Tag: Larry Holmes

Earnie Shavers, one of the hardest punchers ever, dies at 78

Earnie Shavers, one of the hardest punchers in the history of boxing, reportedly has died at 78.

One of the biggest punchers in history is gone.

Earnie Shavers, the longtime heavyweight contender who had more knockouts (68) than most boxers have fights, reportedly died at the age of 78 on Thursday. No cause of death was reported.

A remarkable 50 of his stoppages came within three rounds, 23 of them in the first round.

Shavers (74-14-1) never reached the heights of contemporaries Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier or George Forman during a golden age of heavyweights in the 1970s, but only Foreman rivaled him in terms of power even though Shavers was only 6-feet tall and weighed around 210 pounds at his peak.

Ring Magazine in 2018 ranked Shavers No. 10 on its list of the 100 top punchers pound-for-pound in history, No. 4 among career-long heavyweights. Joe Louis was No. 1, Jack Dempsey No. 7 and Foreman No. 9.

Shavers couldn’t beat his best opponents, losing a title fight to Ali, a title eliminator against Larry Holmes and then his second and final championship fight in a rematch with Holmes. However, he hurt Ali badly in their fight and put Holmes down in their first meeting.

Ali said famously, “Earnie hit me so hard, it shook my kinfolk back in Africa.”

Holmes paid tribute to Shavers’ power by saying, “Earnie hit me harder than any other fighter, including Mike Tyson. … Being hit by Mike Tyson was like getting hit by a speeding Ferrari. Being hit by Earnie Shavers was like being hit by a Mack Truck.”

And Shavers had some important victories, including a first-round knockout of future Hall of Famer Ken Norton in 1979 that led to his title shot against Holmes. He also stopped Jimmy Ellis, Jimmy Young and Joe Bugner.

Shavers, who lived in Warren, Ohio, turned professional in 1969 and “retired” for the first time in 1983. He returned in 1987, won one fight and then retired again. He then made one more comeback in 1995, winning once and then being stopped at the age of 51 by journeyman Brian Yates.

The kind, approachable Shavers was a regular at boxing events and autograph shows after finally retiring for good.

Earnie Shavers, one of the hardest punchers ever, dies at 78

Earnie Shavers, one of the hardest punchers in the history of boxing, reportedly has died at 78.

One of the biggest punchers in history is gone.

Earnie Shavers, the longtime heavyweight contender who had more knockouts (68) than most boxers have fights, reportedly died at the age of 78 on Thursday. No cause of death was reported.

A remarkable 50 of his stoppages came within three rounds, 23 of them in the first round.

Shavers (74-14-1) never reached the heights of contemporaries Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier or George Forman during a golden age of heavyweights in the 1970s, but only Foreman rivaled him in terms of power even though Shavers was only 6-feet tall and weighed around 210 pounds at his peak.

Ring Magazine in 2018 ranked Shavers No. 10 on its list of the 100 top punchers pound-for-pound in history, No. 4 among career-long heavyweights. Joe Louis was No. 1, Jack Dempsey No. 7 and Foreman No. 9.

Shavers couldn’t beat his best opponents, losing a title fight to Ali, a title eliminator against Larry Holmes and then his second and final championship fight in a rematch with Holmes. However, he hurt Ali badly in their fight and put Holmes down in their first meeting.

Ali said famously, “Earnie hit me so hard, it shook my kinfolk back in Africa.”

Holmes paid tribute to Shavers’ power by saying, “Earnie hit me harder than any other fighter, including Mike Tyson. … Being hit by Mike Tyson was like getting hit by a speeding Ferrari. Being hit by Earnie Shavers was like being hit by a Mack Truck.”

And Shavers had some important victories, including a first-round knockout of future Hall of Famer Ken Norton in 1979 that led to his title shot against Holmes. He also stopped Jimmy Ellis, Jimmy Young and Joe Bugner.

Shavers, who lived in Warren, Ohio, turned professional in 1969 and “retired” for the first time in 1983. He returned in 1987, won one fight and then retired again. He then made one more comeback in 1995, winning once and then being stopped at the age of 51 by journeyman Brian Yates.

The kind, approachable Shavers was a regular at boxing events and autograph shows after finally retiring for good.

10 greatest living heavyweights: Is Tyson Fury on the list?

10 greatest living heavyweights: Is Tyson Fury on the list?

When three-time heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali died at 74 in 2016, boxing lost arguably its greatest heavyweight of all time.

Who is currently the No. 1 living heavyweight?

Well, that’s up for debate, which is the point of this special report. Boxing Junkie gives you the 10 greatest living members of the sport’s glamour division.

Here’s the list, in reverse order.

10 greatest living heavyweights: Is Tyson Fury on the list?

10 greatest living heavyweights: Is Tyson Fury on the list?

When three-time heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali died at 74 in 2016, boxing lost arguably its greatest heavyweight of all time.

Who is currently the No. 1 living heavyweight?

Well, that’s up for debate, which is the point of this special report. Boxing Junkie gives you the 10 greatest living members of the sport’s glamour division.

Here’s the list, in reverse order.

Let’s hope 58-year-old Evander Holyfield knows what he’s doing

Let’s hope Evander Holyfield knows what he’s doing as he prepares to fight Vitor Belfort at 58 years old.

[mm-video type=video id=01ff3hnk75061gy7w7j0 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01ff3hnk75061gy7w7j0/01ff3hnk75061gy7w7j0-e803d552d14098b848abf4989a6223b3.jpg]

When I watched the video of Evander Holyfield you see above, I thought of film of Muhammad Ali training for his ill-fated fight against Larry Holmes in 1980 (see below).

In retrospect, we can see that Ali’s slow, awkward movement should’ve been a red flag. He had deteriorated by the age of 38 to a point where he had no business in the ring with an elite, young heavyweight like Holmes.

Holyfield, 58, doesn’t look much better than Ali in his short training video. His punches seem to have some pop when they land but he looks sluggish. His body doesn’t seem as willing – or able — as it once was to follow instructions from his brain.

In other words, he looks his age.

A part of me thinks it’s nothing to worry about as he prepares to face 44-year-old Vitor Belfort on pay-per-view Saturday in Hollywood, Florida. I’m thinking, “He’s just going through the motions for the camera. He looks fit. He knows what he’s doing, even as he approaches his 59th birthday next month.”

My immediate thought when I heard last week that Holyfield would replace COVID-stricken Oscar De La Hoya as Belfort’s opponent in the eight-round fight was that this is a terrible matchup. Evander Holyfield could beat a former MMA champion with almost no boxing experience at 68.

I still believe that. I think Holyfield’s muscle memory alone will be enough to take down Belfort.

At the same time, my mind keeps going back to the hard-to-watch film of Ali and the beating he took from Holmes, who won by knockout after 10 rounds. Those close to Ali and boxing officials should never have let it happen. I’ll always wonder how much that fight and his career finale against Trevor Berbick contributed to his subsequent health issues.

Should the video of Holyfield also be a red flag?

Mike Tyson, Holyfield’s old rival, looked ferocious hitting the mitts in workout videos before his exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. last November. Ferocious is the last word I’d use to describe what we saw from Holyfield, who last fought in 2011.

“The Real Deal” looked good against 45-year-old Brian Nielsen in that fight, winning by a 10th-round stoppage. That was Nielsen, though. And Holyfield was 48, not 58 and coming off a decade-long layoff. This is largely uncharted territory, although a few boxers have fought at around the same age.

I still believe Holyfield will be fine. The fact he’s fighting a boxing novice who also is no youngster should be enough to keep him safe. Plus, the full-fledged heavyweight should have a significant size advantage. Belfort was preparing to fight De La Hoya at a weight limit of 185 pounds, meaning he’ll probably come in around 200.

And I wouldn’t be surprised to hear one day Holyfield and Belfort made a back-room deal – or perhaps shared a wink – to hold back once they’re face to face in the ring. That’s why I think the fight might go the eight-round distance.

I could be wrong, though. And that’s scary.

Remember: The fight was moved by Triller Fight Club from Los Angeles to Florida because the California State Athletic Commission refused to sanction it, which says something about the potential danger Holyfield faces.

Holyfield might not be able to handle the speed and reflexes of a man 14 years his junior, even one with crude boxing skills. He might look something like Ali did against Holmes. And that might have a deleterious effect on his long term health, at least to some degree.

The last thing we want to see is a boxing legend — a four-time heavyweight champion — who is almost 60 take a beating. If he does, we might look back at his training video as one foreboding sign and think, “We should never have let it happen.”

I certainly hope I’m right.

[lawrence-related id=23413,23409,23376]

Let’s hope 58-year-old Evander Holyfield knows what he’s doing

Let’s hope Evander Holyfield knows what he’s doing as he prepares to fight Vitor Belfort at 58 years old.

[mm-video type=video id=01ff3hnk75061gy7w7j0 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01ff3hnk75061gy7w7j0/01ff3hnk75061gy7w7j0-e803d552d14098b848abf4989a6223b3.jpg]

When I watched the video of Evander Holyfield you see above, I thought of film of Muhammad Ali training for his ill-fated fight against Larry Holmes in 1980 (see below).

In retrospect, we can see that Ali’s slow, awkward movement should’ve been a red flag. He had deteriorated by the age of 38 to a point where he had no business in the ring with an elite, young heavyweight like Holmes.

Holyfield, 58, doesn’t look much better than Ali in his short training video. His punches seem to have some pop when they land but he looks sluggish. His body doesn’t seem as willing – or able — as it once was to follow instructions from his brain.

In other words, he looks his age.

A part of me thinks it’s nothing to worry about as he prepares to face 44-year-old Vitor Belfort on pay-per-view Saturday in Hollywood, Florida. I’m thinking, “He’s just going through the motions for the camera. He looks fit. He knows what he’s doing, even as he approaches his 59th birthday next month.”

My immediate thought when I heard last week that Holyfield would replace COVID-stricken Oscar De La Hoya as Belfort’s opponent in the eight-round fight was that this is a terrible matchup. Evander Holyfield could beat a former MMA champion with almost no boxing experience at 68.

I still believe that. I think Holyfield’s muscle memory alone will be enough to take down Belfort.

At the same time, my mind keeps going back to the hard-to-watch film of Ali and the beating he took from Holmes, who won by knockout after 10 rounds. Those close to Ali and boxing officials should never have let it happen. I’ll always wonder how much that fight and his career finale against Trevor Berbick contributed to his subsequent health issues.

Should the video of Holyfield also be a red flag?

Mike Tyson, Holyfield’s old rival, looked ferocious hitting the mitts in workout videos before his exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. last November. Ferocious is the last word I’d use to describe what we saw from Holyfield, who last fought in 2011.

“The Real Deal” looked good against 45-year-old Brian Nielsen in that fight, winning by a 10th-round stoppage. That was Nielsen, though. And Holyfield was 48, not 58 and coming off a decade-long layoff. This is largely uncharted territory, although a few boxers have fought at around the same age.

I still believe Holyfield will be fine. The fact he’s fighting a boxing novice who also is no youngster should be enough to keep him safe. Plus, the full-fledged heavyweight should have a significant size advantage. Belfort was preparing to fight De La Hoya at a weight limit of 185 pounds, meaning he’ll probably come in around 200.

And I wouldn’t be surprised to hear one day Holyfield and Belfort made a back-room deal – or perhaps shared a wink – to hold back once they’re face to face in the ring. That’s why I think the fight might go the eight-round distance.

I could be wrong, though. And that’s scary.

Remember: The fight was moved by Triller Fight Club from Los Angeles to Florida because the California State Athletic Commission refused to sanction it, which says something about the potential danger Holyfield faces.

Holyfield might not be able to handle the speed and reflexes of a man 14 years his junior, even one with crude boxing skills. He might look something like Ali did against Holmes. And that might have a deleterious effect on his long term health, at least to some degree.

The last thing we want to see is a boxing legend — a four-time heavyweight champion — who is almost 60 take a beating. If he does, we might look back at his training video as one foreboding sign and think, “We should never have let it happen.”

I certainly hope I’m right.

[lawrence-related id=23413,23409,23376]

Ageless wonders: Greatest performances by fighters 40 and older

Here is a list of the 10 greatest performances by boxers 40 or older.

Manny Pacquiao joined an exclusive fraternity when he defeated Keith Thurman by a split decision to win a major welterweight title in July 2019.

The ageless Filipino icon had turned 40 the previous December, which made his remarkable performance one of the best ever among fighters who are at least 40 years old.

How does it compare with other great performances by those 40-plus? Here’s a list of 10 that stand out, in order of magnitude.

Note: The Pacquiao vs. Errol Spence Jr. fight on Aug. 21 in less than a month away. This special feature is just one of many that will be posted in the coming weeks.

Ageless wonders: Greatest performances by fighters 40 and older

Here is a list of the 10 greatest performances by boxers 40 or older.

Manny Pacquiao joined an exclusive fraternity when he defeated Keith Thurman by a split decision to win a major welterweight title in July 2019.

The ageless Filipino icon had turned 40 the previous December, which made his remarkable performance one of the best ever among fighters who are at least 40 years old.

How does it compare with other great performances by those 40-plus? Here’s a list of 10 that stand out, in order of magnitude.

Note: The Pacquiao vs. Errol Spence Jr. fight on Aug. 21 in less than a month away. This special feature is just one of many that will be posted in the coming weeks.

On this date: A 136-round fight and successful defenses by Louis, Holmes

On this date: A 136-round fight and successful defenses by Louis, Holmes

A LOOK back AT EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON this date

Looooooong fight

One must admire the conditioning of a boxer who can go the 12-round distance. How about 136? That’s the number of rounds lightweights Arthur Chambers and Johnny Clark did battle on this date in 1879 in Chippewa Falls, Ontario. The bout lasted 2 hours, 23 minutes, one of longest contests in boxing history, according to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Chambers, from England, knocked out his American counterpart to end the marathon. How could 136 rounds be squeezed into about 2½ hours? We can’t be certain, although a round ended when one fighter went down in those days. Maybe it was as much a wrestling match as a boxing contest. Some consider it the first great lightweight fight. Chambers, who settled in Philadelphia, went on to become an early financial backer and advisor to the first heavyweight champion of the modern era, John L. Sullivan. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Pioneer in 2000.

Also on this date: Joe Louis stopped Abe Simon in six rounds to retain the heavyweight championship in 1942 at Madison Square Garden. And, in 1983, Larry Holmes successfully defended his heavyweight belt by easily outpointing Lucien Rodriguez at Watres Armory in Scranton, Pa.

On this date: A 136-round fight and successful defenses by Louis, Holmes

On this date: A 136-round fight and successful defenses by Louis, Holmes

A LOOK back AT EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON this date

Looooooong fight

One must admire the conditioning of a boxer who can go the 12-round distance. How about 136? That’s the number of rounds lightweights Arthur Chambers and Johnny Clark did battle on this date in 1879 in Chippewa Falls, Ontario. The bout lasted 2 hours, 23 minutes, one of longest contests in boxing history, according to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Chambers, from England, knocked out his American counterpart to end the marathon. How could 136 rounds be squeezed into about 2½ hours? We can’t be certain, although a round ended when one fighter went down in those days. Maybe it was as much a wrestling match as a boxing contest. Some consider it the first great lightweight fight. Chambers, who settled in Philadelphia, went on to become an early financial backer and advisor to the first heavyweight champion of the modern era, John L. Sullivan. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Pioneer in 2000.

Also on this date: Joe Louis stopped Abe Simon in six rounds to retain the heavyweight championship in 1942 at Madison Square Garden. And, in 1983, Larry Holmes successfully defended his heavyweight belt by easily outpointing Lucien Rodriguez at Watres Armory in Scranton, Pa.