Former heavyweight boxing star Earnie Shavers has died at the age of 77.
The US American was one of the best boxers in history never to win the world title.
During his long professional career between 1969 and 1995, the “Black Destroyer” fought numerous greats – including Muhammad Ali in 1977.He won 74 of his 89 fights as a professional – 68 of them by knockout.
“He hit me so hard that it still shook my relatives in Africa,” Ali said after the points victory over Shavers in September 1977. It was Shavers’ first of two fights for the world championship crown. He lost the second to Larry Holmes in 1979.