Jerry Quarry vs. Ernie Shavers, 1973

Does anybody have the fight purses of this December 1973 bout.

I think Jerry Quarry got $125,000, and Earnie was to get $85,000.

 

I agree with everything here except the Shavers fight. Jerry could just about always beat a undisiplined slugger.

Vs Lyle, Quarry was toned and ready to fight, vs Shavers a case of the love handles.

Jerry was always inconsistent, you never new which Jerry was going to show up.

He really did look awful vs Joe Alexander. And looked completely shot vs Frazier, as he did vs Norton. A terrible beating Quarry took in 2nd Frazier fight and Norton fight.

 

Jerry Quarry

Too many wars, too many fights, and too many punches.

The 'One-Round Knockout' over Earnie Shavers, was a saving grace.

Jerry was 'cooked' before that bout, and he was lucky to catch Earnie cold.

After that fight, it would have been the 'perfect note' to retire on.

If Gil Clancy and Teddy Brenner couldn't get a Heavyweight Title shot versus
George Foreman for Jerry, nobody else was.

 

Agreed. Quarry didn't tear recklessly into Shavers; he was boxing and countering at first. Obviously, at some point, he noticed that Shavers was hurt. At that point Jerry changed gears and moved in for the kill.

Incidentally, there's a second film of the fight on youtube. That one shows the action from a different angle. In that film, I think I noticed Shavers wobbled by a left hook to the head, and seconds later, he retreated to the ropes in disarray. That hook came after the original left hook to the body.

 

But again, there's no evidence that Jerry was boozing and partying during his 1973-74 campaigns. I don't know why people here believe otherwise.

Jerry was downcast after losing to Ali in in June 1972, and for the rest of that year, was inactive. I wouldn't be surprised if Jerry was not training at the time. Maybe he indeed partied then.

But by early 1973, Quarry was training in NYC under Gil Clancy and was soon putting on peak performances again. I have never heard anyone claim, or read anything to the effect, that he was partying during his comeback.

After losing to Norton in 1975, of course, Quarry may have been partying a lot. But he was retired at that point, so the post-career wild life comes as no surprise.

 

Quarry was pretty savvy at that point but never really slick, it was his solid chin that allowed him to mix with the big slow sluggers, Shavers,Mac Foster, Thad Spencer, Ron Lyle, I think Quarry was confident walking into those fights but had his doubts when he fought Ali and Frazier it was a mental thing and the fact that Frazier and Ali were Great and Quarry was very good....I was ringside for Quarry-Mac Foster-Shavers,Lyle,Alexander and they were all good fights that Quarry dominated...funny but Alexander caught Quarry cold with a fantastic hook ( Joe A could whack) but Quarry jumped up and starched Alexander a round or so later. Jerry always got hit but he always answered back and he was very effective against the big strong guys....by the time he fought Norton he was shot, his drug habit (COCAINE) and alcohol abuse caught up to him and he admitted he did not train at all for the Norton fight just prostituted himself for the payday.

Jerry loved fighting the big strong punchers, He shook Lyle and made him fight a survivors fight, body and head took out Mac Foster, he went right to Earnie and fought Shavers fight and beat him at it. ( Earnie could fight no other way) but Shavers could not match Jerry chin for chin and that made the difference. Styles make fights and I always wanted to see Quarry vs Foreman...I thought Jerry had a good chance with a smart fight to KO Big George but I think George saw the same thing because he stayed clear of Jerry. Jerry was a very good fighter once he got past the green stage

 

If you look closely,

Jerry first hurt Earnie with a right hook off the forehead at 1:11 of the round (1:18 on the video tape in Post #1),
Earnie who had been pressing Jerry, immediately stopped moving forward, as he was stunned.

Jerry didn't realize it at first, but then saw Earnie react in a 'delayed action'.

 

So you are saying that you know, for a fact, that Quarry's drug and alcohol abuse began long before his 1975 retirement?

 

Good points Curtis!
I love Jerry but he was fried after 73. IMO an early retirement after Shavers would have enhanced his career legacy.
Too many fights, too many punches (but that's the way it is with all fighters)
And to Kenmore, and other posters, that see Jerry in 73 as having ANY shot against the emerging Foreman...forget it. George would have had him reeling early on.
I've said this before but, despite Quarry's record, his KO% against top contenders is somewhat low and no one could knock out George (forget Zaire, forget Lyle, who he would have put into a *****-street puddle within two rounds prior to Ali's brain shot)
R.I.P. Jerry, you're an ATG.

 

Jerry Quarry

A real good guy, who could have went far as a Boxing Announcer on CBS.

The 'pinnacle of his career', was Knocking Out (KO 1) Earnie Shavers in December 1973.

Gil Clancy knew Jerry was 'damaged goods' and was not staying in good boxing shape,
as well as behaving badly (partying too much).

If they couldn't have signed up to fight for the Heavyweight Championship, to get some
decent money, he should have retired.

The KO 1 over Earnie Shavers, was a 'deceptive' victory.

 

Probably his best win.
But I agree, the 1 round KO didn't say much as to whether or how far Quarry had slipped at all.

Shavers just got caught. I guess he went in there as the big bad puncher and didn't expect to get hit by anything as hard as that right away. He probably thought Quarry was run around a bit.

 

Despite what Jerry had done prior to the bout with Earnie Shavers,

The word going around in New York that Jerry was 'paunchy' and 'punch drunk'.

Again, that "KO 1" victory over Earnie, hid the fact that Jerry was really worn out.

 

Such a great era for the heavyweights.

Even contenders like Quarry, Lyle, Shavers were top class. Such a shame they couldn't have came around ten years earlier or later.

I think Jerry was a great fighter. He had a good chin, heart and was a great counter-puncher however sometimes he seemed lathergic and slow and always said he had stamina issues.

He proved his worth in this fight. And I think his destruction of a "wild swinging power house" sent a clear message to Big George. Foreman never did fight Quarry, or Shavers for that matter.

 

#Following the 'disaster' loss (L TKO 7) to Muhammad Ali on June 27, 1972 in Las Vegas -

Suggetions of 'retirement' were mentioned to Jerry Quarry.

At age 27, and with a record of 43-6-4 (25 KO's), and a long ring career, many did consider Jerry as
'worn out and washed up'. Still ranked at #8, Jerry was 'a name' that would look good on any contender's
list.

But 6 1/2 months later, on Friday Night - January 5, 1973 - Jerry came back to Madison Square Garden, New York to
take on a 'Fighter-on-the-Rise' - 24 year-old New Jersey Heavyweight - (#15-Ranked) - Randy Neumann 21-2-0 (6 KO's).

Not a 'big-puncher', the 6' 1" 198 lb. Randy Neumann was a light-hitting boxer who was willing to brawl if he
had to, and could go toe-to-toe with most heavyweights. Randy had 'split' two-bouts (L Dec 12 and W Dec 12)
with Chuck Wepner, and also had defeated (W Dec 10) 'cutie' Jimmy Young.

Many on the 'East-Coast' figured Jerry Quarry was 'primed' for a boxing lesson by the quick-fisted Randy Neumann.
And it looked that way, when Jerry showed up for the bout looking 'flabby and paunchy' at 209 lbs.

What was 'riding' on the fight. If Randy Neumann wins, he would be in-line for a Title Shot versus the winner of the
Joe Frazier - George Foreman Heavyweight Championship bout.

The Fight

Randy Neumann fought very well 'early' versus Jerry Quarry, scoring relatively easy with jabs and crosses. Jerry looked
slow and 'out-of-shape', as Randy controlled the pace of the fight by continually beating Jerry to the punch.

After '5-Rounds', Randy was ahead 4-1-0 on the Scorecard. Sensing he was on his way to losing, Jerry opened
up stronger in Round 6, and was able to slow Randy Neumann down with 'heavy' body shots. By the end of the
Round, Jerry was going upstairs, landing good solid shots that shook the New Jersey Heavyweight.

In Round 7, Jerry wasted no time going after Randy. First by banging away at the body, then rocking Neumann
with a big right hook, and then two left hooks which had Randy reeling. Jerry kept up the pressure, by banging
away with a 'two-fisted' barrage, that had Randy battered and bloodied at the end of Round 7.

Randy Neumann could not answer the bell for Round 8. Jerry Quarry wins by TKO 7.

The victory moved Jerry to 44-6-4 (26 KO's), and bumped him up to the #7 Heavyweight.

The 'victory' gave Jerry much needed confidence, and though he was out-boxed over the first half of the
fight, Jerry proved that he could still 'turn-it-on' when he had to.