Joe Frazier V Shavers Or Lyle??

Although joe flatly refused a fight with Shavers, i would still favor him to take Earnie out in the early rounds, especially since de are talking about the FOTC frazier.
I like Shavers, but even if he was a little bit dangerous style wise for Joe, IMO NO fighters Who gets stopped by bums in the early rounds is going to beat anybody resambling to Joe.
Frazier would probably walk right into Shavers bombs, goes down 2 or 3 times, but Earnie's horrible ability to finish an opponent off when he hurt him would be he is undoing.
Joe's engine kicks in, he goes inside, bob and weave, slip and duck, beat the holy hell out of Shavers and stops him.
Ron Lyle would be a bit tougher, i think he has a little chance at doing the unthinkable, but he lacked george's finishing ability and Liston's telephone pole jab to prevent joe from attaching to his side and beat him up.
I think Joe would have prevailed, but he must take Lyle's arsenal in order to make it happen.

 

Joe beats Shavers, loses to Lyle.

 

Best version of Joe wins. Sure he takes a knock down or two but he wins. The others chins weren’t so great either.

 

I was a big Shavers fan in the late 70s. Always rooted for him (even though he didn't win a lot). I've always liked watching punchers.

But, through most of the 70s, Shavers was on the fringe of the top 10. Most of the big names in the division in the 70s - Foreman, Frazier, Lyle, Quarry, Bonavena, etc. - had to retire or fade away for Earnie to move up near the top of the ratings in the latter half of the decade.

I don't see Earnie really giving Joe Frazier any problems. It would probably look a lot like the Quarry-Shavers bout.

Regarding Ron Lyle, Lyle sparred with Ali and Frazier in the early 70s when Lyle was just turning pro. And Frazier came to the Lyle-Mathis fight to scout Lyle. I believe Lyle was rated #4 by the WBA at the time. Frazier was very familiar with Lyle.

But Frazier was forced (by the WBA, I believe) to take on Foreman instead.

If Joe had fought Lyle in early 73, instead of George, I think Frazier retains the title with a stoppage win.

 

I’d favor him to beat both. But those could be some very tuff fights

 

When did Frazier refuse a fight with Shavers? Better yet, when was Shavers ever in a position to fight Frazier?

 

When did Frazier flatly refuse a fight with Shavers? Better yet, when was Shavers ever in a position to fight Frazier?

 

Frazier beats them both. Anyone who disagrees with my subjective opinion is objectively wrong.

 

Ok.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.th...e-sportsman-interviews-earnie-shavers1111.amp
"So scarily powerful, both Joe Frazier and George Foreman told boxing writer Jerry Eisenberg they would never fight Shavers."

 

Excellent article which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. However, I don't put to much stock in those I heard from a guy that heard from a guy, that heard from a guy stories. Even if the story is indeed accurate which is quite a big if, they were likely being modest (as Foreman is known for). The facts are, that as much as people think Frazier avoided Foster, Lyle, and Shavers, they were all defeated by one man who Frazier himself beat 2X. Jerry Quarry. Had they beaten Quarry, they likely would've received a shot at Frazier but unfortunately they didn't. If Frazier fought any of them even after their losses, he would've been accused of ducking Quarry, and rightfully so.

 

Strongly agree. I didn't pay any attention to what George said, the thing that shocked me was Smokin Joe's opinion on a his fantasy fight with Earnie.
But i feel Like Shavers simply challenged Joe to fight him for peanuts. But Frazier was not this stupid and since shavers was never his mandatory challenger or was put in a title eliminator against him, he really had 0 obligation to fight him. While Shavers was little bit....just a little bit of a bum, he was still dangerous style wise for joe.
A fact Frazier cheerfully admitted !
“Joe Frazier said, ‘Earnie, you’ll knock me out because I come to you" said Shavers.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.**...nted-fight-joe-frazier-george-foreman--130789