Larry Holmes vs. Earnie Shavers II, billed as Epic Explosion, was a professional match contested on September 28, 1979, for the WBC heavyweight title.
Background Over a month prior to his June fight against the then-little known Mike Weaver, WBC heavyweight champion Larry Holmes' planned next title defense was announced in mid-May to take place against the WBC's number-one ranked contender Earnie Shavers.Holmes‐Shavers Set For Giants Stadium, New York Times article, 1979-05–10, Retrieved on 2026-05-01 In order to preserve his lucrative fight with Shavers, Holmes would still need to defeat Weaver, who sported a dismal 19–8 record and was not expected to be much of a challenge to the undefeated Holmes. Nevertheless, Holmes denied reports that he was wasn't taking Weaver seriously, stating "If I thought he was just a tune-up (for Shavers), I wouldn't be training for six weeks."Holmes Fights Weaver In Title Bout at Garden, New York Times article, 1979-06–17, Retrieved on 2026-05-01 On June 22, 1979, Holmes survived a game Weaver, who put up a much better fight than expected, winning by 12th-round technical knockout, officially putting the gears in motion for the Holmes–Shavers title fight.Challenger Surprises Crowd, New York Times article, 1979-06–23, Retrieved on 2026-05-01
Originally, promoter Don King planned to stage the bout in the 76,000-seat Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on September 19. However, a left eye injury Holmes claimed he had suffered in the Weaver bout as result of an errant thumb, resulted in the postponement of the bout that also necessitated a change of venue.Holmes May Delay Title Match, New York Times article, 1979-06–24, Retrieved on 2026-05-01 In mid-July, King revealed that the fight would officially take place on September 28, though a new venue was still not named.Holmes‐Shavers Title Fight Set for Sept. 28, New York Times article, 1979-07–13, Retrieved on 2026-05-03 Though venues in Hawaii and Seattle were in the running, King ultimately announced in August that Nevada's Caesars Palace would host the fight.Arum: Fight Open to All Races, New York Times article, 1979-08–15, Retrieved on 2026-05-03
To supplement the Holmes–Shavers main event, King organized an extravagant undercard. Featured on the televised portion of the card were; Roberto Durán vs. Zeferino Gonzalez, Jimmy Young vs. Michael Dokes, recently crowned NABF welterweight champion Sugar Ray Leonard making the first and only defense of that title against Andy Price, and WBC super bantamweight champion Wilfredo Gómez defending his crown against Carlos Mendoza.Holmes‐Shavers: A Bout Between Friends, New York Times article, 1979-09–27, Retrieved on 2026-05-03
Fight details Holmes dominated the first six rounds, using constant movement and his powerful left jab to keep Shavers at bay. However, late in the seventh round, Shavers connected flush with a big overhand right that sent Holmes crashing down on his back. Acting on pure instinct, Holmes rose quickly to his feet and was allowed to continue, but was clearly dazed and on wobbly legs as Shavers went on the attack swinging wildly in hopes of scoring a knockout victory, though Holmes was able to survive the 30 remaining seconds of the round. Holmes would recover from the knockdown and resumed his dominant performance from the eighth round onwards. In the eleventh round, Holmes continued to batter a tiring and almost defenseless Shavers. Referee Davey Pearl would briefly pause the fight, examining the bruised face of Shavers and asking if he wanted to continue. After Shavers indicated that he did want to continue, the fight was resumed, but after Shavers was hit by three-punch combination from Holmes, Pearl stopped the fight. Holmes was named the winner by technical knockout at 2:00 of the round. One Big Punch Was Not Enough, New York Times article, 1979-09–29, Retrieved on 2026-05-04
Fight card Confirmed bouts: Weight Class Weight vs. Method Round NotesHeavyweight200+ lbs.Larry Holmes (c)def.Earnie ShaversTKO11/15Super Bantamweight122 lbs.Wilfredo Gómez (c)def.Carlos MendozaTKO10/15Welterweight147 lbs.Ray Leonard (c)def.Andy PriceKO1/12 Heavyweight200+ lbs.Michael Dokesdef.Jimmy YoungUD10Light Middleweight154 lbs.Roberto Durándef.Zeferino GonzalezUD10Light Heavyweight175 lbs.Jim Ingramdef.Clarence GeiggerPTS6Welterweight147 lbs.Idika Nsofordef.Junior FosterKO4/6
Broadcasting Country Broadcaster ABC
References