European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 01, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday october 1, 1977 the stars and stripes Page 21 Ali on All cards . A sports writer new York a Muhammad All s ring experience and the boxing brains of Corderman Angelo Dundee combined thursday night to give the heavyweight Champion a unanimous but Tough 15-round Victory Over Earnie shavers. All used his left hand to Jab and Hook plus his defensive ability to hold the pow a punching shavers safely at Bay through most of the fight while his Comer knew exactly what was going on. Dundee knew after 12 rounds that Ali would remain Champion unless shavers knocked him official scoring was announced on National television after each round. While the people in the Garden including Sha vers in his Corner did not know How the fight was going Dundee did. I knew about the scoring he said. I had a shuttle who was watching the Tele vision. I never told Ali he was ahead. I did t want him to let but Dundee also knew that he did t have to worry that he did t have to urge Ali to take unnecessary risks. And Ali did to although he was badly shaken in the final round before rallying in the closing seconds to almost put shavers , shavers was Given the impression by his Comer that he was win Ning. I thought i was ahead on Points i thought i won the fight said shavers who was told by Trainer Frank Luca after almost every round that he was winning. However shavers did t fight the last three rounds like a Man who thought he was ahead As he Shook off numbing tired Ness to put pressure on the aging Ali. If he had known How the scoring was going he might have gone All out a Little sooner. Although Dundee made Good use of the televised disclosure of the scoring he said he did t think it should be allowed. Shavers showed up just minutes after the fight but Ali did not appear for the Post fight news conference until almost an hour later. The Champion went to his dressing room for a Rubdown and changed clothes before meeting the press. When asked Why he was so late he said because i m tired. I m almost As tired As i was in Manila after Joe Frazier he said referring to his 14-round stoppage of smoking Joe in 1975. He said the fighter most comparable to shavers was Frazier. I thought i had an easy fight said Ali. This Man has never gone 15 the Champ also said the fight proved he was in Good shape. There had been concern that Ali was not training seriously for it. I thank the almighty Allah said Ali who did not say who his next opponent would be. However promoter Bob arum chomp cops unanimous but Tough verdict from challenger shavers said earlier in the Day that he would meet All Friday to talk about a possible novem Ber fight Between the Champion and Gerri Coetzee of South Africa or Alfio Righetti of Italy. The Only thing Ali said about his future was that i m getting out soon and that shavers will be a future Champion Al though the challenger from Warren Ohio is 33 years old Only two years younger than the Champ. Ali who showed every one of his 35 years at the end also showed his tremendous courage when after being sent across the ring by a smashing right in the final round he came Back with a flurry of head punches that almost put shavers Down. It was a fantastic ending to a fight that had its Dull moments and it again under lined the vast experience that Ali carries into any fight. The fight was close through the first six rounds and then Ali who hardly Ever missed with his left jabs especially when he chose to stick and move took control in the seventh round. Judges Eva Shain and Tony Castellano each had it nine rounds to six for Ali while referee Johnny Lobianco saw it 9-5-1 for the Champion. The associated press had it 10-5 for Ali. The pattern of the fight was one of Sha vers stalking and looking to throw the big referee Johnny Lobianco tries to step Between. During Early stages of heavy title bout that s new York for you1 shavers says judges favored Ali new York up Earnie shavers visibly upset at the decision against him in favor of Muhammad Ali thursday night criticized the new York boxing judges and charged them with favouring the Champion. It s hard to win a decision against Ali especially in new York said shavers. I knew i had to Knock him out. Looking Back at it if i had to change anything i would put More pressure on him shavers said he was never really Hurt by Ali although he seemed stunned by a flurry of blows As the fight ended. He also said he did t think he Ever really Hurt Ali. "1 never hit him really hard said Sha vers whose eyes were swollen and who sported a slight Cut on the Bridge of his nose. He Shook me a couple of times but it was nothing serious. 1 was trying to Pace was calling me names and goading me on All through the fight. I just kept calling him an imbecile. He s been a Good Champion in the past but tonight he was a bad Champion. He did t fight. He did a lot of running and hiding. I really believe he did t win the fight. He stood around posing and talking. That s no Way to win a decision but i guess when you re Muhammad Ali and you re fighting in new York you get away with things like he stomped off an elevator and headed for the showers shavers Shook his head and grumbled i really wanted him badly. But Ali wins that s new York for right hand that had enabled him to Knock out 52 of his first 60 opponents while Ali looked for ways to nullify the challenger s was far More successful often keep ing shavers too Busy to punch by snapping Home jabs Hooks and flurries of punches with both hands to the sometimes brought cheers of Admira Tion with his floating like a Butterfly sting ing like a Bee which seemed to be mostly a memory to him now. But at other times he looked like an old fighter who would have rather been somewhere else. Of course Ali often purposely did Noth ing in order to buy time in Case he needed his strength for the later rounds. And he did. Ali who weighed 225 to 21114 for the 33 year old shavers landed a flurry of a dozen punches to the head in the seventh round and style the eighth round with an other flurry of head punches with a minute left. He also came out on top in the ninth with a late flurry then had his Best round to continued on Page 24 Allah gave me Power to Raiello up sports writer new York up a weary Muhammad Ali did t want to talk about what happened in his closely disputed fight thursday night against Earnie shavers. He wanted to talk about his god Allah. I m Talkin about god first said Ali who appeared at a Post fight news Confer ence one hour and five minutes after his unanimous 15-round decision Over shavers. I m going to Praise Allah first. This Man hit me hard but Allah gave me the Power to win. I m so glad i say my prayers to Al mighty Allah. Don t let me lose. Make me the Champ so i can walk the streets and serve your t you know i come from nowhere i always come up with something. That s god that s Ali had clinched a decision after the 12th round when he was ahead eight rounds to four in the official scoring which was flashed on the National telecast. But Sha vers who Hurt Ali in the second and fourth rounds Shook the Champion again in the last three rounds to make the fight close. I m tired said Ali who defended his title for the 19th time. I m almost As tired As Manila. I caught a lot of punches. This Man was great. People sure get in shape when they fight me. The Man s never gone 15 rounds. That Man got in said some opinions notwithstanding he was in Good shape for the i play and do things i should t do. Something made me refrain this time. Am i in shape i made you think i was t in shape but i Ali wearing a Black shirt Black Slacks and White socks appeared at the press conference almost an hour after shavers. The Champion absorbed the hardest Pun Ches of the fight and Huit shavers Only to wards the end of the last round. This was hard and that Man was Good said Ali the left Side of his face puffy from shavers right hand. I m older now. I think a younger Ali would t have got hit those punches. I predict he will be the next heavy weight Champion because i m bowing out of this thing soon. I be done Ali s a sucker for a left Hook but to night he was a sucker for a right hand said Dundee. But Muhammad always finds a Way. He s got something special. That 15th round was one of the finest rounds i be Ever
