Earnie Shaver's Potential

[Mr.Noodle]

I remember reading in the book "Facing Ali" that Shaver's trainers didn't really improve his boxing skills and focus mainly on his punching. "Because I could punch so hard, all the trainers wanted me to do was improve on my punchnig, not my boxing skills."

Do you guys think he could crack the top 20 or even top 10 HW of all time if he had a better trainer?

[them_apples]

I remember reading in the book "Facing Ali" that Shaver's trainers didn't really improve his boxing skills and focus mainly on his punching. "Because I could punch so hard, all the trainers wanted me to do was improve on my punchnig, not my boxing skills."

Do you guys think he could crack the top 20 or even top 10 HW of all time if he had a better trainer?

Most likely, but he was sorta chinny, so it's hard to say.

[Terry A]

I'm a big fan of Shavers. Good trainer or not, he got to where he was by his God given gift of power. But, good trainer or not, he also was smart enough to know that he juiced out in a lot of his fights, so he should have known that was the one area that he could control. You can't train your jaw to soak up a punch better once you've had 50+ pro fights. But you can always keep your cardio in top form.
Another thing about Earnie...he's listed in lots of places as 6'1". He was really only 6'0", maybe a shade less. His size was small compared to a lot of the big giants, but he had more crack in his punch than most other heavyweights ever dreamed of having. He got the very most from his physical tools.
I look at Earnie Shavers sort of a poor man's George Foreman. George had stamina problems as well, but his whiskers held up better than Earnie's did.
Foreman was matched well, with guys who would be in front of him. Except for Ali and Young, both extra-gifted boxers, he looked unbeatable. Shavers, on the other hand, once he saw that he was running out of gas and his power was also running on low, lost to guys that Foreman would have destroyed.
Bottom line in my opinion, he needed a better match maker more than a better trainer. But either way, a hundred years from know, people will still be talking about Earnie Shavers. Title or not, he's a great fighter in my book. He gave us lots of great moments to remember.

[MarkScott]

May have been a champ in era without Ali and Holmes.

[them_apples]

May have been a champ in era without Ali and Holmes.

Yea I'd love to see him crack Chris Aereolla good and proper. In todays HW division where defense doesn't exist, it would be killing grounds for Shavers.

[Jim Jeffries]

Well Shavers would be a CW today (most of whom weigh 210-215 on fight night.) Which is to say he would probably destroy the current crop. Shavers/Haye would be an interesting scrap.

[Southpaw16BF]

Earnie Shavers had scary crippiling power, he never had much else in his arsenal, but his power took him a pretty long way and nearly put a World Title round his waist.

Shavers was a heavyhanded puncher on either side, but there are those who will tell you his overhand right was the single hardest punch in the history of the sport. No less than Muhhamed Ali called Earnie Shavers the hardest hitter he'd ever fought and this was coming from a guy who been in with George Foreman, Sonny Liston, Bob Foster, Archie Moore and Joe Frazier.

I belive Shavers 2 greatest KO'S were against Jimmy Ellis, who was a former WBA Heavyweight Champion and Shavers being a rising contender. They met in June 73, Ellis was for more skilled than the crude Shavers and appeared to have Shavers hurt early and was getting the better of him. Until while Ellis was throwing a flurry of punchers Shavers drilled home a right uppercut on the chin of Ellis and dropped him for the full count.

His next one being against another former World Champion Ken Norton, who had held the WBC Title. Only 1 year before Norton had lost a razor thin decision to Larry Holmes and was also going into the fight with a win over Muhhamed Ali and Jerry Quarry. Once again Shavers showed crippling power knocking out Norton cold in the first.

He also had good KO wins over Roy Williams, and a very inexprienced Jimmy Young.

Shavers was do a very one trick pony. His chin was unreliable. He could be clumsy. He cut. His stamina was poor and it was very well known if you could get past the first 5 rounds you had a hell of a chance. But all he had to do was touch you with the right. If he did chances were you were going a sleep.

And to be onest when at look back at some heavyweight champions over the years, i think Shavers was worthy of a strap. But the era he was involved in was such a hard era of Heavyweights.

[Southpaw16BF]

His KO Win over Norton


Ali saying Shavers was the hardest hitter he ever faced.


Earnie Shavers vs Jimmy Ellis

[StarshipTrooper]

Yea I'd love to see him crack Chris Aereolla good and proper. In todays HW division where defense doesn't exist, it would be killing grounds for Shavers.

Yeah, so much for the "giants" of today's Heavyweight division. 500 pounds of lard in the ring Saturday night.

Poet

[RightCross94]

the only HW's that should weigh over 245 or so are valuev and the klitschkos

really, we dont live in an era of "superheavies", just a few superheavies and the rest are plain fat

arreola should weigh in at 230-5, i dunno what he is thinking showing up looking like a beached whale