Better resume: Peter Maher vs Earnie Shavers

See my comments below in orange. Maher was a good contender, but at the end of the day Choynski or Slavin was probably the best fighters he beat. I think Maher shined vs the non elite as all punchers tend to do, but when he fought the next step up, good contenders such as Ruhlin, Goddard or McCoy failed to get above that level. When he fought the greats, ( Jackson, and Fitzsimmons ) he was blown out early twice.

Maher wins:

Jim Daly
Jack Fallon
George Godfrey -

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Joe Butler
Gus Ruhlin -

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Jim Hall (officially a draw, should have been a win)
Steve O'Donnell x4
Frank Slavin -

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Joe Choynski -

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CC Smith x2
Joe Goddard -

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Ed Dunkhorst
Joe Kennedy

I often wondered why Maher never got a shot s Sullivan. Two irishmen going at in would have been a hot ticket in the mid 1880's.

 

I think Shavers' definitive win over Norton kinda trumps Maher's over Goddard - quite probably Maher's best win or perhaps his one-out-of-three, over Choynski, takes that badge - Either way, it's just my opinion, but I think this one of Shavers' Wins takes him up a notch or two, over Maher.

Shavers' Win and subsequent Draw over Young is also probably more noteworthy than Maher's results against, say, Ruhlin (Maher's Win being over a reported 2-0 Ruhlin; subsequently avenged by a more experienced Ruhlin, amongst two additional Draws between them).

The kind of test that Shavers gave a prime Holmes, which has, in a way, helped immortalized Larry, is probably more noteworthy than Maher's effort against the man of the day, Peter Jackson.

I think the ignominy of being sparked cold for several minutes by a 165lb Fitzsimmons is perhaps more damaging than Shavers' being caught by a sweet right and put to the canvas against Ron Lyle.


Of course, opinions will vary and any of the above can be challenged but Shavers, compared to Maher, seems to have the edge, from what I can see, so far.

 

Maher did a couple of barn-storming tours, fighting all-comers as he went from city to city. Most were usually the best fighter in the area and sometimes just rank amateurs trying to pick up a few dollars by staying the distance with Maher, Fighters like Jack Bonner, Tom Johnson, George Peters, Zagerzte, McCabe all had more fights than on Boxrec. I also found fights against other nonentities that got blown away. A green Gus Ruhlin was one of Peter's victims on a tour. Inthe main the very a low quality bunch, just had a bit more done than Boxrec records. I add Frank Craig, Klondike, Charlie Stevenson, Yank Kenny, Stockings Conroy to the list of B level fighters that he fought. In fact, he dodged nobody, Corbett avoided him and he just missed out on Jeffries by blowing the McCoy fight. As for Foxcroft, it was an exhibition at a benefit for Maher before he went to America. Foxcroft, a big guardsman, was offered a gold medal if he could stay three rounds with Peter. He did well in the first round but was driven over the ropes twice in the second. Maher was warned that there was to be no knockout so he eased up and Foxcroft got his medal but no decision was rendered. If it was allowed to develope Maher would have undoubtedly won by KO. Don't know where Boxrec got their result from. Shavers too built up his record on mediocre opponents around the States.

 

Dude....

Alright, man. Let’s see these reports. Let’s see anything suggesting what you just said.

 

Some testimonals on Maher; Joe Choynski, who should know, said, “Maher was the last man in the world to get careless with, he was a terrible hitter.”
James Guider, physical conditioner and former boxer, The Evening World 1925: “Peter Maher, in my opinion, carried the greatest punch of any man who ever lived.”
Jake Kilrain, former heavyweight claimant: “Maher, I believe punches harder than John (L. Sullivan) ever did in his life.”
Jim Corbett said of Maher that he “was the greatest hitter that I ever saw” in an interview with Norman E. Brown, published in the Morning Post, New Jersey, on February 28th 1928. “When Maher hit them once, they dropped dead as fish-and stayed out.”
Boxing scribe Ed Hughes wrote in 1919 “that Maher was probably the hardest hitter-not even barring the present Dempsey or Fitzsimmons-that ever tied on a padded mitt.”
“The hardest puncher I’ve ever seen was Peter Maher,” noted boxing trainer Dan Hickey, 1926.
Robert Edgren, the famous writer and cartoonist, stated in 1927, “Peter Maher, a great heavyweight and perhaps the hardest hitter ever known in boxing.”
Boxing promoter and editor of the Denver Post Otto Floto stated in 1919, after 30 years’ experience of watching fighters, “To our mind Maher could deliver a blow with more power behind it than any other man who ever wore the gloves.”
Former foe Steve O’Donnell who also had good cause to know, went, “He can strike a harder blow, in my opinion, than any man in the ring today and I doubt very much if his equal in this department ever lived.”
In 1917 John Dunn, matchmaker, insisted, “Any time any one tells you that Peter Maher wasn’t the hardest hitting human that ever pulled on a glove, send him around to me!”
Perhaps the greatest tribute to Maher comes from a man who disliked him intently, Tom O’Rourke, famous trainer and promoter. “He was the hardest hitter, bar none, that I ever saw.”

 

I didn’t ask you!

 

Nah, fair enough, though. Didn’t expect that. He may well have been the Shavers of his time.

Doesn’t change my opinion on this topic, but it changes my opinion of him relative to his era.

 

Even so, at this point, I'd still suggest that Shavers adds to Holmes' legacy in a way that Maher does not do to Fitzsimmons'.

That's fine - We'll just have to agree to disagree, because Ron Lyle was a first-class puncher and could have shone in any era. I obviously recognize Fitzsimmons' pound-4-pound supremacy here but, if were' talking about KO power then, as much as Fitzsimmons was a phenom, he was not, at 165lbs, delivering the kind of dig Lyle could at fifteen-and-a-half stone.

Maher's chin made Shavers look like Chuvalo.

 

Two ko's in eleven years, over a hundred fights...one probably an illegal punch? Mind you I'd rate Earnies better.

 

I like Maher over Cleveland Williams

 

Can 'o worms!

 

Didn't Goddard KO Maher twice, in addition to the Fitz KO?