Earnie Shavers Talks Punching Power: "I Was Blessed With It"

fightnetwork.com/ - Fight Network's boxing analyst Corey Erdman speaks with one of the most dangerous punchers of all time Earnie Shavers about how he got his strength, longevity in boxing careers & more.
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[@ericecdn]

I met Earnie at the airport in las vegas. I bought his knockout dvd which he autographed and took a picture with me. Stand up guy

[@ironmike2010]

Eric Edwards jealous :(

[@lordburlap4514]

Everyone he fought said Shavers hit them the hardest...enough said...

[@lordburlap4514]

Earnie was a wrecking ball...simple as that.

[@easygrin1127]

Yes but Big George hit almost as hard but could also take it...

[@easygrin1127]

@21LAzgoo we George was a bit better boxer also

[@lordburlap4514]

Dafyd Maddz Earnie hit like a mule....no doubt.

[@21LAZgoo]

@@easygrin1127 @Easy Grin bruh, i used to have that 21lazgoo account until i got it fking terminated lmao, i couldve gotten it back but i listened to some steps from some video that i should never have listened to, and ended up deleting it forever

[@slgpph]

He had that kind of power that didn’t hurt. It numbed your entire body.

[@ryanhershberger4740]

No. It definitely hurt.

[@papapara2916]

@@dantefernandez3362 not a joke.Medium power punches hurt the most,but some people punch so hard it doesnt hurt you just notice your legs crumbling under you

[@GORILLA_PIMP]

@@papapara2916 🤣🤣

[@yojishinkawa378]

Scary.

[@Ah_Yote]

@@dantefernandez3362 it’s not, Gorge foreman described it best when he faced a hard hitter, if you punch someone hard enough you disconnect their nerves giving information to the brain saying “that hurt” so you don’t feel it but you can feel the impact of it, though you can feel the pain later after you wake up

[@CarnalKid]

I'd never seen Shavers interviewed, and I had no clue he was such a friendly guy.

[@Harrison2253]

+CarnalKid The only guy I saw smile at Ali during a fight

[@Grabonator86]

+CarnalKid And i had no clue that hes so punch-drunk!

[@CarnalKid]

Grabonator86 Compared to his peers from that era, I'd say he's doing pretty well in that regard, actually.

[@therealflamelit]

+Grabonator86 he has actually spoken like that since the beginning of his career

[@Grabonator86]

Take this L;Ron Hubbard ok i didnt knew that

[@michaelhubbard4023]

Earnie was a very humble boxer and human being. Every single heavyweight of prominence has stated that Earnie was the hardest puncher they faced. That says something.

[@francishughes2016]

Shavers WAS the hardest puncher in the history of the sport, that's just a fact, everybody said so. Its nice to see him in good health, & he is so humble & genuine.

[@alexong2542]

Not only WAS he the hardest puncher, but he STILL IS the hardest puncher in boxing history.

[@codenameasura8202]

*Will always be

[@GrubKiller436]

Back when having an iron chin was a prerequisite of the boxing era too. Those guys took so many shots. Ali, Frazier, Norton, Shavers, Foreman, Lyle. To be the strongest in a competitive era is a huge achievement.

[@jordannunez-lu4xh]

R.I.P😢

[@ryanj7517]

“If I caught you with the right hand, you’re dead “ giggles. 😂 a kind hearted KILLER! Respect.

[@richardclegg5853]

RIP Ernie, great to see he stayed healthy and active for so many years...

[@serenityinside1]

I second that. RIP Earnie : a k on eve day , gentlemen and warrior. Hugely respected.

[@serenityinside1]

^ legend 🙄

[@ericgeorge5483]

I absolutely love Shavers, such a true gentleman but what a tremendous puncher, easily the hardest hitting heavyweight ever to walk the earth.

[@benjaminfranklyn9292]

Wow such a humble man with a great sense of humour. RIP Ernie.

[@marckradolfer6007]

Remember Earnie's boxing days but never thought he was such a sweet guy. When he said he works with children all over the world that leaves no doubt what a great guy he is. Hang in there Earnie

[@SDSen]

He looks great for his age! Fit n mean even now.

[@adamryamizard5560]

@Weghweh Hwewehwhe he was already like that when he started his boxing career

[@tacomadc]

Ernie has to be the sweetest heavyweight champion ever. What a fantastic athlete.

[@ironmike2010]

bassdoc he is a huge teddy bear but he could move planets with his punches!

[@ppuh6tfrz646]

@bassguy Get your facts right. Shavers was never the heavyweight champion and also try and his spell name correctly...

[@gregorsamsa1364]

Lol

[@williamfrawley1175]

Was not a heavyweight champion.

[@overdoseshefun4585]

@@ppuh6tfrz646 probs should have been once and Earnie can also be spelt Ernie so your wrong there bud.

[@rekaadang]

Is this the guy Muhammad Ali claimed have the strongest punch? He is soo humble. Respect!

[@hansam5443]

Yes he is Earnie Shavers

[@youtubemodsaresnowflakelef7692]

Wasn't just Ali. Was also Ron Lyle (who also fought Foreman), Norton, Leeroy Caldwell (who fought the murderer's row of punchers back then) and others.

[@username-zj9id]

@@youtubemodsaresnowflakelef7692 I believe it was Larry Holmes, who also fought Tyson, said the same thing. He said earnie hit harder than Tyson and it wasn't close.

[@youtubemodsaresnowflakelef7692]

@@username-zj9id yes, his exact words were something like "Tyson hit like a speeding Ferrari, Shavers hit like a speeding mack truck".

[@charliewartelle6720]

Great guy, and it’s wonderful to see that he’s in such fine health.

[@nutsbquakin5589]

Aww man, such a shame :( Rest in peace

[@johnbraucher1499]

He didn't get hit much.

[@stephenpavlov8942]

He has typical brain damage that boxsters usually have .

[@themadlad8540]

amazing how the baddest dudes are always the friendliest

[@GORILLA_PIMP]

Cuz they ain't got nothin to prove It's usually the weak insecure haters who start the problems

[@snehalkrishnan618]

It blows my mind to think this guy punched harder than Rocky Marciano and even George Foreman.

[@koollee]

Was Marciano even a heavyweight?? -- Great champ but i think he was a smaller guy.

[@snehalkrishnan618]

koollee This is true, by today's standards Marciano would be more of a cruiserweight than a heavyweight.

[@RobertoStenger]

koollee Marciano was a heavyweight alright.

[@RobertoStenger]

Snehal Krishnan I agree with you. But I think Tyson and Foreman are, everyone in their own style, also the greatests two big punchers next to him.

[@kappakappa4507]

Roberto Toledo tyson in terms of power punche doesnt come close to marciano,shavers and foreman... no way

[@UsamaKhan-qf6kr]

RIP - seemed like a great man outside the ring too

[@andrewskratt9552]

wow he looks fantastic

[@scotttyson8661]

He got hit hard too

[@rcharest3500]

RIP Ernie you were a legend. Nice interview here

[@lisar3006]

When I was training in Canton Ohio in 77 and Ernie was training to fight Ali his trainer had him climbing over 10 foot tall chain link fences out in front of the Ohio National guard armory in Canton and sparing lighter weight guys before he left for training camp in PA. if I recall. It must have worked Ernie went the distance (15 rounds) with Ali. Ernie was a very nice guy in person.

[@kazghalali9683]

Shut up nobody believes your stupid ass story

[@natebell651]

Shavers fought Ali in September of 1977

[@lisar3006]

@@natebell651 You are correct I hit the wrong key I do it all the time. I was a fighter at that time for Bill Sawyer out of Akron. Before Earnie left for training camp they had him claiming over chain link fences at the ball field in Canton. Never saw a trainer do that. This is my late wife's KZbin so no I am not a female fighter. I train a pro now myself.

[@natebell651]

I live in the Akron area Copley- fairlawn

[@zestooo6932]

It is said Ernie talked this way at the start of his career. Is it true?

[@squ1sh]

Smart man. Putting money away for retirement is the one thing most young (and not so young) athletes don't do. They end up poor even after all their millions they've earned.

[@kappakappa4507]

Per Jensen exactly

[@Hugh_Morris]

Its scary how hard he hit

[@12triggaman12]

What a character, and what a legend!

[@Mrfitness4397]

Ernie Shavers. One of my all time favorites.

[@McElhinney65]

What a nice man,

[@Chris-vt6nl]

RIP Mr.Shavers legend of the sport

[@rcfaudioitalia6110]

what a good person. RIP Earnie. 🇦🇱

[@alanpollock7929]

It's amazing to see these once terrifying and formidable fighters, guys that would have you shaking in your boots, being interviewed when they are much older, they seem like nice guys!

[@ktms8844]

do u see the size of His fxkng hands...that pen he was signing autographs with looks like a birthday candle

[@ironmike2010]

I’d pay to see a clip of shavers hitting the heavy bag.

[@user-sm8xe1th8m]

Keep your money in your pocket my friend. Earnie Shavers Punching Bag Summer has a video on KZbin. Just touches the heavy bag and it flies away

[@chrisparkinson9237]

Used to see him every weekend when he was a meter and greeter on the doors of Yates Wine Lodge in Birkenhead, always had time for a quick chat, called all the lads Sir, the man is a legend both in and out the ring. Wish I had asked for his autograph.

[@LevonsWound]

class act, full of grace and warmth, thanks1

[@genroku7]

What a nice, decent, gentle guy!

[@craigrusso9291]

My favorite fighter . He hit Stallone on Rocky films and Stallone ended up in Hospital.

[@aleksc4376]

Stalone was batshit crazy for asking Earnie to hit him, cocaine is a helluva drug.

[@cruelleader4782]

@@aleksc4376 thank god stallone still alive

[@aleksc4376]

@@cruelleader4782 no joke, I guess he just wanted to see what all the fuss around his punching power was about lol

[@GORILLA_PIMP]

@@aleksc4376 Hahaha yeah man I bet stallone was doin hella blow back in them days 🤣

[@drummerboy1545]

Sonny Liston and Ernie Shavers I wonder if they fought! I was born way too late to see them fight live! R.i.p to both men!

[@kevinmunday5782]

Thats how to interview , and Earnie rocks ☺☺

[@vbassone]

gentleman, mr. earnie shavers!

[@daveanderson4013]

Love when he said most of the time when people tried to mess with them they knew who he was or he took care of it right away. I bet the guys who didn't know who he was will never forget that ass beating! They thought it was another guy they could fuck with and got hit with a sledgehammer!

[@scottwilliams846]

They got hit with something more powerful than a sledgehammer... Earnie's fist.

[@williehudson4013]

They probably on life support I would be amazed if they were actually able to walk and talk again

[@Kinobambino]

2:14 awww made me sad when he said "once you retire everybody forget ya"

[@ruzcelbeltran]

Even quick tillis said shavers is the only one he hit him so hard R.I.P Champ🥊

[@jameswinnard128]

One quote stated earnie shavers could punch you in the head and break your ankle, now that's power

[@foppo100]

Genuine man and humble.

[@Velshin1986]

It boggles my mind how many people judge the person being humble and geniune in some interviews? Really? What you expect? You expect the person to be blunt and cocky arrogant front of media and social media. There is a major difference between being real respectful and humble front of the camera and being respectful and humble behind the camera. People judging others based front of camera peronality. Now I am not saying Earnie is bad or arrogant or cocky I dont know I have nothing against the guy but my point is you may never know the guy unless you are close to that person and not judging personality based on fucking interview or social media.

[@craigrusso6150]

My favorite fighter .

[@rembo1808]

His laugh and smile, rip

[@djsubliminalreeve]

all heavy hitters have two things in common, a wide back and a great fast dip and twist from the hips. i was blessed with punching power from my dad and you really are born with it but can learn the proper hip movement if you do the same puch over and over for years on end.

[@kevintrace5396]

Love this man simple!

[@buffalosowljah373]

first timne ive seen an interview with shavers as many on here also said wow this is the man ali said the hardest puncher.ow this is the man ali said the hardest puncher.. very kool guy..and he has lived in uk as well not sure if hes still there

[@nickgalena1]

what a friendly man !

[@salmanbana8678]

I was just tryna find how he improved his punching power tryna get that too

[@andreperez8961]

You can tell he's a good man by the way he speaks.

[@allanmoe4444]

Real cool guy God bless.

[@cashcali5214]

Seemed like a super humble guy

[@44043495]

According to late Mohammad Ali Clays said that the strongest punch he had ever been hit was from Ernie Shavers.

[@John-jd3nr]

What a top man and gent.

[@janswart2705]

I'd say the right hand that floored Holmes was his best punch ever. he came so close to winning the championship. RIP Champ.

[@cozzar2083]

Seems like such a lovely guy!! ❤️

[@caitlincaitlin4703]

Leroy Caldwell fought shavers, was interviewed and was asked what did shaver's punches feel like. Caldwell said it felt like someone hitting each toe, one at a time, with a sledgehammer. lol

[@kemptaunb]

R.I.P. Ernie shavers

[@jamesowens6471]

He told me he was the hardest puncher in boxing. I agree.

[@tonyricchiuti9878]

Earnie hit so hard Ali almost forgot his name. Almost had to go find another new one.

[@conandoyle1740]

lol

[@fryfromfuturama9373]

lmao

[@MrEdium]

It was like the "What's My Name" fight but instead of asking the fighter in anger, Ali was really asking "What's My Name ?"............. Damn that "MF" hit me so hard my ancestors felt it in Africa.........Everybody felt that punch like it was a kick in the gonads !!!! The wind of that punch would have knocked me out !!!!

[@robbryant52]

What a gentleman

[@bluesrocker79]

Glad he is doing well.

[@esausjudeannephew6317]

Very likable Man

[@zeizee]

He was the hardest hitter after Liston. No doubt. One of the few boxers in hw-division who never had the belt, though got really close, but who became a household name and made purses that no never-has-been-a-champ fighter before had ever made (of course the slimy fuck d.k took more than his share of them...) cause of his devastating punching power. He rocked Ali, Liston never had the speed to hit him. He faced Norton, Holmes etc. Always highly entertraining fighter, always. Glad to see hes doin well. Speech slurs a bit but guys of his era in boxing that is small price for those years. And can be from the age or something else where it stems from too, cause he moves good and doesnt seem confused or anything. What is he 70? Born on mid or late 40s??

[@koollee]

Riight .. I dont think Ali truly beat Liston.. Sonny was under threat..

[@tijoo6342]

Andries Pretorious Liston cheat the first fight with Ali but he quit the second fight the fantom punch was real but Liston should have get up from this.. The first fight was real but not the second

[@cygnusprime6728]

lol I couldn't imagine someone being stupid enough to argue with shavers trying to get into a club knowing who he is.

[@shojibacolor7196]

their bodies would turn into wine after a couple of jobs

[@michaelvoisine7075]

No one going to forget him. Right Allie’s!

[@jorgfinger1036]

A very friendly man.

[@johnyerkov1553]

Jerry Quarry nothing against Earnie Shavers took him out in the first round he knocked out Earnie Shavers

[@jtm0071]

And Earnie was a gentleman in defeat as well. Gave credit to Jerry. No excuses like today.

[@jeffjefferson3364]

Freaky farmer strength then no wonder the guy dropped so many

[@UberKrispy]

"we had very little problems" LOL no shit. When you see Ernie Shavers working security, you don't start no shit.

[@vlLEGTxSQUADX]

If shavers had better stamina and better chin he couldve been a goat

[@cruelleader4782]

Hell yeah,if he HAD better stamina.man he will easily beat old ali and holmes

[@Tom-dd5lm]

But that would be impossible, he needs fast twitch muscles to punch that hard so he will naturally get tired faster so more stamina is only possible to a certain degree

[@yemijo]

Boxers could be so nice outside the ring. Totaly different than in the ring. Earnie looks like a very nice quy.

[@AIdrisPalmer]

Former champion the late Leon Spinks walked by at the beginning .

[@francobertossa6612]

A good man.

[@koolerm4806]

Class Act!! And a Badass 😎💪!!

[@kennethbowers2897]

Fun fact, when Stallone asked Shavers to hit him for real in the stomach for ROCKY he hit him so hard that he started throwing up minutes after in the bathroom.

[@charlieg6913]

R.I.P.

[@rs4425]

RIP .. powerful.. polite..

[@j.7842]

❤️❤️

[@underyourskins]

He looks really well.

[@GgCashh451]

I wish I could hear Earnie speak on wilder

[@MyCold1]

No-one hit harder than Earnie

[@noahbaza8830]

What’s crazy is Earnie shaver wasn’t a slugger and hit so fucking hard, George foreman however was and it made sense that he hit so hard but it’s still crazy

[@JCATG]

He was working in security? Man, imagine some no good dumbass coming up to this 'old man' and try to make some commotion. That's gon' be a 'good night' for that fella. LOL Earnie Shavers was iconic! It just never ceases to amaze me that most of those that he fought-which include Ali, Norton, most of the great heavyweight division greats-said that he was the hardest puncher they ever fought. And Shavers himself said that it came from working as a farm boy and really doing the tough work of chopping wood and carrying hay. That really tells something about how old school workout does your body better.

[@loadapish]

It would be like a firework display fightin this guy.

[@cogen651]

Nice guy

[@ZerikLaps]

Farmer strength or st him and Liston grew up in the same labour environment must be something to it conditioning the body with all the movement getting ridiculous power

[@thejoshsings9280]

He and my friend Larry Hooper would have gotten along really well. He could really 🥊 punch.

[@yellowhoodie5299]

I have a friend who was lucky enough to meet Earnie Shavers. That friend is a strong guy, but he described shaking Earnie’s hands as feeling like all the bones in his hands were being rearranged. I wonder what other athletic sports he could have dominated in. It would be hilarious if he had a better keg toss than Eddie Hall.

[@TheEmpireStrikes74]

Ali said Ernie Shavers was the hardest puncher he ever faced..

[@Johnx961]

Ernie seems like a real nice bloke.

[@goncalomantas]

Imagine creating problems on a bar and see shavers walk towards you. Man my balls would fall off...

[@madmarknyc]

Every fighter said his punch was getting hit by a shotgun

[@Rosso1990]

Them hits to noggin definitely killed some brain cells

[@sobat_inspirasi]

He is farm boy with blessing punching power 😅😂 i never taught he was so funny

[@Kassiusday]

Great gentleman!! Punch 🥊 derivative from his african ancestors !!👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾 🥊🥊 he met the GOAT : ( 🐝🐝🦋🦋RIP )

[@mytwosenceop]

I'm wondering if Forman's people saw something in Shavers they didn't think George could deal with. Or maybe the other way around 🤔 Or did boxing politics keep this fight from happening. That was a fight that should have happened.

[@jameswilliams663]

wish I were half the man...God bless

[@TM-zj1xt]

Lovely guy. A tough guy but good man.