Earnie Shavers, one of boxing's hardest hitters, fought both Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes. Before he died, he shared his thoughts on which of these legends was the better boxer.
Shavers knew what he was talking about. He challenged for the world heavyweight title twice and racked up 76 wins in his career. An impressive 70 of those wins came by knockout, with 23 happening in the very first round.
In September 1977, Shavers faced Ali. He lost on points but gave a good showing and landed some big shots on the champ. Just six months later, he stepped into the ring with Holmes. Holmes won all 12 rounds. They fought again in September 1979, and although Shavers knocked Holmes down in the seventh round, Holmes bounced back and stopped Shavers in the 11th.
Shavers told Boxing News what he thought about the two champions:
"I think Larry Holmes was the best fighter I ever fought. He was better than Ali. See, they both had great jabs, but Ali's was a flicking jab; Holmes' was a puncher's jab! They were both truly great of course, but I give Larry the edge."
Ali and Holmes did face each other in 1980. Holmes won when Ali's corner stopped the fight after 10 rounds. But Ali was past his best by then, and it was his second-to-last fight.
Holmes went on to face Mike Tyson in 1988, losing by knockout in the fourth round. Now, over 35 years later, Tyson is set to return to the ring against Jake Paul. The upcoming fight has split opinion in the boxing world.
Shavers sadly passed away in 2022 at the age of 78, leaving behind a legacy as one of boxing's most feared punchers and a man who shared the ring with some of the sport's greatest heavyweights.
