RIP Earnie Shavers, one of boxing’s hardest-ever punchers, dead at 78

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Earnie Shavers, one of boxing’s hardest-ever punchers, died Thursday, according to multiple reports. He had just turned 78 on Wednesday.

A cause of death is unknown.

Fighting during boxing’s — and particularly the heavyweight division’s — golden era in the 1970s, Shavers recorded a 74-14-1 record throughout his career, with 68 of those wins coming via KO.
Lauded by his opponents for his overwhelming power, Shavers fought in two heavyweight title fights, suffering defeats in each. In 1977, he lost to Muhammad Ali for the WBA and WBC belts at Madison Square Garden via unanimous decision, but earned the GOAT’s praise after the bout.

“Earnie hit me so hard, it shook my kinfolk in Africa,” Ali said after the fight.

In 1979, Shavers lost to Larry Holmes in Las Vegas for the WBC heavyweight title, the second of his two career losses to Holmes.
Even after beating him, Holmes, and earlier Ron Lyle, proclaimed Holmes one of the hardest punchers they had faced.

“Hey man, that’s the hardest I’ve ever been hit in my life,” Lyle, who defeated Shavers in 1975, said after their bout. “And George Foreman could punch, but none of them could hit like Earnie Shavers did. When he hit you, the lights went out. I can laugh about it now, but at the time, it wasn’t funny.”

Holmes’ signature win came over Ken Norton via first round knockout in 1979, and also owned wins over Jimmy Ellis and Jimmy Young. He retired in 1995.