Earnie Shavers Atomic Bomb Heavyweight Punches
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Called ‘The Black Destroyer’ and ‘The Acorn’, Earnie Shavers scored 68 knockouts in his 89 bout career between 1969 and 1995. His final professional record was 74 wins, 14 losses, and one draw (in a rematch with jimmy Young). Don King helped to give his career life. More knockout than stamina, Shavers found he could not rely solely on knockout prowess in the waning years of his career. During his career, Earnie certain had some memorable hits. Earnie never held the world heavyweight title, though he had two cracks against Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes. He is still a candidate for either boxing Hall of Fame.
Ring Record Book 2003 lists Shavers number ten in the list of top 100 punchers all-time.
Atomic Bomb Number One: Round 7, versus Larry Holmes, September 28, 1969
In round seven in Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Earnie landed the bomb, sending Larry Holmes, ‘The Easton Assassin’, to the canvas for an almost KO in the land of the alligators.
The Holmes-Shavers ‘Battle Royale’ was a rematch of their March 25, 1978 12 round bout.
Atomic Bomb Number Two: Round One, versus Ken Norton, March 23, 1979
Shavers found ex-champ Norton standing in front of him, and knocked him down twice.
Atomic Bomb Number Three: Round One, versus Jimmy Ellis, June 18, 1973
Shavers found ex-champ Ellis standing in front of him, and knocked him out with a bomb.
Atomic Bomb Number Four: Round Three, versus Jimmy Young, February 19, 1973.
Shavers bombed out future contender Young early. Bout had a female referee, Carol Polis.
Atomic Bomb Number Five: Round two, versus Ron Lyle, September 13, 1975.
Shavers decked Lyle in the second. Lyle decked Shavers in sixth and then finished him.
Atomic Bomb Number Six: Round 10, versus Roy Williams, December 11, 1976
Shavers knocks out Williams in the tenth, with trainer Joe Louis in the corner of Big Roy.
Atomic Bomb Number Seven: Round Two, versus Muhammad Ali, September 29, 1977
Shavers overhand right had Ali wobbly and glassy eyed, staggered, but failed to finish him.
Atomic Bomb Number Eight: Round three, versus Bernardo Mercado, March 8, 1980
Shavers decked Mercado in third, Mercado decked out of gassed Shavers in seventh to win.
Atomic Bomb Number Nine: Round four, versus Randy Tex Cobb, August 2, 1980.
Shavers decked Cobb in sixth. Cobb stopped tired Shavers, with retinal troubles, in eighth.
Atomic Bomb Number Nine: Round one, versus Joe Bugner, May 8, 1982
Shaves decks Bugner in first, cuts Bugner in second, wins by stoppage over Mr. Boredom.
Atomic Bomb Number Ten: Round nine, versus James Quick Tillis, June 11, 1982
Shavers decked Quick Tillis in ninth round, goes 10 rounds, loses a unanimous decision.
Shavers final kayo was a first round knockout of 3-18-3 Larry Sims in Cincinnati, Ohio, in May 1987. After a four year absence. Shavers returned again in September 1995, winning an eight round majority decision over 4-20-1 Brian Morgan in Omaha, Nebraska at age 50.
His final ring appearance was November 24, 1995. Shavers got knocked out in second two by 21 year old Brian Yates, a 5-16-2 fighter, at Ho-Chunk Casino in Baraboo, Wisconsin.
Shavers 68 knockouts tied ex-world heavyweight champion Big George Foreman, who had 68 knockouts in the heavyweight division. Italian ex-world heavyweight champion Primo Carnera recorded 69 knockouts between 1928 and 1946. The Old Mongoose, Archie Moore, scored 131 knockouts in his 218 bout career between 1935 and 1963 as a light heavyweight and heavyweight (to be categorized as cruiserweight by today’s standards). He held the world light heavyweight title, but failed in two world heavyweight title attempts. Knockout numbers of other notable heavyweights: Joe Louis 52, Ezzard Charles 52, Mike Tyson 44, Larry Holmes 44, Rocky Marciano 43, Tommy Morrison 42, LaMar Clark 42, Sonny Liston 39, Jack Johnson 35, Jerry Quarry 32, Jersey Joe Walcott 32, Joe Frazier 27.
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