Couldnt tell you why it was not ever made bro.. But as far as fantasy goes.. I imagine Dancing with the star's for Berbick. Shaver's by K.O.
The prime Earnie Shavers -- 1973 to 1979 -- in my opinion, would have blown Trevor Berbick away. After the second Holmes fight (Sept. 1979) though Shavers declined rapidly. By 1980, Shavers was losing to borderline contenders like Bernardo Mercado and Randall Cobb. He was over the hill. If this fight had been made in 1980, I would have given Berbick an excellent shot at beating the declining Shavers. That's because Berbick was just beginning to hit his peak, while Earnie was in his downward spiral. As to why the fight wasn't made, it is probably because Berbick surfaced at the top just when Shavers fell from the ratings. Berbick's first big victory was his June 1980 kayo over John Tate. In Feb. 1980 Shavers was kayoed by Mercado, followed by a July 1980 kayo loss to Cobb. After the Cobb fight, Shavers retired for a year and a half. These fighters just missed each other.
Yes, I just would have figured they would have talked about fighting considering Shavers was the aging contender slipping and Berbick was the up and coming contender in need of a challenge to prove his worth.
Interesting fight. Berbick could very easily get blown out early ala Mercado due to Shavers massive power. But Berbick around the mid eightees seemed to improve and became a top fighter for the time. He beat an unbeaten Pinklon Thomas, and undefeated Mitch "Blood" Green. Against Tyson he was against one of the most devastating fighters ever and was simply not in the same class. Berbick was a durable fighter who had heart, he wouldn't stay down if he didn't have to. Shavers could of course end the fight at any time and Berbick was never a great fighter. The chance of Berbick surviving an entire fight without getting tagged is slim, but Berbick was durable and tough and if he could survive the initial onslaught and wait for Earnie to tire he might surprise people.
In 1980, I suspect Berbick would have come through some trouble early on to grind down Shavers. At their best, I think Shavers would probably win. Berbick liked to get in his opponent's face and use his huge strength, which I think would be effective in terms of roughing Shavers up but would put Berbick in too much risk as he came in. Berbick would also be too slow to avoid a prime Shavers' bombs and would likely be knocked out within the first four rounds in an all-action fight.
I can understand your logic, but remember, no smart manager of a young, up-can-coming contender will match his protege with an over-the-hill but devastating puncher like Shavers. That would be a bad move managerially, as it would expose the young contender to unnecessary risk while offering no big rewards in return. If a young contender is going to pad his record with former big names (i.e., aging, ex-contenders), it's best to pick an ex-contender who isn't a big puncher. Even at advanced ages, hard hitting boxers tend to keep their punching power. In 1981, Shavers launched a comeback, and in 1982, he was matched against another young, up-and-coming contender, this one being James "Quick" Tillis. Tillis won a decision, and I guess Tillis's managers were willing to make the the fight because at the time Shavers had put together a winning streak. Thus, there was some reward in it for Tillis to beat the former contender.
Shavers could potentially stop Berbick early, but if he doesn't, it could be a long night for Earnie.
These are the kinds of fights Berbick wins. It wasn't until the Tyson bout that Trevor was indeed the underdog and the results finally matched the pre-fight predictions. But that Berbick was a guy that was supposed to be a stepping stone and he just ground out wins. Page. Ali. Thomas. Tate. I think his durability and conditioning are too much for that old of a version of Shavers. Plus, I think Berbick gets inside and mauls away and Shavers with those bad eyes gets headbutted or busted up and undergoes additional eye surgeries after the match. He sure didn't need that.
If your talking prime for prime I think Earnie takes it by KO If they met in the 1980's the slipping Earnie would get KO'd late by the up and coming Berbick
Agreed, And in Berbick's case he had already been matched with a big puncher during his prospect stage and lost in one round, so I'm guessing that it was a risk they weren't willing to take a second time.
