How good was earnie shavers?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by fg2227, Sep 5, 2009.


  1. fg2227

    fg2227 Guest

    What do you guys think, Could he have been champ in another era?
     
  2. MRBILL

    MRBILL Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Doubtful.................... UNLESS! Shavers lands his haymaker right on his victims button early on....... However, even then it's iffy to say..... Aside from Jimmy Ellis and Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers NEVER really KO'd a top-notch opponent for a win.... Shavers padded his KO percentage by kayoing "B" & "C" fighters mixed in with a few bums and stiffs along the way...... Plus, Shavers' boxing skills and technique was below par for the most part...... A really cool and gracious guy who was strong as an Ox, but just not a really great boxer / fighter...

    MR.BILL
     
  3. Bill1234

    Bill1234 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    He was a good fighter who's lack of stamina, technique, and speed failed him against the top tier opposition for the most part.
     
  4. Jorodz

    Jorodz watching Gatti Ward 1... Full Member

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    pretty much sums it up.

    shavers will be remembered for having the hardest single punch in heavyweight history. that's it. he was within 2 seconds of winning the title against holmes but other than the punch, he lacked any sort of elite skills or qualities. if he had better training, who knows how far he could have gone. as it stands, all anyone ever taught or told him was to throw the right
     
  5. he grant

    he grant Historian/Film Maker

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    He actually had pretty solid technique. This is from Teddy Atlas, not me. However his trouble was always proper conditioning and a B chin. He took the bombs of Ali and Holmes well enough but his vulnerability was exposed v.s. Quarry.

    If Shavers was well trained and well conditioned he could have been a terror for a long time. His power was real not overated. Ali has said Shavers was the hardest puncher he ever faced on multiple occassions. Ron Lyle said he hit harder than Foreman. Holmes said he hit harder than Tyson. That's pretty serious.
     
  6. TheGreatA

    TheGreatA Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Shavers nearly won the title against two of the greatest heavyweight champions who ever lived, Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes, so I'd say he has a fair chance of winning the title in another era. He wouldn't be a dominant champion but he would be a threat to anybody throughout boxing history.
     
  7. Jorodz

    Jorodz watching Gatti Ward 1... Full Member

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    the ali fight was MUCH closer than is usually portrayed. really shavers had a very good account of himself
     
  8. junior-soprano

    junior-soprano Active Member Full Member

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    hmm i think that everything on him was average, not bad at all but also not great. except for his awesome power. but awesome power alone doesn't make you a champ.
     
  9. MRBILL

    MRBILL Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Shavers was in great shape when he challenged Ali and Holmes for the title in 1977 and '79....... Shavers was solid with all muscle........ But, as usual, his stamina and wild punching betrayed him and he lost both fights......... Shavers was never the same after the second loss to Holmes by TKO.......... The 1980s version of Shavers was an aging war-horse hanging on for additional income... Peace....

    MR.BILL
     
  10. rodney

    rodney Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Not good enough.
    Just watch Shavers/Quarry.
    Then comment.
     
  11. My2Sense

    My2Sense Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Why "just watch" that fight?

    Why not just watch his blowouts of Norton or Ellis, both of whom were good enough to win titles in his day?

    Or how about his fight with Ali, which many people thought he could've/should've won? (which would mean he actually should've been a champ even in his own era)
     
  12. Rock0052

    Rock0052 Loyal Member Full Member

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    Matched smartly, I believe Shavers could've been. He'd never have been the type to be able to consistently defend it vs top 10 fighters, but in a one-shot scenario, I don't see why he couldn't have at least picked up an ABC title. The first name that would pop up in my mind, of course, would be Norton, who should've regained the title 2 1/2 years prior to the Shavers fight fight had he not been jobbed vs Ali. I'm normally opposed to the idea of a fighter being awarded a world title over the phone, but it struck me as just desserts when Norton got awarded one of the very belts that he rightfully should've been awarded in the ring.

    Norton then promptly lost that title vs Holmes in his first defense (shortly before Ken would go on to fight Earnie), which is the crux of my point: if Shavers had gotten to Norton before Holmes did, it's quite possible and in my mind pretty friggin' likely he'd have been able to win the title in his own era. That probably speaks more to how overrated the late 70's were for Heavyweight boxing than anything given how beatable Shavers himself was, but it's still a reasonable stretch that more fortunate timing for him would've meant him becoming champion.

    So, I absolutely think Earnie Shavers could've been a "one and done" champ or possibly have a couple successful handpicked defenses before he lost his title, even with his shortcomings. He was damned close to doing it without even "what if"-ing him into a different era.
     
  13. ChrisPontius

    ChrisPontius March 8th, 1971 Full Member

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    No.
     
  14. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

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    Of course he could have been champion in other eras.

    He could have been champion in his own era, but a prime Larry Holmes denied him.
    He wouldn't have to face a prime Holmes in an eliminator in every era, and Norton's not the only fighter he's capable of beating.
    Even in his own era I'd probably favour him against Leon Spinks, and he's got a good chance against John Tate too.

    I'd give him a good chance against the Patterson who lost to Johansson. I'd give him a good chance against Johansson.
    I'd give him a good chance against Jimmy Braddock, Max Baer, Primo Carnera, Michael Moorer, Hasim Rahman and the Lennox Lewis who lost to him.
    I'd give him a good chance against several of the "alphabet" champions of recent years.
    etc. etc. etc.
     
  15. The Kurgan

    The Kurgan Boxing Junkie banned

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    Could he have been a champion? Sure. Could he has reigned for any period of time? No. He was much too vulnerable and inconsistent to dominate the division for any length of time. Sluggers like Shavers rarely last long at the top.