What if Shavers had ko'ed Ali in the 2nd round?

It would have boosted his legacy tremendously, but it also would have been a very short reign.

 

Earnie would have earned a fortune in a quickly arranged return bout with Muhammad. Ali would have pulled out a close fifteen rounds points win in that one. Deja Vu ?

 

Even if Shavers let go with everything in that round Ali would have still won that fight.
He was just too good for Shavers.

 

Ali was close to indestructible for most of his career, but you raise an interesting hypothetical.

I think the hastily arranged re-match scenario would have been the way it played out. With Ali winning it.

 

Shavers loses to Quarry and Ali beats Quarry, Shavers beats Frazier and Quarry beats Shavers and Frazier beats Quarry

 

...and then what?

 

Ali Frazier 4

 

I was at the Ali-Shavers fight in MSG and thinking back it was quite a night, Alex Arguello KO'd Kevin Rooney that night....Ali was in tougher than I thought at the time but when ever he got rocked he did the Ali wiggle and no one thought he was hurt but he was...that was the Ali magic

 

If you lived through those years you would realize Ali was a very tough customer. No fighter took a shot like Ali. More than likely if Shavers let it all go when he hurt Ali in round 2 he would have exhausted himself in the process and Ali would have knocked him out. Shavers was well known to have very poor stamina and not the best chin. this is why his strategy for this fight was to fight in short spurts, lay back with gloves high and wait until the late rounds to open up. It was a smart strategy really since every fighter who went out to ko Ali lost. (since Frazier 1). Shavers in many ways mirrored Lyles strategy when he fought Ali several years earlier. Problem is in the end Shavers did not win enough rounds to win the decision.

 

Shavers would have been disqualified for using his fists as weapons. Ali wins via DQ.

 

Ali was too good to be on his back unconscious from Shavers.
Ali would have done something like Holmes and survived.