Floyd Patterson vs Earnie Shavers

I would expect Shavers to tag Floyd for a stoppage at some point,but would not be astonished if Floyd landed his kangaroo hook and took Ernie out.

 

Most likely Shavers would overpower him, but Floyd has a live chance in the fight.

 

As Joe Frazier once said: "Any heavyweight with 2 hands is dangerous".

 

Patterson was fast handed but he was not fleet of foot. He could punch and I see this as a toss up fight. Quarry took out Shavers in one round but Patterson was a slow starter so I don't see him catching Shavers early. There in lies the danger for Patterson. Patterson would be vulnerable early. Funny thing how most superbly conditioned fighters are slow starters and the marginally conditioned guys are fast starters.

This would be very interesting. Floyd was one of my all-time favorites but this one, I find hard to pick.

 

Anything is possible. If anything Floyd needs to get in first.

 

Pretty 1 sided. Not only did patterson bounce off the canvas more than any other HW champ, its a bad style matchup. Short Swarmer/inside fighter with fast hands and short reach vs stocky boxer puncher/slugger with much longer arms who had dynamite in his hands from round 1-15?

Sure shavers lacked defense and didnt improve his stamina till late in his career, but he wont really need either. Floyds speed might frustrate him, he has higher ring iq, and he has a punchers chance, but despite all that shavers balls to the wall crazy sledgehammer punches will be like a knife through butter. Patterson did better against similarly sized men, outside fighters, and slow plodders who didnt throw a lot of combinations.

 

Patterson was another class of fighter and he had the power to take out Shavers, too. It would probably go down like the latter two fights with Ingo more often than not, but it could go down like their first fight, too. Out of ten I think Patterson takes seven.

 

There is something in this. Floyd above shavers i n skill but his chin ,especially his younger days , could let him down .If shavers could drop Holmes and rattle Ali , then if he tags Floyd right he could win this early. But Floyd can also turn it around , maybe another Quarry type fast KO of shavers. 50/50 on this .

 

What truly LEGIT "big fighters" did Floyd beat ever beat? I know Oscar B weighed 206 lbs, Chuvalo 208 lbs...any other plus 210 guys? Shavers would probably weigh in around 210 lbs.

Maybe Charley Powell (fought Ali also) (25-9-3) at fight time for Floyd fight)

1964-12-12 : Floyd Patterson 197 lbs beat Charlie Powell 213 lbs by KO at 1:21 in round 6 of 10

• Location: Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Referee: Jersey Joe Walcott

"Former heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson knocked out Charley Powell of San Diego at 1:21 of the 6th round Saturday night in a scheduled 10 round fight. Patterson knocked out Powell with a flurry of hard lefts and rights as the climax to a fight which the ex-heavyweight champ fought in textbook style against the towering ex-professional football player. Patterson started Powell's downfall when he sent the Californian to the canvas for a count of nine in the 6th round and then dropped his opponent flat on his back in the middle of the ring with a series of combinations for the kayo." -United Press International

 

Chuvalo was pretty light for floyd but he was naturally heavier,bigger and stronger than shavers .chuvalo was a 219 pounder with a impresive physique without fat

 

Yeah, I see it as depending on who can land first. Floyd would do well to utilize his superior defensive skills

 

Earnie Shavers like all big punchers had a ruthless streak in them .
Remember Shavers saying he had Ken Norton already beaten before
they fought. Patterson had a feeble chin and Norton , Golota type
mental problems with big punchers. Shavers strikes fast and early.
Shavers ko in 1 .

 

Well, Patterson arguably only showed any noticeable fear with Liston. Then again, what other big punchers did he face?

 

Cus D' Amato always protected him and he was knocked down 20 x in his career.