Earnie Shavers(1944-2022)

Former Heavyweight boxing contender Ernie Shavers rates as the greatest one punch knockout artist in boxing history. As a teenager, Shavers role-model was Muhammad Ali. He decided to follow Ali's foot-steps by making boxing his career. In 1969 he won the AAU Heavyweight Amateur Boxing Championship, and turned professional in November 1969. He racked up an amazing record of 44-2 with 43 knockouts, 18 in the first round, before meeting former WBA World Heavyweight Champion Jimmy Ellis in Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1973. Shavers knockedout the former champion in one round. Ernie went on to knockout another former champion Ken Norton, also in the opening round. Shavers lost in his two attempts to win the World's Championship-to MUhammad Ali and Ernie Shavers. He retired in the early 1980s and in 1995 at 50 returned to the ring. He won a fight and then was knockedout. In his retirement, Shavers wrote his auto-biography, makes many public apperances at boxing shows, and lives many months a year in England, where he has a very large fan base.