Foreman Calls Ron Lyle Hardest Puncher

Except it makes sense.

 

I regard Foreman as one of the less reliable heavyweight champions, in terms of his testimony.

He is a likable guy, but he tells people what they want to hear.

On one trip to Britain, he told one newspaper that Audley Harrison would be the next undisputed champion, when he knocked out Vitally Klitschko!

In this case, I am inclined to believe him however.

He has been very consistent in saying that Lyle was the hardest puncher he faced, and almost seems to be in awe of Lyle's power when he says it!

 

Did it make sense when he said the same things about Morrison, Briggs... and Lou Savarese?

 

A lot of times when fighters answer this question it's "who hit ME the hardest "

 

When asked if he'd beat Joe Louis he said "Joe Louis beats US ALL".....by us all I'm guessing he meant Tyson, Lewis, K2 brothers, Holyfield, Bowe.... you know....US ALL

 

Lyle is the one guy George is consistent about. On at least three separate interviews on youtube across several years he consistently mentions Lyle as the hardest hitter he faced.

Now you have to wonder:

-shavers is mentioned by many boxers of that era as the hardest puncher they faced, yet lyle weathered the storm and kod him.

-speaking of shavers, joe bugner said shavers was the hardest puncher but went out of his way to give lyle props in the same breath as an honorable mention.

-a fringe boxer named leroy caldwell said lyles power was comparable to foreman, which...actually makes sense if you watch the fight between foreman and lyle. Very back and forth even action.

-after a long career including amateurs+gold and then two lengthy professional careers with over 80 fights, no one hurt foreman like lyle did. Ali waited till foreman punched himself out and jimmy youngs knockdown was more of an off balance slip towards the end of a 12 round fight when foreman was exhausted.

Yes Foreman was coming off a layoff and a loss when he fought lyle but he was still in his prime and a strong young man and would go on to crush other contenders like ledoux and frazier again so foreman clearly wasnt "washed up" or magically 10x physically weaker when he fought lyle.

Im not saying lyle is "definitely" the hardest puncher foreman faced, but using inductive reasoning, eye test, and common sense its obvious that hed have to be in the top 5.

 

Remember, folks, it is not necessarily "who hit the hardest" but "who did I allow myself to get hit the hardest by"... Foreman didn't have much of a game plan against Lyle and that which he had was abandoned for a pure Donnybrook within a minute or so.

"-shavers is mentioned by many boxers of that era as the hardest puncher they faced, yet lyle weathered the storm and kod him."

OK, this has nothing to do with power but with durability, stamina and strategy. That said, Jimmy Ellis went 12 with Lyle and didn't make it 1 with Shavers.

 

You either dont remember the fight well or u didnt watch it. Foreman in the first 2 rounds was trying to adopt a boxer-puncher stance and operate behind a jab. However he got complacent with it and underestimated Lyle's timing and countering ability. Lyle timed him with overhand rights over and over and thats what led to the downs and eventually the slugfest.

Foreman at no point "allowed" Lyle to hit him with his best punches. Even a moron wouldnt let a hard puncher do that.

Anyway, as i said, the evidence speaks for itself. In 81 fights no one hurt Foreman like Lyle did. This doesnt prove Lyle was the "hardest hitter" Foreman faced, but he's obviously up there as the eye test shows what effect Lyle's punches had on him. Bare minimum he's top 5 in Foremans resume, its common sense.

 

Well if someone knocked you into Bolivian TWICE in the same fight....he was probably the hardest hitter you ever faced.

 

I think this is just down to the fact that Lyle knocked him down. He mentions Ali as well, who's on no one's list of hardest punchers.

Lyle obviously hit hard, but nothing above and beyond what Coney, Morrison or even Briggs could muster. He was simply the one that got to George.

 

In all fairness, when he mentions Ali, he ascribes it to technique, saying that Ali catches you coming in and uses your momentum against you.

Or so I have heard.