By: Sean Crose
The great Mohammad Ali entered the ring to the vibrant sounds of John William Star Wars topic. In fact, “The Greatest” is about to get into more fights than he could have expected. At 35, Ali could be forgiven for not having enough power for the punches he once had. He could also be forgiven for not engaging in the same level of leg movement he used more than thirteen years earlier when he first defeated Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title. However, there’s no denying the fact that Earnie Shavers – just two years younger than Ali – not only fights like a true fighter but can actually kick Ali in epic style in round 15.
Ali ultimately beat Shavers on the cards, as did red hot candidate Larry Holmes six months later. The second Holmes-Shavers battle, a year and a half later, was a different story, however. Like Ali before him, Holmes felt the full power of Shaver’s arsenal when he was sent to the tough court in the sixth round of their title match. Holmes finally beat the count before going on to stop his ferocious opponent in the eleventh round. Suffice it to say, Shavers, who passed away on Thursday – the day after his 78th birthday – disappeared from the fight between Ali and Holmes, a legend, proving that the top prize isn’t always Which is also necessary for legendary status.
“Earnie hit me so hard, it shook my relatives in Africa,” Ali declared after their 1977 war. “I’ve never fought Earnie Shavers, thank god,” George Foreman once said of the thunderbolt. As for Holmes, he claimed Shaver’s punch that sent him to the carpet was the hardest hit he had ever taken. Although famous for his losses, Shavers has more than a few big wins during a career spanning 30 years, especially the knock-out of teammate heavyweight Ken Norton.
After boxing, Shavers became an ordained Christian chaplain. He leaves behind a large family as well as countless fans and admirers. He may not be a champion, but his incredible strength ensures that Shavers will be much remembered. Even Rocky himself, Sylvester Stallone, has attested to Shaver’s power. While preparing for Rocky III, he is said to have encouraged Shavers to throw multiple shots at him in the ring. Reluctantly obligatory shaver. “That almost killed me,” Stallone later said. “I went straight to the men’s room and threw up.”
“I can laugh about it now,” notable contender Ronnie Lyle once said of Shaver’s experience of feeling the power, “but at the time, it wasn’t funny.”
