Earnie Shavers, whose thunderous punches stopped 68 fighters and earned him heavyweight title fights with Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes, has died at 78.
In March 1979, Shavers beat Ken Norton by knockout in the first round, in what was considered one of his finest victories.
Shavers later faced Larry Holmes for the WBC heavyweight title in September 1979 in Las Vegas. Holmes won the bout by TKO in the bout stopped in the 11th round. Shavers did knock Holmes to the canvas in the seventh round.“He was one of the hardest punchers in boxing,” Holmes said of Shavers in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Friday.
Former New York State Athletic Commissioner Randy Gordon said Shavers always had time for the fans, whether it was signing autographs or exchanging a word or two. “He was one of the nicest guys in the world, until he got into the ring and tried to take your head off,” Gordon told The AP Friday. Shavers had surgery for a detached retina after the Holmes fight and was stopped by Randall “Tex” Cobb in the eighth round the following year. In 1982 he fought Joe Bugner, also on the comeback trail. Bugner was knocked down in the first, and was stopped by cuts in the second round.Shavers continued to fight professionally for several years, but never fought for a title again. He was named among the top-10 punchers in boxing history by The Ring and others.Shavers was married to Laverne Payne.
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