The Hardest Punching Heavyweight in History Passes Away
On September 1, the boxing community received the sad news that former two-time heavyweight contender Earnie “Black Destroyer” Shavers passed away at the age of 78 years old. Shavers would be considered a small heavyweight by current standards. He was six feet tall and never weighed over 220 pounds at the peak of his career. Yet, he generated the most amount of power that fighters and fans had ever seen.
RESPECT FROM THOSE THE FOUGHT HIM
In an era with several hard punchers, Shavers’ peers viewed him as the hardest hitter above them all. He racked up 68 knockouts, which is more fights than most fighters have on their career records. His highlights include knockdowns that are even more legendary than the knockouts of most fighters.
The Black Destroyer’s exploits grew with amazing fights against top contenders such as Jimmy Young, Jerry Quarry, James Tillis, Joe Bugner, Randall Cobb, and Ron Lyle. He fought former champions like Jimmy Ellis, Larry Holmes, Ken Norton, and “The Greatest” Muhammad Ali.
Ali once declared Shavers as stronger than Joe Frazier and George Foreman combined. His famous quote in describing how hard Shavers’ hit him was:
“Earnie hit me so hard it shook my kinfolk back in Africa.”
Muhammad Ali, boxing Hall of Fame inductee
Every old school boxing enthusiast remembers the punch heard around the world. In their 1979 rematch, WBC champion Holmes was hit with so much devastating force it sounded like a shotgun went off. Holmes still recalls that moment as the hardest he had ever been hit, even after he had fought Mike Tyson.
“I got hit by Earnie Shavers – the hardest puncher that ever I thought hit anybody. I still got the knot right here.”
THE LAST OF THE GREAT PUNCHERS R.I.P
Shavers is not in the Boxing Hall of Fame, which is mind-blowing considering he had big wins against well-known opponents, despite not winning a championship. In 2018, he got inducted into the Las Vegas Boxing Hall of Fame.
3Kings Boxing would like to send our condolences to the Shavers family and show our appreciation to the hardest puncher of the best era in boxing with a silent ten count.
By: Garrisson Bland
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