Jerry Quarry vs. Ernie Shavers, 1973

The Skinny

Friday Night - December 14, 1973 (Madison Square Garden)

Earnie Shavers
Nickname. 'The Black Destroyer'
Age......... 28 years, 4 months
Height...... 6' 0 1/2"
Weight..... 210 lbs.
Record..... 46-2-0 (45 KO's)
Ranking.... #6

Earnie was riding a '34-bout' (33 KO's) 3 1/2 year unbeaten streak.

His last loss (L TKO 5) was to Ron Stander in Omaha, Nebraska (May 11, 1970).

Earnie was supposed to fight Jerry Quarry in September 1973 at Madison Square Garden,
but Earnie suffered a 'broken jaw' in a sparring session with Jeff 'Candy Slim' Merrit
in August 1973 (2-weeks) before the scheduled bout.

Earnie was 'Hot and On Fire', with '3' impressive knockouts in 1973.
* KO 1.. Jimmy Ellis
* KO 1.. Harold Carter
* KO 3.. Jimmy Young

There were some who questioned the 'legitamacy' of all of "Earnie's Knockouts" - as to what names were
on the list, and that many of his opponents were really 'walking stiffs' instead of 'live opponents'.

 

Win or Lose

Earnie Shavers did try for a 1st Round Knockout against Jerry Quarry,
and offered up 'no excuses'.

And for this who think Earnie couldn't take a punch, 'The Black Destroyer' took some
frightening bombs 'flush' before going down.

 

Imo Shavers chin wasnt that bad, he just had a poor recovery rate

 

I'm a HUGE Quarry fan but IMO this fight is forever an anamoly to me.
Earlier in 73, Quarry looked in great shape and chiseled against Lyle in February.
Against Earnie, he was a tad 'pear-shaped' (consider the drug-alcohol thing surrounding Jerry at the time)
Even with all his fights prior, Shavers can still be regarded as a tad green going into that fight.
A scant two months later, Jerry gets clocked by journeyman Joe Alexander and is almost out of there (what if Earnie had laid a similar Sunday shot on Jerry in December?) Forward: four months later we see a shot Jerry not even belonging in the ring with Smokin' Joe.
R.I.P. Jerry, your an ATG; I just think the Shavers result is a rather lucky notch on your gun belt so to speak.
My rather weak $0.02

 

Despite the run Earnie Shavers had been on up to mid-1973.

From August 1973 thru November 1974 - he was more-or-less 'a flop'.

First, he got his jaw 'broken and dislocated' by Jeff Merrit in an August 1973 sparring session.

Two, he got blasted out in 'One-Round' by Jerry Quarry (December 1973)

Three, the loss to Jerry Quarry put him out of action for 6-months, until he came back
with a win (KO 1) versus 'ham-and-egger' Roy 'Cookie' Wallace in May 1974, in San Diego.

Four, 6-months later he came back (November 4, 1974) and was decisioned (L Dec 10)
by a veteran 'trial-horse' with a sub .500 record in Bob Stallings (20-25-0), and was floored
and nearly stopped in the bout.

Five, 3-weeks later, he was held to a (Draw 10) by 195 lb. 'light-punching' Jimmy Young (13-4-1),
in a bout that he should have lost, and was nearly stopped in Rounds 8, 9 and 10.

 

I had ringside seats for that fight and Shavers vs Ellis a few months before, I also was there for Quarry -Lyle.......Quarry-Shavers was a 1 rd fight that was worth the money

 

**** jacklondon

 

Jerry Quarry and Gil Clancy thought that they had 'injected' new life into Jerry's boxing career by scoring
the 1st Round 'Knockout' over Earnie Shavers.

But it really didn't.

The 28 1/2 year-old, 202 lb. Quarry (still showing 10 lbs. of a bicycle inner-tube side flab) drifted away from the ring.

Following the December 14, 1973 (KO 1) over Earnie Shavers, Jerry did not step back into the ring until
May 1974 (5 months later).

During that time, in early-1974, Jerry went back to California, and did some acting 'bit-parts' in Hollywood, and was also
the 'West-Coast' Tour Manager/Security for the Pop-Group '3-Dog Night'.

 

Quarry boxed quite well for the first 45 or 50 seconds. He moves on his feet, dodges blows, and counters with fast rights. At about the 1:08 mark Quarry lands a booming left hook to the body, and after that, comes off his feet to slug. Seconds later, Shavers misses big with a right -- usually a tell tale sign that a fighter is dazed -- and Quarry unloads his fight-ending offensive.

I couldn't tell which of Quarry's punches was the decisive blow that put Ernie on ***** street. Was it the left hook to the gut, or a head shot?

 

I don't believe that there was a "drug/alcohol" issue with Quarry in 1973. Those problems happened after 1975, when he was retired. I don't know where you obtained information suggesting otherwise.

 

--- So what?[/quote]

Jack London:

Who posted this misinformation about Quarry doing security for 3 Dog Night in 1974? I'm certain that it's untrue. Quarry did that kind of work following his 1975 retirement, but not beforehand.

Someone here has Quarry's biography chronologically out of order.