Ken Norton vs Ron Lyle in 1975 - who would have won?

Yes, and Ken doesn't always get the credit for his hand speed that he deserves. Jerry was as quick as any heavyweight of his era, triggerfisted, but JQ indeed had serious issues with the combination of reach and speed. Norton would have always been up for a fight with Jerry, who definitely preferred slower, power oriented sluggers like Lyle, Mac Foster, Shavers (who did have underrated hand speed, but still not quite in Ken's class) and certainly Foreman.

Styles really do make fights much of the time, and it's entirely feasible that Norton may have simply had his number.

 

I like Lyle by knockout in the 1st or 2nd round. I can't believe posters here are saying he didn't hit like Foreman, Shavers, or Cooney. Lyle outslugged Shavers, and came the closest to outslugging foreman. Lyle hit like a truck. The man didn't do 1,000 pushups a day in prison for nothing!

 

There were a lot of people that beat Lyle that norton would beat, like Jimmy Young and Jerry Quarry, but this about styles, Norton couldn't deal with punchers and got Ko'd early by all of them, Shavers 1 round, Cooney 1 round, Foreman 2nd round, and I'd go wit Lyle 2nd round

 

In a 15 round fight I think Norton stops him on the ropes late, the key to the fight ,,will Lyle be able to back up Kenny . Lyle boxed more than slugged and Norton did well against boxers. It's very possible they'd split 2 fights though.

 

Mr Ron bad ### Lyle takes this in a war.

 

Ken Norton by decision. Lyle was more of a boxer than people remember. He wasn't a steamroller. This would allow The Fighting Marine to get warmed up and get into his own groove. Nobody ever wanted that. You couldn't outbox Kenny Norton.

 

This sound s the most likely to me, Norton spearing lyle with the Jab, smashing over the right and keeping lyle a step behind. Can't totally discount Norton getting buzzed by Ron and getting in trouble but I'm of the opinion that he gets a decision.

 

This. It wasn't big punchers per se that got Norton , it was big punchers that pushed him backward. Lyle wouldn't be that aggressive.