If Muhammad Ali, Ken Norton, Larry Holmes, Ron Lyle, Tex Cobb, and Joe Bugner all say Earnie Shavers was the hardest puncher they ever faced, who am I to argue?

Shavers won his first fight with a first round knockout--only two weeks after taking up boxing. It became a habit. In his 89-fight career, he won 74 fights, 68 of them by knockouts. Twenty-three of those knockouts were in the first round.

In January 1983, he was speaking to students at Washington High School. It was the same year he retired from the ring due to retinal problems. He became a minister and currently lives in England.

Photos of Shavers are posted here.