Larry Holmes vs Earnie Shavers in a 12 round non-title bout

Date: March 25, 1978

Venue: Caesars Palace, Las Vegas

Holmes stance: orthodox

Shavers stance: orthodox

After a brief, and fairly modest spell in the amateurs, Larry Holmes turned pro in March 1973. He won his first 26 fights against opponents most boxing fans had never heard of. During that time, Holmes also earned money by sparring Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Jimmy Young and Earnie Shavers. Those sparring sessions are what taught Holmes so much of his ringcraft, and set him up for the rest of his career.

After suffering a couple of upset losses early in his pro career, Earnie Shavers reeled off 33 consecutive wins, nearly all inside the distance. His best results were against Jimmy Young and Jimmy Ellis. Shavers then lost to Jerry Quarry, Bob Stallings and Ron Lyle, plus a draw with Jimmy Young. He did win nine bouts in that period, and that earned him a shot at the undisputed heavyweight titles, held by Muhammad Ali. That bout went the full 15 rounds and took a heavy toll on both fighters. Six months later, Shavers challenged his old sparring partner.

For an in depth look at their respective records, visit:

Larry Holmes - https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/150

Earnie Shavers - https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/320