Ronnie gets overrated a lot on this forum and blah blah blah blah... Inspired by the Ali - AJ thread, as well as thoughts I've had in my mind for ages. Lyle surely doesn't have a china chin, but I feel like his durability gets overrated due to his losing efforts against Foreman, as well as his win over Shavers (who has a record as an overall terrible finisher- to be completely honest, I even saw Young snap his head back with certain punches. Just from the following decade- Weaver would stop him, Smith, Witherspoon, Holmes, Bruno, Tyson, Coetzee, Page, Thomas, and probably a whole bunch of others. I think AJ could do the same, I think even that old man version of Wlad he faced could, but what names come to mind for you?
Quite a lot of fighters. Ron was certainly a credible tough fighter but far from invincible. One of these guys whose best win if you can call it that was his loss against Foreman, because he floored George twice.
Young snapped his head back? A pro boxer who spent most of his life hitting things? actually managed to hurt someone and isn’t an ATG puncher? NO.
"Weaver would stop him, Smith, Witherspoon, Holmes, Bruno, Tyson, Coetzee, Page, Thomas". Fair enough, several of those guys probably beat Lyle. But for the same token I can see Lyle beating several of those guys too. I concur Lyle gets a little overrated over here; but so do a lot of those guys.
Young is far below an ATG puncher, JM. 35 wins 11 KOs, it's something notable to mention if the guy everyone calls "durable" gets his head snapped back (showing that he felt a punch) against a guy like that.
He gets his chances against lesser versions of some of these guys, but I wouldn't give him any significant chances against peak versions of em. Even trying to suspend disbelief and give Lyle the benefit of the doubt, I'd BARELY give him a chance against someone like '93 Frank Bruno.
George Foreman also got his head snapped back by Jimmy Young… I never said Young was an ATG puncher, I said he’s a pro boxer who spent his life hitting things of course he can hurt Lyle ALL boxers can, Duran if he lands a perfect shot would stun Lyle.
Weaver = Weaver was a slow starter who could get bombed out himself early. Bruno = I'm not sure I'd like Bruno's chances vs Lyle when he has such poor recuperative powers unless Bruno bombs him out early. Bonecrusher = Two durable bangers could go either way. Holmes = He would definitely beat him but if its 12 rounds I could see a points win for Holmes. Page = Not for me no and it's debatable Page would even beat him. Tyson = That's a no brainer. Thomas = I see points win. Coetzee = Could go either way it depends who can outlast the other man Coetzee could fade late in fights. AJ = Again he has the same issues as Bruno he freezes when he gets hurt. He could stop Lyle but in a back and forth war of attrition if Lyle can make it that type of fight I think he could win. Alot of these fights aren't clear cut victories except the obvious names.
Jersey Joe Walcott, pap, briiiinnng! Not even a fair fight that, and I mean that, Lyle's late start combined with the absolute craft of Walcott would be a disastrous combination. Experience gets so underrated, it's crazy.
He'd lose some for sure but I rate Lyle higher than Weaver, Smith, Coetzee, and Page was brutally inconsistent .
Lyle is one fighter I can think of who was a tough guy but had a mediocre/average Chin. Usually fighters with weak or mediocre Chins are not tough. Lyle was one tough hombre regardless of his Chin.