Foreman-Lyle

Funny when I think of heavyweight brawls as opposed to technical fights two fights immediately come to mind. This fight and the Lewis - V.K. fight. Both were heavyweight brawls. I recall Merchant saying in the Lewis and V.K were ward-gatti on the highest order, wonder what he would have said about Lyle-Foreman as this was even a better brawl.

 

Ofcourse he was mentally gone after his loss to ali. foreman didn't have his next fight until well over a year later against lyle who was a good fighter at his peak. mentally he was gone and the later young loss made him realize and he retired. young pre-ali foreman woulda destroyed moorer in the first few rounds like he did to frazier and norton. that foreman didn't think about round 3 or 4 - he was gonna take you out in 2 rounds MAX.

 

Lyle was actually using an efficient strategy of countering off the ropes until he was dragged into an all-out brawl which he seemed to be winning at first but eventually lost.

He countered Foreman's somewhat sloppy jab well with counter right hands.

Lyle's preparation for this fight couldn't have been better, he was coming off another brawl against Shavers in which he withstood Earnie's best punches and came back to knock him out in the 6th round with Shavers totally out of steam as usual.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyKEX21Qxg8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fOg-s8whtI

 

Rummer:

I disagree with you. My understanding is that following the Ali loss, Foreman deliberately changed his style at the behest of his new trainer, Gil Clancy. Clancy wanted Foreman to abandon the hyperaggressive, free-swinging style in favor of a calm, measured jabbing approach.

Clancy's object was to enable Foreman to conserve energy by dominating opponents with his excellent left jab. During this period Foreman was also taught to set his punches up intelligently, and to not try to hard for a devastating early knockout.

Aside from the Lyle and Young fights, Foreman's new style worked well. The only reason it didn't work so well against Lyle, I think, is because of Foreman's ring rust in that bout.

Had they fought again in 1976 or 1977, Foreman probably would have dominated Lyle en route to another kayo win, this time without any problems.