How would prime Earnie Shavers do against prime Ray Mercer in 15 rounds?

Shavers wouldn't be able to hurt Mercer, Mercer would be able to hurt Shavers. Therefore Mercer wins.

 

He wouldn't hurt Mercer.

 

Shaver’s punching power reputation seems to increase the further in the past his career is. If you take a really close look at his record especially at top level he was a big puncher but not a good finisher. He was not in Lewis’s Foreman’s Louis’s or Tysons’s league. He’d probably get Mercer’s attention but Mercer in his prime isn’t easily hurt never mind finished by a fighter who’s best knock downs resulted in his opponent getting up and coming back to win.

 

Shavers punching power was held in absolute awe from very early in his career. On one hand you say it's reputation is increasing with time but on the other hand you admit he wasn't a good finisher and not as good at finishing as those named. The thing is "punching power" isn't just judged on who you actually beat at the top level especially when you have flaws as a fighter. Sure it's a great exclamation mark but there are any amount of punchers across history with enormous reputations whose record vs the top levels leaves a little to be desired. When you have such unanimous testimonials from so many guys who also fought so many other great bangers you know the man can PUNCH. Shavers lack of wins over top 10 opponents most certainly isn't due to any lack of power.

If John Mugabi ever beat a top 10 opponent they would have been on the distant fringes but he could certainly whack pretty good. Jaime Garza was another enormous puncher who didn't get much done. Andy Ganigan.....Gerry Cooney.....Cyclone Hart.....the list goes on.

 

What I’m saying is that his reputation as a puncher is becoming overrated as time goes by. The top testimonials about his punching power ironically comes from guys he decked/ staggered who then came back to win. Perhaps to make their win look more impressive? Lyle, Tillis, Holmes, Cobb and Bugner and even Ali make great quotes about his power but were themselves stopped or knocked out or badly beaten by other fighters they don’t mention.

 

I know what you meant - i was rebutting exactly that.

As for the testimonials there are plenty from guys he pole axed. Guys like Norton and Caldwell who both also happened to get stopped by Foreman.

Regarding your named opponents -

Lyle was belted senseless with a single punch. It's virtually certain he was saved by the bell. I never saw him in this sort of condition from a single blow in his prime.

Tillis was basically out when he hit the floor from a single punch. Who else put him in this state with a single blow?

Cobb was never stopped by anyone in his prime.

Bugner went 12 with Frazier and Lyle yet was dropped in the first by Shavers. He'd been fighting for two decades by the time Bruno stopped him.

As for Ali well Holmes was the only guy to stop him but i'm going to go out on a limb and say Shavers hit harder. Frazier had him in trouble but thru loads of accumulation.

 

I agree with what you’re saying but regarding the original question Shavers gives Mercer a few moments but Mercer comes back to stop/ko an exhausted Shavers.

 

I think it would be an exciting fight with a lot of heavy exchanges. But ultimately I fear Shavers would gas out.

 

Lennox and Morrison didn't.

 

If Tillis was "basically out" how the hell did he get up and win the fight?

 

Neither Foreman nor Shavers were great one punch KO artists, but Foreman was a hell of a lot better at making his power count.

 

The same way thousands of others have i.e. more recently Fury - Wilder 1.

Tillis was face planted and didn't move for 4 seconds or so. It's the moment that led to Tillis' immensely colorful descriptions about what getting hit by Shavers was like.

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