The Shavers fight was Sept. 29, 1977. Ali fought four more times until 1981, losing to Leon Spinks and beating him in a rematch, TKOing Larry Holmes and retiring after his loss to Trevor Berbick.

Shavers, left, poses with Muhammad Ali in Nov. 1973. The Ring Magazine via Getty Imag “Earnie hit me so hard, it shook my kinfolk in Africa,” Ali said after the fight.

Earnie Shavers says modern heavyweights "are not fit to carry Muhammad Ali's gym bag", on the occasion of his old rival's 70th birthday.

Muhammad Ali has gone, Jimmy Ellis and Jimmy Young, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Ron Lyle, Jerry Quarry have all gone and, on Thursday, September 1, 78-year-old Earnie Shavers passed away.

Ali was not the only heavyweight impressed with Shavers. Shavers fought heavyweight champ Larry Holmes twice, the first time being a non-title bout on March 25, 1978 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas ...

Earnie Shavers says modern heavyweights "are not fit to carry Muhammad Ali's gym bag", on the occasion of his old rival's 70th birthday.

He fought Ali for the title on Sept. 29, 1977 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Ali won a 15-round unanimous decision. Ali had dubbed Shavers “The Acorn” before the fight because of his ...

Don’t keep your chin up. Don’t drop your hands. Don’t get pinned in the corner. Muhammad Ali’s boxing style defied all these conventions. And yet, he was the greatest.

American challenger Ernie Shavers, right, follows through with a right to the head of Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali, during their title fight in Madison Square Gardens, New York, Sept. 29, 1977.

Earnie Shavers says modern heavyweights "are not fit to carry Muhammad Ali's gym bag", on the occasion of his old rival's 70th birthday.

Challenger Earnie Shavers, right, follows through with a right against champion Muhammad Ali during the fourth round of their boxing bout in New York’s Madison Square Garden, Sept. 29, 1977. (AP ...