Ali, known worldwide for his efforts inside and outside the ropes, beat Shavers by unanimous decision in 1977. He later admitted he'd underestimated his opponent.
Earnie Shavers. Yeah, man. Stronger than George Foreman and Joe Frazier. He hit hard. I don't know why I picked on him that late in my career. I didn't really believe he was as good as he was. I predicted I'd beat him in round seven, but he was really good. He took all I had and he hit hard.
Larry Holmes started as Ali's sparring partner before carving out his own successful career. He became a long-reigning champion, famous for his powerful jab. Holmes won the inaugural IBF belt in 1983 and went undefeated in his first 48 bouts. He beat big names like Muhammad Ali, Ken Norton, Gerry Cooney, and Tim Witherspoon.
In 1979, Holmes defended his world title against Shavers. Decades later, he still remembers the power of Shavers' punches.
I got hit by Earnie Shavers, the hardest puncher to ever, I thought, hit anybody. I still got the knock right here, 40 years later.
Earnie Shavers boxed from 1969 to 1995. He challenged for the world heavyweight title twice and racked up an impressive 70 knockouts, with 23 of those coming in the first round. He beat notable fighters like Ken Norton, Joe Bugner, and Jimmy Ellis.
Despite his fearsome reputation, Shavers named Larry Holmes as the best fighter he ever faced.
The fact that both Ali and Holmes, two of the sport's greatest, singled out Shavers for his punching power speaks volumes about his ability. It's a testament to Shavers' impact on heavyweight boxing, even if he never won the world title himself.