Now recognized as the legitimate Heavyweight Champion in the wake of Muhammad Ali's retirement, Larry Holmes defends his title in a rematch with devastating puncher Earnie Shavers. Similar to their first encounter a little more than a year prior, Holmes has his way the first six rounds, bringing laughter from Shavers after hitting the challenger with some power shots in the fourth round. Bleeding from a cut over his right eye, Shavers suddenly floors the champion flat on his back with a monstrous right hand near the end of the seventh, but Holmes shows incredible resolve in not only beating the count but surviving the round. Spent from throwing everything at the champion, Shavers is unable to stop Holmes from regrouping and landing some bombs of his own in the next several rounds. Holmes has him ready to go in the final seconds of the ninth round until Shavers sends the champion spiraling to the canvas with a right to the shoulder that Referee Davey Pearl does not rule a knockdown. With Shavers looking out on his feet at the end of the tenth, Pearl again makes an odd ruling by stopping the action but not the fight. Unable to raise his hands to defend himself and taking too much punishment, Shavers is saved by Pearl without argument late in the eleventh round of an awesome bout.

Larry Holmes vs. Earnie Shavers II

In his first big test, undefeated heavyweight contender Larry Holmes has his coming out party against big puncher Earnie Shavers. They trade big shots in the opening rounds, with Holmes stunning Shavers at the end of the first but Shavers battling back to win the second. Holmes wobbles Shavers into the ropes in the fifth and lays some hard right hands on him, cutting Shavers under the left eye. After a good give-and-take eleven rounds in which Holmes rallies to win almost every one, he buckles Shavers' knees in the twelfth and nearly has him out when the bell rings to end the fight. Holmes takes a wide unanimous decision and looks toward his first title shot against WBC Champion Ken Norton.

The Turning Point: Larry Holmes vs. Earnie Shavers I

Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali defends his title against thunderous puncher Earnie Shavers in a classic confrontation. Shavers rocks Ali with some huge right hand bombs in the second round and blasts him into the ropes again in the fourth. The champion responds by trying to out work Shavers with rapid combinations throughout the night and starts to drill the challenger with big shots of his own in rounds ten through twelve. Letting it all hang out, Shavers stuns Ali in the thirteenth and has him hurt in the waning moments of the fourteenth. As Shavers goes for the knockout in the final round, Ali comes back to save his title by hurting the challenger badly with only seconds left in the fight, closing the show on an epic battle. When the scorecards are announced, Ali has escaped with a hard-fought unanimous decision.

Larry Holmes vs. Earnie Shavers II

The Turning Point: Larry Holmes vs. Earnie Shavers I

Muhammad Ali vs. Earnie Shavers

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