Lewis v Shavers

[John Galt]

Shavers should be able to handle a 6-5, 235 pound Olympic Gold medalist, who only lost two pro fights with ease. After all, Shavers was able to go 5 rounds with Ron Stander before he was stopped and went the distance with Bob Stallings (20-25-0) although he did lose the decision. He should walk through the huge, skilled, hard punching Lewis with no problem.

Big guys with nice jabs were no problem for Earnie, look at the Larry Holmes fights, Earnie lost all 12 rounds in the first fight, but actually won one of 11 in the second fight.

[DaveK]

Originally Posted by John Galt

Shavers should be able to handle a 6-5, 235 pound Olympic Gold medalist, who only lost two pro fights with ease. After all, Shavers was able to go 5 rounds with Ron Stander before he was stopped and went the distance with Bob Stallings (20-25-0) although he did lose the decision. He should walk through the huge, skilled, hard punching Lewis with no problem.

Big guys with nice jabs were no problem for Earnie, look at the Larry Holmes fights, Earnie lost all 12 rounds in the first fight, but actually won one of 11 in the second fight.

[Boxed Ears]

Originally Posted by John Galt

Shavers should be able to handle a 6-5, 235 pound Olympic Gold medalist, who only lost two pro fights with ease. After all, Shavers was able to go 5 rounds with Ron Stander before he was stopped and went the distance with Bob Stallings (20-25-0) although he did lose the decision. He should walk through the huge, skilled, hard punching Lewis with no problem.

Big guys with nice jabs were no problem for Earnie, look at the Larry Holmes fights, Earnie lost all 12 rounds in the first fight, but actually won one of 11 in the second fight.

Stander and Stallings would take 2 of 3 against anyone of Lewis' opponents. That's the difference in these two eras.

[ChrisPontius]

Originally Posted by round15

Lewis may win it in KO fashion but I don't think he blasts Shavers out with the ease that you say. I can't see Shavers waiting around looking for a shot like Ruddock did, and neither does Lewis try to go for the kill early.

Wrong. He was going for the kill early in (among others) the fights with Ruddock, Golota, Grant, Mason, Botha, Weaver and Akinwande.

Originally Posted by round15

Really, it depends on which Lewis you put in against Shavers. The young Lewis who on any given night could KO anyone with that right hand, but his defence wasn't what it had yet to become. Nor was his heart. What about the seasoned Lewis who survived Mercer, had two tough fights with Holyfield, got revenge against McCall, blasted out Golota and Grant, and survived Briggs?

Nor sure what makes you question Lewis' heart at any point in his career. But yes, I'd pick any of the versions to put Shavers away with little effort.

Originally Posted by round15

Shavers could hit, had power and Lewis would be mindful of that. I think he'd be more inclined to beat on Earnie for as long as it took while staying out of danger. He's not stopping Earnie like Quarry did.

Why not? He has more power than Quarry, he's a better boxer than Quarry, he's bigger than Quarry, he's just better offensively in pretty much every way.

Originally Posted by round15

Besides, you think Lewis could beat the Holmes that Shavers fought?

Irrelevant, but yes Lewis, could beat Holmes of the Shavers fights. Wouldn't put any money down, though.

Originally Posted by round15

I wouldn't bet on Quarry or Lyle being easy fights for Lennox either. Certainly more potential to be very hard fought, tough wins. One against a guy that Foreman wanted no part of in his first title reign. The other against a guy that traded mutliple knockdowns against George in a losing battle.

The best I can imagine either do is a Mercer-esque fight, although they don't have the durability that Ray had. At worst (and more likely), I see mid-round stoppages or lopside decision wins for Lewis. Sorry but Lyle is very much like a typical opponent Lewis beat.

Quarry? I hate to bring the old size argument, but it takes extraordinary talent for a 6'0 195lbs man to even be competitive with a man like Lewis - think Dempsey of Frazier. Quarry wasn't a very big puncher, not a greatly skilled boxer and not very fast either. I just don't see anything that he can do here except eat leather. Then there's the nail in the coffin that Quarry completely choked against great opposition (Frazier 2x, Ali 2x). I think he won 1 round out of the combined 20 or so rounds against them. He had the heart of a lion, but at the same time lacked self-confidence on the highest level.

Originally Posted by round15

Shavers has a punchers chance against Lewis but I could see this fight going the way of his losses against Lyle and Holmes. Earnie wins a round or two but Lewis mostly dominates the fight and comes off the floor once or twice to stop Earnie around the 8th or 9th.

I agree he has a puncher's chance. But if there's anything I've learned, then it is that if a guy only has a puncher's chance, he's almost certain to lose. Peter vs Wlad, Foreman vs Ali, Tyson vs Lewis, Morrison vs Lewis, Benn vs Watson, Mayweather vs Corrales, Williams vs Liston, etc etc.

Originally Posted by Boxed Ears

But-going 1-4 in the seventies is like going 3,117,946-0-1 in any other era. If he were officially 3,117,946-0-1 against ranked opposition to Lewis' 21-1, wouldn't that make you inclined to pick ATG Earnie Shavers, who would be invincible to a nineties fighter by any statistical likelihood?

Well, I've heard a story where Shavers punched the bag so hard that it fell to the floor. In the 70's. If that anecdote doesn't make you pick Shavers then I don't know what will.

[John Galt]

Absolutely Boxed Ears, in only his 52nd pro fight, Stallings lost a 8 round decisiion to Bobby Jordan (1-1). No question that Stallings would walk through Holyfield or McCall if he could last the distance with a 2 fight pro.

And, I bet Bobby Jordan's brother, John "Speedy" Jordan would beat anyone post Ali since he beat both Stander and Stallings. Makes one shudder to think what a guy like Duane Bobick must have been like in your mind since he knocked out Speedy in 1 round.

[Boxed Ears]

Originally Posted by ChrisPontius

Well, I've heard a story where Shavers punched the bag so hard that it fell to the floor. In the 70's. If that anecdote doesn't make you pick Shavers then I don't know what will.

Some people just don't want to bother knowing facts like these. You try to tell these kids today but they've gots the youtubes. "Oh, Uncle Boxed, I've gots the youtubes on the computers. Who cares about the heavy bags."

Originally Posted by John Galt

Absolutely Boxed Ears, in only his 52nd pro fight, Stallings lost a 8 round decisiion to Bobby Jordan (1-1). No question that Stallings would walk through Holyfield or McCall if he could last the distance with a 2 fight pro.

And, I bet Bobby Jordan's brother, John "Speedy" Jordan would beat anyone post Ali since he beat both Stander and Stallings. Makes one shudder to think what a guy like Duane Bobick must have been like in your mind since he knocked out Speedy in 1 round.

That's proving greatness against greatness. To BE a legend, you've got to BEAT-er-excuse me- BE AT...a place...with a legend.

[janitor]

Originally Posted by Azzer85

Lewis wouldnt come in underestimating a guy like Shavers.

My take.

[Absolutely!]

Originally Posted by ChrisPontius

Well, I've heard a story where Shavers punched the bag so hard that it fell to the floor. In the 70's. If that anecdote doesn't make you pick Shavers then I don't know what will.

Shavers allegedly punched a heavy bag so hard that it hovered on the ceiling for a full twenty-five years before finally falling to earth on the head of some poor sod who was shadow boxing at the time. Unfortunately this was the 90s so he was killed instantly.

[Stevie G]

Originally Posted by Robbi

No doubt this will split opinions. Lewis was knocked out by both McCall and Rahman with single punches. Although, Lewis did get to his feet against McCall. So, it could be argued it was a premature stoppage. His package of strength, size, speed, power and boxing ability ranks up there with the best in the heavyweight history.

Shavers goes down as one of the most lethal punchers in heavyweight history. He wasn't a great boxer but was strong, extremely powerful and dangerous. Especially, over the first 6 rounds. He almost won the title, when he knocked down Larry Holmes in their 1979 rematch.

A fully mentally and physically prepared Lewis knocks Earnie out early. Mind you,if Lennox comes in thinking that all he has to do to win is touch gloves,a la McCall I and Rahman I,he hets sparked himself.

[The Mongoose]

It doesn't matter. Even if Lewis walks into a right and loses by knockout, there will be a laundry list of excuses ranging from a brutal all night ping pong game to poor officiating, or maybe the always popular "I did not take a ranked contender seriously" rhetoric or the classic "anyone would have been knocked out by that punch", and than Lewis will come back to win the rematch in dominant fashion either immediately or several years later and the loss will be deemed irrelevant.

[Azzer85]

Originally Posted by The Mongoose

It doesn't matter. Even if Lewis walks into a right and loses by knockout, there will be a laundry list of excuses ranging from a brutal all night ping pong game to poor officiating, or maybe the always popular "I did not take a ranked contender seriously" rhetoric or the classic "anyone would have been knocked out by that punch", and than Lewis will come back to win the rematch in dominant fashion either immediately or several years later and the loss will be deemed irrelevant.

You should try being a bookie, you might make a bit of money on the side

[ChrisPontius]

Originally Posted by Absolutely!

Shavers allegedly punched a heavy bag so hard that it hovered on the ceiling for a full twenty-five years before finally falling to earth on the head of some poor sod who was shadow boxing at the time. Unfortunately this was the 90s so he was killed instantly.

Boxrec should be informed, sounds like this is another case of a superior 70's fighter destroying a 90's boxer.

[MrOliverKlozoff]

Jimmy Wilde would knockout Tommy Hearns. He needs to land the perfect punch without being murdered first but hey no prob.

[Legend X]

Why do people say "Lewis wouldn't under-estimate a guy like Shavers" ?
Or "wouldn't get careless against Shavers" ?

Shavers wasn't rated particularly highly in the 1970s. He was rated about the same as McCall was in the 1990s.
There's no reason to think that Lewis would treat Shavers with the absolute highest respect that he had for, say, Holyfield.

In these matches it's right to pick the fighters at their very bests, but surely Lewis could suffer a lapse in concentration. He rarely, if ever, produced a 100% perfect fight.
He might well get caught with a punch.

[werety]

"Lewis wouldn't underestimate Shavers" Is this implying the other two times he got KTFO its because he was underestimating his opponents? The **** kind of excuse is that. You would think after he got KTFO the first time he would stop "underestimating" but apparently it took two knockouts for that to happen. So either he's retarded or he just got knocked out because he's prone to getting knocked out.