It would only take three rounds for Ron to beat Jess.Ron is in a different league, and Jess would find that out real quick.
What has Ron done to suggest this in the ring, apart from look good in a loosing effort against Foreman?
personally, i thought he looked like **** against foreman....it resembled a wild brawl between two drunks over the prime location in the alley to take a ****. he looked good against a fat carcass that may or may not have once been ali. course i don't think much of willard either...
:deal Ron has the power to stop Willard, but Willard also has the chin to stand up to that power. I see it going either two ways depending on the distance. The first outcome being the same in each of the distances 12 rounds - 1 - Lyle stops Willard around the 6th round after battering him for the first half of the fit. 2 - Lyle can't get Willard out of there but being the punching bag that Jess is a late comeback from Willard isnt enough to take away a competitive, but fairly clear win for Lyle. 15 rounds - 1 - same outcome. 2 - Willard pressures Lyle late after Ron appears to be gassing. A chance the ref could stop it or he may hold on for a very close decision win 20 rounds or more - 1 same outcome 2 - If Lyle can't get Willard out of their, Jess stamina would be far to much and I think Ron runs out of gas around the 18th and Willard takes him out. Nice little match up
I don't think a win over a past prime Johnson holds much relevance when where talking about a match up against Lyle. It does however show that he had an very good chin and incredible stamina. Do you rate his win over Floyd Johnson highly janitor? I really don't know anything about him if I'm being honest
Although Johnson was well past his prime when Willard beat him, he was still a prety tough fighter to beat, like an older Larry Holmes. I think Willards win over Floyd Johnson is good, because a past prime Willard managed to come from behind, to pull out one last noteworthy win.
Battle of the tough late starters both hard men. Not much in it, Lyle has quicker hands sees him get off first and stop Willard at some point Shavers, Bonavena, Bugner and Jimmy Ellis aren't tangible wins?
He fought in black and white which is enough for him to be regarded higher than most modern boxers in the Classic forum. IMO getting beaten half to death and decked well over a dozen times in the space of 9 minutes by a man who weighs 60+ pounds less doesn't exactly show a great chin. Yes he was never "knocked out" but then again niether was Patterson and most would agree his chin wasn't great, yet Patterson fought bigger punchers and doesn't get half the credit in the chin department. Willard isn't going to "outlast" Lyle he's gonna get KTFO. Scarp Iron Johnson showed more than Willard ever did to me and managed to last 8 against both Foreman and Liston, IIRC Lyle stopped him in 3. Lyle by KO within 5.
They are name fighters who were either well past their prime or coming off serious losses. None were ranked at the time Lyle beat them.
If you are reduced to trying to build up O'Halloran, then there is a serious weakness in your argument. The bottom line is that Willard was an elite fighter and O'Halloran was not.
I agree with the general mood of what you're trying to say here. Being a big man with a lot of strength back in the early part of the 20th century was a unique trait that an athlete could capitalize on, whereas today its as common as owning a cell phone. I think you're getting carried away with this comment. O'Halloran would have been mediocre in any era, regardless of how much size he had over his opponents. Man had no business in boxing.
There were fighters DURING Willard's era who look better than him on film.. A lot of them never became champ and it doesn't mean that O'Halloran would have either.