If Frazier Had Faced Shavers, Instead Of Foreman?

Though Frazier was off his game heading into the Foreman fight I think his skills and heart would overcome a green Shavers. Or at least a Shavers who hadnt won at the top level yet.
Even if Ernie knocks Joe down I don't believe Joe stays down. Shavers is not gonna stand in there and finish like Foreman The punches Joe fired back at Foreman would have been enough to if not stop Ernie at least warn him off.
Otherwise Joe was just a better fighter. He threw more punches, keeping Shavers on his heels. Eventually Frazier stops him.

 

I don't think that the premise of this thread is very likely.

Shavers didn't really crack the rankings until 1973.

He would not have been seen as a highly qualified challenger, but at the same time he would have been too dangerous to select as a Ron Stander style gimme defense.

 

Generally agree with the above. There's two different trajectories occuring with Frazier begining to slow down as Shavers is begining to take better opposition. I think Joe's experience as well as being the better boxer gets him through a tricky fight and a couple of scares along the way. This one either finishing pretty early or going the full distance

 

Foreman was a better fighter than Shavers and had a better chin. In the Frazier fight, Foreman used his size and strength to jab and push off Frazier to give him room to land his uppercut on the incoming Frazier. Shavers is about the same size as Frazier and his best power punch was the overhand right which Frazier, with his style, would be more able to avoid and get inside and land his left hook. I think Frazier has a good chance to stop Shavers and may even go down in the process. I say Frazier KO in 4 or 5.

 

Joe all the way, he may get knocked down but comes back to ko Ernie in 5.

 

Have to go along with Joe with an early round stoppage. That said, after looking over Shavers' record, like Foreman, there was little in his previous record at that time to suggest victory over the undefeated Frazier. Doubtless he would have been given little chance for victory especially in light of one of his earlier losses being to none other than Ron Stander in 1970. He lost that fight by KO, being counted out in the fifth round. On the other hand, 1973 was a watershed year for Earnie - in February of that year he registered a three round stoppage against a green Jimmy Young, and in June scored an impressive one round kayo over Jimmy Ellis. In his next bout he suffered a one round stoppage himself against a red-hot comebacking Jerry Quarry. So in January of 1973 Earnie may not have had the reputation yet but was standing on the threshold and would have at least a puncher's chance. And that he would be lightly regarded could make for an interesting evening. Joe could well visit the canvas as he did with Foreman, but as stated above, I believe Joe would get up and his experience and fighting heart would prevail and give him the victory.

 

Frazier wins, he's the better boxer overall.

 

I'll go with Frazier but I wouldn't be too confident. He was a bit too cocky at this point and it was only a matter of time before he paid for it. If he decides to stand in front of Shavers and trade with him like he did against Foreman, I don't see why Shavers can't win this fight. Frazier that fought Ellis would smoke Shavers imo.

 

This. Shavers could indeed wreck Frazier's plans, but Joe was just too good a fighter to let him land a whole lot. Frazier in 3, and Earnie would be knocked out.

 

Shavers hit really hard but what Foreman did in Jamaica was more than just having a great overhand. I dunno if Shavers was gonna be able to shut down Frazier's style like this in order to land the big shots. Plus Frazier himself hit hard and Shavers didn't have Foreman's chin.

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Bring the 1976 bold washed up frazier and i would still favor him over Shavers.
But earnie could get lucky if he caught him early with a bomb.
But once again, while the fact that foreman's power helped him a lot against joe, it is NOT the only reason he won the 2 fights he had with smokin joe.
His legendary strength, his iron chin, his HEAVY jab and his excellent ability to cut off the ring (in this department he was IMO better than any heavyweight who ever lived other than joe Louis.) Oh and he was a MUCH better finisher than Shavers so....
You need more than a powerful punch to beat Joe!
Frazier by late TKO after some hectic moments in the early rounds.

 

IMHO: IF, for some reason, they decide to give Shavers a shot, I'd go with Smoking Joe to stop him. A scare somewhere along the line is certainly a possibility.