Shavers/Roy Williams - One Of The Best Displays Of Chin Ever?

Maurice Harris was considered the best sparring partner you could find in the 90s and 00s but his record is ****. I dont think Cleveland was as overrated as Merritt and Williams have become in some circles but both of those guys were also rans IMO. Their reps have been blown out of preportion based on whispers and gym stories but the fact is neither ever really showed much substance to those stories. I think Williams had more opportunities than Merritt and failed at every single one. I think both guys were exactly what you described, sparring partner level guys. Solid professionals but not A list material.

 

I dont know if it gets mentioned much but around the same time Williams was carving out his legend in Alis camp Ali sparred with a very young Michael Dokes. Where Ali owned Williams and toyed with him Dokes kicked the **** out of Ali. Dokes was incredibly impressive to me for such a young age and to be doing what he was doing to the champion of the world. Hand speed, power, angles, combinations. He beat a tattoo on Alis face. Its rare to see Ali get hit that consistently in sparring or for real but Dokes couldnt miss. Forget all the embellished gym talk about Williams and Merritt, that teenage Dokes session should be legendary.

 

You do realize this spar/exhibition is on youtube and can be readily seen for what it really is?

This content is protected

 

Lol. No, this isnt what Im talking about. This was a televised exhibition. Im talking about a sparring session that took place Miami in 75 or 76. Ill take some screen caps when I get home to show you.

 

I think we all know how seriously Ali took sparring and how often he went all out, particularly against kids and lighter fighters. He wopuld have been about 17. Ali sparred Page and toyed around when Page was young too.

 

Here are the stills I promised of Ali sparring a very young Dokes. I believe Dokes was a light heavyweight at this point. At least he looks much more lean than he did a couple years later:

[url]https://flic.kr/p/22bWFkZ[/url]
[url]https://flic.kr/p/Fqwwfm[/url]
[url]https://flic.kr/p/Fqwwej[/url]

 

Tim Witherspoon has always been my guy for that generation. He really had it all. Total waste of ability. Dokes I'm no expert on but he sure looks like a guy who had all of the promise in then world, never really lived up to his potential, and then after he kind of let everyone down he would show occasional flashes of the potential he once had.

 

He sure had fast hands.