Chuvalo vs. Shavers

:good

I think it would have been a good one.

 

George once said he wished he had been built different and would have liked to have been a stick & mover. Unfortunately, he said, he had to rely on the physical tools God had given him.

Earnie/George may have been interesting but as I said in an earlier post you have to really look at it as a fantasy fight as they could never have fought each other in each other's prime. George was past prime and Earnie was nearing prime at the time talk of their fighting surfaced.

 

Yes, prior to Ali becoming champ, Dundee steered his course cautiously.
Jones & Cooper were considered safe challenges. Chuvalo would have been a risk for Clay circa 1963. Dundee also avoided, for obvious reasons, Eddie Machen around the same time.

 

I just watched Forman/Chuvalo.
I didnt see him turn away at all prior to the stoppage.
His hands were up and he was blocking punches.
I dont think that Forman hit Chuvalo on the chin the whole fight.

 

I think Chuvalo's definitely got this one. It doesn't make sense to say that any top contender would take him any day of the week... He's a top contender. He was robbed in the Terrell fight for the championship. His match against Patterson was Ring Magazine Fight of the Year in 1965. I think he won the 2nd Ali fight. Cooper would never fight him. He's got some wins over some big fighters:

Manuel Ramos (Mexican Champ)
Jerry Quarry
Cleveland "Big Cat" Williams
Yvon Durelle (He basically ended Durelle's career)
Doug Jones
Alex Miteff
Mike DeJohn (Whom he called the toughest puncher around)
Willie Besmanoff
Oscar Bonavena (He should have been given this decision)


Shavers was good but this fight would have taken place right around Ali v. Chuvalo II. Watch George in that fight... tough as nails

 

You think he won the second Ali fight???
The wins you talked about are not great wins for a number of reasons save Quarry which many still look at as an anomaly. Ramos?? an old shot Williams? Even Jones was heading south when George fought him not to mention the big weight difference and DeJohn retired after the Chuvalo fight. He did beat Light Heavy Durelle and in his next fight lost to Pete Rademacher in Toronto. Besmanoff? Miteff? come on! And why put Oscar in there, he lost that one.

How about losses to:
Folley
Patterson
Terrell
Ali 2x
Frazier
Mathis
Foreman
Ellis

Actually we've basically covered his entire career (wait, two out of three losses to Clereax)

Let's take post-Patterson for example. Which KO beyond Floyd (save the Quarry fight) do you consider his "greatest"? We're talking 10-12 years here?

George was a tough SOB and in my earlier posts I gave him much praise; I just think he had his limitations and his resume can be critiqued and criticized as much as any other fighter.

OK a 65-67 Chuvalo would take a 75-77 Shavers IMO :bbb

 

I wanted to see a chuvalo--shavers fight.

But the thing with Earnie was that the lofty record of his in the early to mid 70's were all clubfights. The C and B grade heavies, at best. And he didn't win them all. And he sure didn't do very well against an old Quarry in his first big shot.

Back then, I always wanted to see Earnie in there with--don't laugh--Wepner. He was another guy on the club circuit that would fight anyone anytime and anywhere. He was definately beatable but kind of a Bugner type in that you'd better be in good shape for the fight. But he was a tough physical fighter in there and Shavers had lots of early ko's but not too many late one's. And a shaky stamina against a big strong durable guy is always a risk.

 

No disrespect to George, iron chinned for sure but Jowlcol is correct in pointing out he lost most every time he stepped up. I can't agree the Terrell fight was a bad decision. I also remember George coming to London to fight at the Albert Hall. He struggled to outpoint a washed up old Joe Bygraves & was easily outpointed by the very average Eduardo Corletti. Fighters Shavers would have blown away.