Earnie Shavers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Earnie Shavers |
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Shavers in 2017
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| Statistics | |
| Real name | Earnie Dee Shaver |
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| Rated at | Heavyweight |
| Height | 6 ft |
| Reach | 79 in |
| Born | August 31, 1944 Garland, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | September 1, 2022 (aged 78) Virginia, U.S. |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 91 |
| Wins | 76 |
| Wins by KO | 70 |
| Losses | 14 |
| Draws | 1 |
Earnie Dee Shaver (born August 31, 1944 – died September 1, 2022), known as Earnie Shavers, was an American professional boxer. He competed from 1969 to 1995. Many people remember him as one of the hardest punchers in heavyweight boxing history. He won 69 fights by knockout, with 23 of those in the very first round! This means he knocked out his opponents in 76.7% of his wins.
Shavers tried twice to win the world heavyweight championship. He lost to Muhammad Ali in 1977 and to Larry Holmes in 1979. Even though he lost, he showed his amazing power. He hurt Ali in one fight and knocked down Holmes in another. Shavers also beat famous boxers like Vicente Rondón, Jimmy Ellis, and Ken Norton.
After he stopped boxing, Shavers wrote a book called Welcome to the Big Time. He also kept going to boxing events. He signed autographs and gave inspiring speeches.
Contents
Becoming a Boxer: Amateur Career
Earnie Shavers started boxing a bit later than most, at age 22. Before he became a professional, he had a short but successful time as an amateur boxer. In 1969, he won the National AAU heavyweight title.
In March 1969, a boxing director named Tony Mange said Shavers "carries a hefty punch." This meant he hit very hard! Shavers had nine knockouts in a row. Then, he was knocked out by a boxer named Horst Koschemann. Shavers' amateur record was 20 wins and 6 losses. He had 14 knockouts.
Professional Boxing Journey
Shavers was known as "The Black Destroyer" because of his powerful punches. He won 44 of his first 47 fights by knockout. Many of these wins were against less experienced boxers. He even had 27 knockouts in a row, with 20 of them in the first round!
He had a few early losses, but then he started working with a famous promoter named Don King. Shavers began to fight tougher opponents. He quickly became well-known after knocking out former world champion Jimmy Ellis in the first round. He also had a very tough fight with Ron Lyle. Shavers later said one of his hardest fights was against Roy Williams.
Big Fights Against Champions
Shavers vs. Ali: A Tough Challenge
On September 29, 1977, Shavers fought the legendary Muhammad Ali at Madison Square Garden. Shavers had an impressive record of 54 wins and 5 losses, with 52 knockouts. Ali even gave Shavers a nickname, "The Acorn," because of his shaved head.
In the second round, Shavers hit Ali hard with a right punch. Ali pretended to be more hurt than he was, which made Shavers hesitate. The fight was very close. In the 13th and 14th rounds, Shavers hit Ali with many punches. Ali was very tired before the last round. His coach told him to go out and win the round. In the final round, both boxers fought hard. Ali finished strong and won the fight.
After the fight, Ali said that Earnie Shavers was the hardest puncher he had ever faced. He even said Shavers hit him so hard, "it shook my kinfolk back in Africa!"
Shavers vs. Holmes: Two Epic Battles
Shavers then fought Larry Holmes in March 1978. This fight was to decide who would get to challenge the heavyweight champion, Ken Norton. Holmes won this fight by decision.
Later, Shavers got his chance to fight Ken Norton. In a huge win, Earnie Shavers knocked out the former champion Ken Norton in the first round! This is seen as one of the best wins of his career.
Shavers and Holmes fought again on September 29, 1979. This time, it was for the WBC world heavyweight title. Shavers knocked Holmes down in the seventh round! But Holmes got back up. In the eleventh round, the referee stopped the fight because Shavers was taking too many punches. Holmes won by TKO. Holmes later said that Shavers' punch in the seventh round was the hardest he had ever been hit in his entire career.
Later Boxing Years
The fight against Larry Holmes was Shavers' last big championship fight. In 1980, he lost to Randall "Tex" Cobb. Before this fight, Shavers had surgery for a serious eye injury called a detached retina. At that time, this kind of injury often meant a boxer had to retire. Shavers was not fully recovered when he fought Cobb. He never fought for a world title again.
He continued to box for several more years. In 1982, he beat Joe Bugner. Shavers finally retired from boxing in 1995 after a loss to Brian Yates.
Earnie Shavers is often named among the top-10 hardest punchers in boxing history. He ended his career with 76 wins (70 by knockout), 14 losses, and 1 draw.
Shavers' Powerful Fighting Style
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Earnie Shavers was known for hitting incredibly hard. He would move towards his opponents, waiting for the chance to land his powerful right punch. This punch led to many of his knockouts. His coach, Angelo Dundee, once said Shavers "can get you out of there with any kind of shot," meaning he could knock you out with his left hook, right cross, or uppercut. Even boxers known for being tough to knock down were sometimes defeated by Shavers' punches.
Shavers would throw punches at any part of his opponent he could reach. He used his huge power to wear them down. While his chin (ability to take a punch) was sometimes seen as a weakness, he could also "box" well. For example, he once injured his right hand in a fight but still won by using his strong jab.
In 1992, Shavers released a video about his career called Earnie D. Shavers, The hardest one-punch hitter. He also later wrote his autobiography.
Life After Boxing
Shavers retired from boxing in 1983 because of his eye problems. After retiring, he became a Christian minister. He preached in Phoenix for many years. In the early 2000s, he moved to England to lead a church there.
When Sylvester Stallone was making the movie Rocky III, he wanted a real boxer to play the role of Clubber Lang. He invited Earnie Shavers to spar with him. Shavers was careful not to hit Stallone too hard at first. But when Stallone asked him to "show me something real," Shavers punched him once near his liver. Stallone said, "that nearly killed me. I went straight to the men's room and threw up." Shavers was not chosen for the role because his voice was too high-pitched.
Shavers became good friends with Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. George Foreman, another famous heavyweight, was once asked about the hardest punchers he ever fought. He said he was glad he never had to fight Earnie Shavers!
Shavers also worked as head of security at a bar in Liverpool, UK. He was very respected there. He also supported The Shannon Bradshaw Trust, a charity that helps children with serious health problems. Shavers also visited schools to give speeches. He talked to students about making good choices in life.
Personal Life
Earnie Shavers was married to Laverne Payne. They had five daughters together: Tamara, Cynthia, Catherine, Carla, and Amy. He also had four other daughters: Catherine, Lisa, Natasha, and Latonya. He had 24 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Shavers died on September 1, 2022, in Virginia. He was 78 years old.
Images for kids
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Shavers in 2005
