Ernie Shavers vs Henry Clark 2 with commentary by Jerry Quarry

He did commentary on a fair amount of CBS fights back then.

 

Jerry was a smart guy, good commentator, funny but he had already KO'd Shavers in 1

 

Jerry Quarry was okay behind the mic; you could tell he wasn't a seasoned announcer..... He was there to make quick "Boxing" comments..... He did some work for network TV during his retirement from boxing in the late 70s.... His announcing career didn't last very long......

 

Jerry was always pleasant for me to listen to, not overexcited and bombastic, but laid back, easygoing and relaxed. He came across as somebody I'd enjoy having a drink with if I wanted to chill out and unwind.

 

That had something to do with a bad business decision by Quarry leading up to his comeback fight with Lorenzo Zanon. He had a contract with one of the major networks who said he would be welcome to go back to announcing when the comeback was over. Instead, Jerry accepted a much larger payday (about $200,000) for the Zanon fight from a rival network. Jerry won but took a lot of leather and looked washed up so the comeback only lasted one fight (until two ill advised further comebacks in 1983 and 1992). When Jerry tried to get the gig with CBS back he was told no way. He had fought Zanon on NBC for way more than CBS offered but would have been able to keep announcing had he accepted the CBS offer. Jerry had valuable investment properties in, among other places, Hawaii. I don't know how he ended up so broke. I think it was a lethal combination of dumb decisions, several failed marriages, too much punishment in the ring especially the 1992 comeback. His brother James (died 2002) said he was totally gone after that one. A real shame.

 

Also, rumored cocaine and alcohol abuse.

 

he's better then foreman at least right?

 

I can't imagine the look Jerry would have given George if he had been in the studio with him on many of Foreman's, ah, better nights. I remember Jerry was on the mic for one of Duran's bouts as a lightweight and Jerry said how glad he was that Roberto wasn't a heavyweight, and he meant it!

 

If you go to the clips availble under the screen for this bout you can also hear Jerry's commentary on Shavers-Howard Smith.

 

Yes, I remember Quarry as being an excellent commentator when he worked for CBS in 1976-77. Very intelligent, very articulate. I am interested in knowing why the Quarry-CBS deal fell apart; I heard that Quarry's partying lifestyle had something to do with it. I don't know if the rumor is true though.

As for Shavers-Clark II, it is a fascinating fight because Shavers won so quickly. At the time, Clark was known as being a very, very difficult guy to kayo. In fact, Shavers barely won their first fight by decision.

Shavers's quick disposal of Clark in 1976 is the fight, in fact, that reestablished Earnie in the top 10 ratings. After Shavers's upset 1974 defeat by Bob Stallings, most magazine's and ratings organizations dumped him from their rankings.

 

I think I remember Quarry saying that, in a streetfight, Duran could beat any heavyweight. Something to that effect.

 

That answers my question.

 

Even so, Quarry excelled at color commentary in my opinion. I thought Quarry's presence at ringside made all the difference in the commentary. The professional announcers usually didn't know anything esoteric about boxing.

As for professional announcers, I'm sure you'll agree that the most ignorant of them, by far, was Howard Cosell.

 

I recall Jerry Quarry did fight a fight in 1983 against some son-of-a-***** in which his face was mauled like hamburger and his post-fight announcing job was cancelled cuz he looked like a ghoul in the aftermath.... Pretty goddamn weak if you ask me..... But, that's life.....

MR.BILL