Lyle vs Frazier

Ali would have knocked Lyle out if it wasn't stopped. Ali motioned for the ref to stop it because it was obvious Ali could have really went to town if it wasn't stopped.

 

Too bloody right !

I can't understand anyone who questions this stoppage. Lyle was all over the place.

 

frazier would stop lyle even the 1974 version of frazier who beat quarry and bugner

 

I like Frazier here... Lyle doesn`t have Foreman type power,so I can`t see him putting Frazier down and keeping him there. So, the fight heats up as Frazier gets to Smokin... I see him grinning Lyle down for a 9th or 10 rd stoppage.

 

Seriously. Lyle was a beast but not quite the monster that a 40-0
Foreman was. Great matchup I see Frazier taking a beating and coming on late to get a stoppage in 12 or 13. Frazier TKO 13.

 

Agreed.

Ron's punching power may have been on par with Foreman's (Leroy Caldwell thinks so), but George's physical strength was absolutely freakish.

Lyle was a good boxer, and an intelligent learning oriented sort, always looking to extend and challenge himself for improving, to compensate for his late start as a professional at age 30. Ron ducked nobody, even taking on Jimmy Young a second time for more schooling. Incredibly for a man of his power, he NEVER won a professional match in the opening round by choice, always opting to finish at least one complete round.

I have enormous respect for this man. Sluggers who could potentially knock his block off, or stylists who might make him look silly, he evaded nobody in making himself into a 12 round fighter. Look at his professional record, the names on it, then again consider his punch for pay career all began AFTER he turned 30!


Head to head, he doesn't beat Frazier though. Smoke had a lower center of gravity, and excellent physical strength against anybody not named Foreman. Unlike George, Ron was a clean boxer who wouldn't be attempting to manhandle Joe like that anyway. (This is one the referee wouldn't need to do much work in. It would be a good hard fight, but neither dirty or controversial between these two.)

What I expect would happen is that Lyle would attempt countering off the ropes like he did Shavers. Problem is that Joe wouldn't punch himself out like Earnie did, and Ron was never going to match Frazier's work rate or hand speed. Smoke recuperated well if stunned during his prime, while Lyle took some time to regain himself when JQ staggered him back into the ropes for what would be a 10-8 round today, was in very serious trouble when Shavers dropped him at the end of round two (only the bell save Ron from a final fight ending punch) Ali knocked him silly with a single right he could not recover from while getting a swarm of 46 follow-up punches with no attempt to return fire or clinch.

Frazier either wins a decision on hustle, or produces a stoppage by not letting Lyle off the hook once hurting him. Ron's the harder puncher of the two, but he is not as fast, and he is not matching Joe's work rate. Lyle might go the limit as Bonavena did in his 1968 rematch with Smoke, but there wouldn't be any question about the outcome when it was over. When Ron did unload, Frazier could make him miss.