For what it's worth, my husband said that Earnie hit him so hard it hurt his grandkids. My husband broke Shavers jaw in the 8th. That said, you can't meet a nicer guy than Shavers....a gentle giant, and we remain friends with him to this day. Classy guy.

Cobb was an iron post embedded in four feet of concrete. And besides that he is so multi-dimensionable. A boxer, karate, actor, comedian, great wit, a good human being, humble. His humorous roast of Larry Holmes was comedic genius, mixed with good will and humility. He obliterated racial borders way back. And he just knew how to have a good time and share his magnificent personality. The guy was always brimming with confidence. The world is a better place because of him and people like him.

Tex Cobb had a chin of granite and heart of a lion!!! One of my favorites of all time. Loved his character in Raising Arizona and Uncommon Valor too

My favorite Tex Cobb comment , “His hands can’t take much more ,” ( against Larry Holmes )

Randall "Tex" Cobb is one of the few fighters that went the distance with Larry Holmes! He didn't do that well, but took everything he had and never got knocked down!

Shavers was in the twilight of his career&Tex had endless endurance with a chin of concrete.

Legends, class acts, these guys and a few others made boxing of that era great.

I like how I kept hearing "there's no power to his (Cobbs) punches. Cobbs a big dude, I don't know of many men could get hit by these "no power" punches. Cobb was for some reason, given no respect, or compliment at all. Funniest, down home humor I've ever seen in a fighter. Certainly an iron chin. He was a class act.

Sharon, thank you so much for sharing your memories.

Imagine a fight between Cobb and George Chuvalo. Long after the crowd went home, the arena dark, the custodian would be sweeping the ring, having to sweep around the two still fighting.

When I watched his fight against Larry Holmes,I read humiliating commentaries towards Cobb.But even if Shavers was washed up,he still could punch and to beat him was not easy.So people should have respected more the warrior Cobb and the perfect fight that Holmes made against him.

Ms.Cobb,your husband fought well and he could take a punch,as well as give one,in my opinion.One of the things I like best about him though,is his wry sense of humor. Some of his observations are funny,and dead on.

Ernie Shavers. The punching power of a sledgehammer. The heart of a lion. The stamina of a 90 year old.

Why is no one talking about 12:29 that's a ridiculous shot and fair play by Tex what a chin, good gracious

Hardest hitter ever and arguably the toughest beard ever. 💪🏽

Tex a very tough man I'm side and out .thanks for sharing some of your time with me years ago

Randall Cobb once said of his fight with Larry Holmes, ‘it was just like a 15 round game of ‘tag’, and for 45 minutes, I was ‘it’ !! Classic 👍🇬🇧

Cobb could probably take a punch better than anyone in history. Both Shavers and Holmes unloaded on him, punching him dozens and dozens of times, and Cobb wouldn't go down. And Cobb kept landing punches in both fights, right up to the end. One a win (here), and the other a convincing loss - but one where he showed ZERO quit and was still able to land punched all throughout the fight.

I loved Cobb's interview where he talked about hustling in different cities, asking for the local tough guy or karate expert. He had a line about his boxing "style" where he said "I had more ass than they had leather to wear it out with." They don't make guys like these two anymore. If they do, they must be playing other sports.

I had not heard Norton on commentary before. He is funny, insightful and calls it like he sees it. A lot of cool and interesting personalities during this era in boxing.

Wow, real men. Very, very tough guys.

Shavers vs Cobb. An unstoppable force against an immovable object.

Randall "Tex" Cobb was great in the movie "Raising Arizona" and Earnie Shavers was great for Boxing even after this small loss.

Breaks my heart to see Shavers like this, but he maintained a warrior's pride and honor. Agree that minus a few years, Shavers - a technically superior boxer - probably wins this. Cobb's legendary chin and power were just too much.

He got old hell of a fighter love him rest in peace champ❤

If Morrison had Cobb's chin = unstoppable

Two warriors slugging it out. Nothing better than that

Ken Norton, the commenter, was a very handsome man, intelligent with a pleasant voice. He should have retired sooner and become a full-time commentator and media person. Instead he hung around and took a lot of hard shots.

I was so used to Randal from his acting career, (Raising Arizona) is a fave. That I kind of forgot that he was a damn good boxer. Any one who could take shots from Shavers and brush it off is aces IMHO.

If Cooney had fought Shavers that night it would have been a Drago-Creed like tragedy IMHO.

What a match with two of the best champions!

My dad's cousin knew Randall when they were young. They were friends in Abilene. I never knew about it until now and I think it's cool

Norton was like 39 & shot when that fight took place. But yes you're totally right. There WERE some really weird fights in the early 80's. It was like the end of the 60's-70's era, & the ushering in of the new, 80's-90's era.

Cobb played for Abeline Christian in College...(Football)...And transitioned from Kickboxing before he boxed...So he is very durable and Athletic...and also very Funny!!...lol...Great guy who played in some good movies also!

Tex is one of the toughest SOBs ever.

You never knew what fighter would step into the ring when Shavers was one of the principals. He was truly Jeckel and Hyde.

Un grande Randy "Tex" Cobb, aguanto y golpeo fuerte hasta dejar sin aliento a otro grande, uno de los mejores del mundo en su momento Ernie Shavers. Randy trabajo en una pelicula con Patrick Swayczy, era un rescate de soldados de Vietnam, muy buena.

I've never seen two fighters more exhausted than I see here. Wow!

A strange match: an iron chin and light punches versus a dodgy chin and unbelievable punching power!

rest in peace

Larry Homes interview said this about Tex Cobb: In the bar he owns beneath his office, Holmes has pictures of heavyweights from his era and other brawlers in black-and-white from more than a century ago. Cobb's picture is up there, too, and Holmes said it deserves to be. "These guys today can't fight. They're boring," Holmes said. "Tex Cobb could kick all their bleeping asses and he sure as hell wasn't boring."

Norton shows a great sense of humour in regards to his fight with Shavers.

Damn shavers is Landing some body shots that are knocking the taste outta what Cobb ate a week ago!!

The corner men of Shavers and Cobb were idiots. Having them where shoes with leather sole instead of rubber soles. Both fighters were slipping badly throughout the fight. It affected Shavers more. Why not test the canvas before the fight to see what type of soles leather or rubber should be worn during the fight.

HILARIOUS COMMENTARY !!!

One tough man was Tex.Jim Liverpool.

Randy looks like A Friend of mine back in school...1976.. David Kennedy....

this guy had a solid record, and beat a few greats... suprised i've never really heard much about him.

Few fights in history did one guy throw and land so many massive bombs without knocking the other guy out.

I've watched boxing my whole life. Cobb has the greatest chin in boxing history. Chuvalo, Lamotta, Hamsho had great chins but not like Cobb.

An amazing thing that some people might not know?Is that Randall 'Tex' Cobb is also an actor in a lot of movies,such as Uncommon Valour with Gene Hackman,The Golden Child,with Eddie Murphy,Fletch Lives,with Chevy Chase,a police Academy 4 & Blind Fury,with Rutger Heuer.He has also been in t.v series such as Miami Vice, Moonlighting, MacGyver,Married With Children,The X Files & Walker Texas Ranger. Thought i'd share some trivia with everyone.🙂

These two going at it like it's a Rocky film. Lions, both of them.

They should have given Norton and Dumphy their own TV show. Great banter between these two!

and then Cooney beating Norton, ending his career. Weird fights in the early 80s.

I got tired just watching these two go at it!

For a fight to be held on that kind of ring surface was outright criminal. Those guys were slipping so much it could not have been any worse if the floor were coated with grease.

Man, Cobb must have the best chin ever

Both of those men could be world champions today

Ken Norton was a pretty damn good commentator

True men of the warrior class! 💪🏾😤😥

Cobb had the most heart and toughest chin I ever seen ever but Jesus did he have stamina issues

Somewhere, in the dark, Tex Cobb awaits your arrival.

wish I knew Ernie I will take your word for it wot a power house pls give him my love and blessings

I felt bad for Shavers in this fight. Yes Cobb had an amazing chin, but a couple years earlier I think Shavers would've taken him out. This turned out to be his last shot at elite-level boxing.

You had one guy that was impossible to knock out VS. One with big power but poor stamina. Once Ernies stamina is gone, so goes the power and everything else with it.

im shocked the ref did not stop this Ernie is out on his feet but a warrior born

He’s just your typical Texan! 🤠

I hate to disrespect "Tex" Cobb in any way, but I don't think Shavers was punching with his previous power....not that he wasn't giving 100% effort.

Horrible ring surface.Both fighters sliding all over.Shavers clearly wasn't in shape.

I have been knowing ace Ventura since I was a kid and I'm just now finding out this dude was a boxer. -_-

Never underestimate a man called Tex Cobb

Cobb was a good fighter but never close to the great fighters, but, that's not a crime. He was tough, had a solid but not great punch, a rock hard chin, and could go the distance against some very good fighters. When you got in the ring you had better be ready, because Randy was going to give all he had.

Tex Cobb was no joke Granted Holmes beat the sh*t out of him but Holmes was a beast starting his career 48-0

What a fight!!!

Ken Norton and Gerry Cooney talking trash about Cobb the whole time is kinda funny. Norton was KOd by Shavers in 1 Round.. And Holmes KOd Cooney.. but couldn't Cobb. And Cobb was laying a beating on Shavers at the end.

How the hell were those shots behind the head legal at the end there?

man this fight was brutal lol. bombs after bombs until they both got tired

Referee was a bloody disgrace. The fight should have been stopped much earlier. Incompetence like that can kill a fighter

I think the banter was more entertaining than the fight!!??

I had no idea John C Riley had a boxing career. Interesting...

Ernie was the quintessential Journeyman in the 70s. If you could get past him, you got a shot at the title.

Ken Norton was a great fighter, champion and commentator. Makes the car accident which slowed him down significantly all the sadder.

Thanks for posting.

Tough as Ernie Shavers was Jerry Quarry knocked him out in the first round of their fight!

In 1969 navey park arena cleveland I was there earnie hit a guy with a body shot it sounded like a gun shot EMS had the guy on a stretcher in 2 minutes on the way to hospital

The slippery ring was to Cobbs advantage.A puncher needs to have good foot stability and the moderators were horrible.

Shaver's main strength... The thunderous right, watered down by a ring floor with way too little shoe grip.

The big boys of boxing.

Tex seems to have good positioning, but he wasnt taking advantage. He was controlling the ring early

Ken Norton eventually paid a huge price for being so rude and dismissive of Gerry Cooney throughout the commentary.

Earlier in his boxing career, Earnie Shavers was a formidable heaviest puncher. However, in some of his matches including this one against Randall, he was overly fatigued than anything else. It seemed that later rounds were at his disadvantage.

What a matchup in hindsight.

Randall text Cobb never had a punch he could only take one. The human punching bag

funny...the commentators never mention the beating earnie took in the first round

Cobb wasn't very good but he was determined and had a granite chin. And a lot of heart Eanie was a beast, and had the power of a lion,,,that being said this was a good match. Ernie was a bit slow. And styles make a good fight. , muche respect to both. Very good guys in,and out of the ring,,,

They talk about Cobs punching power he was a kick boxer there power shots are kicks they never learned to put there body into punching,but if you hit someone enough times your going to hurt them.cob was a tough guy that's what it takes.

Tremendous hear and guts back then? agreed. But nothing has changed man. Check out the stiverne vs arreola fight from the other week. Brutal

One of the worst referee i ever seen...

Cobb had no punch but he compensated with a chin of iron.

Cobb beat the shell of an old Ernie Shavers if this fight came at the peak of Shavers this fellow don't stand a chance against Shavers