Larry Holmes, the former heavyweight champion, points the finger at Earnie Shavers for speeding up Muhammad Ali's health decline. Holmes, who used to spar with Ali, shared his thoughts in a recent chat with Boxing TV.
Holmes, known as "The Easton Assassin" for his powerful jab, held the Ring Magazine and lineal titles from 1980 to 1985. He also grabbed the first-ever IBF belt. During his career, Holmes beat some big names like Ken Norton, Gerry Cooney, and even Ali himself, though Ali was past his prime by then.
When talking about Ali's health, Holmes zeroed in on the 1977 fight between Ali and Earnie Shavers. Ali won that bout on points to get back his world title, but Holmes thinks it came at a high cost.
In the interview with Boxing TV, Holmes said:
"Muhammad Ali fought Earnie Shavers. He was OK until he fought Earnie Shaves, and when Earnie started hitting him upside the head, Ali went a little bit like that. And I blame Earnie Shavers for it."
Holmes didn't stop there. He added:
"I shouldn't but I do. I said if you hadn't hit him like that he would be walking around, going punchy a little bit. Earnie hit him and hurt him a lot of times. He knocked the hell out of Muhammad."
Shavers had a reputation as one of the hardest hitters in heavyweight history. Interestingly, Shavers himself said Holmes was the toughest opponent he ever faced.
After the Shavers fight, Ali's career took a downturn. He lost to Leon Spinks, then won the rematch. But then came a loss to Holmes himself - the only time Ali was stopped in his career. Ali's final fight was a points loss to Trevor Berbick.
By this time, people were upset that Ali was still fighting. It was clear he had health issues, which later turned out to be Parkinson's disease. Ali, widely seen as the greatest heavyweight ever, passed away in 2016 due to an infection.
Holmes' words shine a light on the tough reality of boxing and the long-term effects it can have on fighters' health. It's a reminder of the risks these athletes take every time they step into the ring.
