in a rematch. After losing to Ali and Holmes, Shavers knocked out Ken Norton in the first round. After losing the WBC world title bout to Holmes in their rematch, Shavers lost to Bernardo Mercardo and Randy Tex Bobb, but beat Leroy Boone,  Jeff Simms and Joe Bugner. After losing to James Quick Tillis, Walter Santemore and George Chaplin, Shaves retired in 1983. He knocked out Larry Simms in one round a brief 1987 comeback. After winning an eight round decision over Brian Morgan in Nebraska in September 1995, Shavers was knocked out by 5-16 Brian Yates in November 1995 and retired for good at the age of 50.

 

Muhammad Ali considered Earnie Shavers the hardest puncher he ever fought. Shavers is ranked number 10 in Ring Magazine’s list of the 100 greatest punchers of all-time. Shavers recorded 23 first round knockouts, and 50 knockouts in the first three rounds. Later in his career, his stamina was in question. Still at 6’0″ and 209 to 223 pounds, Shavers seemed an awful big monster in his time.

 

 

 

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