here's what earnie shavers had to say about mike tyson

[Boogie Nights]

"Well Mike, he was OK but he wasn’t the kind of a fighter that could be a great fighter because he didn’t fight anybody. He fought in a very poor era. If he’d fought in the ‘70s you wouldn’t have heard about him. There were so many good guys to fight then." Earnie Shavers

earnie was a good fighter who didnt win a worldtitle due to some very tough fighters fighting during that era. particularly ali. he's a nice man, but the **** he said is plain redicilous.

discuss, and tyson haters gtfo

[TheGreatA]

Not surprising.

I think most fighters like to remember the era they fought in as the toughest.

Shavers' did have some bad luck and could've been a title holder during the pre-Tyson era when there were numerous titles around.

I can definitely see him fighters like Berbick, John Tate, Gerrie Coetzee, Tony Tubbs, Greg Page who all held titles if he can land his best punch.
Those fighters were tough but beatable because they rarely showed up in shape.


Tyson obviously has the skill to fight in any era. He just didn't have much longevity.

[deliveryman]

Ridiculous. A pre-'90 Tyson would have given ANY era a lot to think about.

[Boogie Nights]

i could be wrong but perhaps there's some jealousy on shaver's part. he too like tyson was a puncher who didnt get his day. tyson had just as much power as shavers did, a better chin, and much more skill. and tyson would be a bigger man against shavers (one of the few times tyson would be bigger than his opponent), and would outclass him in every department. they only chance shavers would have is a puncher's chance, but in the end this is excatly the kind of chance that tyson would take as well.

as far as prime tyson fighting in the 70 there's no doubt in my mind that he could become a champion, and be ali's nightmare.

[AntonTheMeh]

all shavers could do was punch,mike could do that and more.

[Patty Tanager]

Shavers is working as a bouncer in Liverpool. < legend.

[slicksouthpaw16]

I completely agree with him. Great fighters beat other great fighters and what great fighter has Tyson beaten that was in their prime? Everytime he has stepped up and fought the best competition, he has always came up short. In fact, i have always said that i would have favored Bowe over peak Tyson and Mercer would have had a chance at outlasting Tyson. His skills were not overrated but himself as a fighter was.

[TheGreatA]

Shavers started fighting in his mid-20's and did well for himself without having anything except his punching power and his willpower. He barely trained for his fights.

As limited as Shavers was as a boxer, there was something he had that Tyson never had and that was his willpower and longevity as a fighter (still fought in his 50's!). Every time Shavers lost, he came right back and KO'd a top contender.

One only needs to watch Earnie's fight against Roy Williams who was beating Shavers in every department and nearly had him out.
The referee was about to stop the fight when Shavers unleashed one last flurry of punches and knocked Williams out.

I don't think Tyson had nearly as much raw power as Shavers had but there's obviously no way to know for sure.

But Shavers won 30 fights in a row by KO and ended his career with 68 KO's (with 6 fights going the distance, most of them at the end of his career).
He knocked out some very tough fighters and had Holmes nearly KO'd with one punch with the canvas waking Holmes back up.

IMO Shavers was the harder puncher.

Tyson was obviously the better fighter but then again, so were many of the boxers Shavers knocked out. Doesn't mean he would KO Tyson but he always had a chance, the punchers chance.

[shadeyfizzle]

all shavers could do was punch,mike could do that and more.

Not in the beginning of tyson's career. He used to have a bad habit of going into a rage and completely abandoning his guard. A problem that D'amato luckily fixed before any1 noticed

[Boogie Nights]

Shavers started fighting in his mid-20's and did well for himself without having anything except his punching power and his willpower. He barely trained for his fights.

As limited as Shavers was as a boxer, there was something he had that Tyson never had and that was his willpower and longevity as a fighter (still fought in his 50's!). Every time Shavers lost, he came right back and KO'd a top contender.

One only needs to watch Earnie's fight against Roy Williams who was beating Shavers in every department and nearly had him out.
The referee was about to stop the fight when Shavers unleashed one last flurry of punches and knocked Williams out.

I don't think Tyson had nearly as much raw power as Shavers had but there's obviously no way to know for sure.

But Shavers won 30 fights in a row by KO and ended his career with 68 KO's (with 6 fights going the distance, most of them at the end of his career).
He knocked out some very tough fighters and had Holmes nearly KO'd with one punch with the canvas waking Holmes back up.

IMO Shavers was the harder puncher.

Tyson was obviously the better fighter but then again, so were many of the boxers Shavers knocked out. Doesn't mean he would KO Tyson but he always had a chance, the punchers chance.

so you implying that shavers had willpower and longevity, something in your words tyson never had, lets agree and disagree.

shavers did fight into his 50s but none of his victories past his younger years really mean anything on his record today. he was only moderately successfull. tyson could do that now, and come out and have the same result that shavers had. going out, feeling good about competing with younger guys. making money on the side while loosing. tyson has the shape to do that, but why should he?

willpower, is the factor of debate. taking a beating from buster douglas for 8 rounds, and knocking buster down for good 13 seconds didnt require willpower?

after his loses shavers came back to knock out top contenders yes. tyson after his loss, knocked out top condenders too, tillman, and stewart with one loss against holyfiled qualify i hope. after nearly 4 years away at prison with no boxing, he came back and waxed 2 champions, no matter how limited those champions might have been at that time. that doesnt take willpower? even foreman admitted that tyson after prison became bigger than life, when most people might have crumbled.

how about the beating lennox dished out. tyson could have pulled mccal, or got down in the middle rounds and take the count. instead it took a single right hand from which he could not come back. right hand that destroyed many heavies fast and sound, but it took 8 rounds of serious punishment for that right hand to make an impression. and that 8 rounds of beating, was more painful than the beating holmes laid on shavers after getting up.

you're a good poster manchine, i dont have anything against you, i enjoy reading your analysis, but they're couple of things i tend to disagree.

tyson was never as dominant as he was when adversity was knocking down his door, but he did what nature had given him, and stood through, when most would prefer to avoid unnecessary punishmnet and embarassment.