Earnie Shavers v James 'Bonecrusher' Smith

Post Manilla Ali was really just a shell.

 

Comparatively speaking yes.

 

The Acorn kos Bonecrusher

 

Earnie lives comfortably but not in opulence. He and his wife have a flat on the Wirral, an up market area just outside Liverpool. He did work the doors, which must have been interesting. Liverpool is a real fighting city but which local hardcase is going up against Earnie Shavers ?
He made good money on the after dinner speaking circuit over here which probably gave him a salary similar to a Director of a small to medium sized business.
Now in his 70's, I believe he is in comfortable retirement.

 

This is a really tough fight to pick. Both guys' strengths are obvious so it's more a matter of weighing up their short comings.
Smith was often clumsy, never quick and infuriatingly inconsistent. Shavers was indisciplined, he could barely resist a gunfight, had questionable stamina and a very human chin.
It could just be a wild fight this one. Mayweather / Hopkins fans need not tune in. I can see Bonecrusher having to get off the deck in the first 3 rounds but coming back to stop Earnie around the 6th.

 

Good points, except Ali was 35 when he fought Shavers.
Still he had declined significantly since Manilla.

 

Bump

 

Smith stops Shavers in a fun fight, only differences for me are Smith's chin and engine. Earnie does well early, maybe stunning or downing Smith more than once, but he gets up and breaks Earnie down. I think Smith is unfairly underrated these days and always remembered for his losses rather than his accomplishments as seems the way with many fighters.

 

I think Smith can get a late KO win, maybe after being battered himself for a while.

 

I'm pretty hard on Shavers though I love him so.

I have to give it to Shavers, 4th round at the latest.