Earnie Shavers is no more and the boxing world has lost with the disappearance of the American boxer one of the most powerful heavyweights of his generation (1m83 for 96 kg).
Nicknamed "Black Destroyer", Earnie Dee Shavers, of his full name, died at 78 years old with 89 professional fights, 74 victories, including 68 by KO, and 23 intervened during the first round!
A statistic that shows how much the champion scared his opponents.
Earnie Shavers was never a boxing world champion, but he faced some of the biggest names in the boxing rings, including Mohamed Ali for the WBA and WBC world champion belts on September 29, 1977. A duel that turned to the advantage of “The Greatest”, manhandled at times and who had only won on points.
Ali had also underlined after the fight that Sheavers had been one of the greatest punchers encountered during his career: “
Earnie Shavers hit me so hard that my ancestors trembled all the way to Africa!
“, had even dropped Ali with the meaning of the formula that we knew him.
Shavers had also fought Larry Holmes, twice, each time standing up to his illustrious compatriot.
He had trained with Stallone on the Rocky III project
It took a little for Shavers to become famous when his career was on the decline, in 1982. That year, Sylvester Stallone was looking for a boxer to play Clubber Lang in the third episode of the Rocky saga.
The Hollywood star had imagined hiring the legend Joe Frazier but also Earnie Shavers for this role.
But, during a training fight, the one who plays Rocky Balboa had made the imprudence to ask Shavers to hit harder.
"
Give me a real one
," boasted the actor in front of his opponent who then released the horses with a devastating blow.
“
I have never been so close to dying
,” revealed Stallone, who had been accompanied to the bathroom to vomit.
The role was finally returned to Lawrence Tureaud, better known under the name of Mister T, from the world of wrestling.