how would these guys do against a prime frazier and they were both prime also.layne was no pushover and lyle could really bang. is smoking joe koing these guys?
Lyle would be a problem. He was big and strong and had some decent skills. I think Frazier destroys Layne.
Agreed. Both Layne and Lyle were big guys that could absorb a lot of punishment, but neither would be able to keep Joe's relentless pressure off for the duration of their fights. Frazier wins both.
Lyle gave Foreman and Ali problems so no reason to believe he wouldn't trouble Joe some. But a PRIME Frazier would be too much for him and eventually stop Lyle around 10 or 11 I think.
Prime Frazier stops them both inside 10 rounds but Joe could taste the canvas once or twice early. Neither man stops Frazier and they both get beat down to the body and head with relentless pressure.
Layne had a good chin ,at least till Marciano got through with him ,but he was susceptible to body shots. Frazier would eventually break him up imo. Lyle would pose problems,he could box a bit,hit ,more than a bit and was big and tough.I think Frazier gets to him late via work rate ,but it could also be a different scenario,with Lyle catching him and gradually pounding him down.
Frazier beats both of them with lyle being the tougher fight. There were only a handfull of fighters who could beat frazier at slugging and you had to be a great boxer to decision him. Neither lyle or layne fit into the latter category and they didn't punch quite hard enough to deter frazier.
If Marciano could beat Rex Layne then Frazier does it even quicker, Ron Lyle at his best could give Frazier problems but Frazier would stop him late
Why not Jim? Layne had a whale of a right hand, great stamina, Great Chin, Brute Strength, Good Jab, and High Workrate. Now because Layne had wide open defense I do expect frazier to find his target and take him outta there by the 7th or 8th round, but frazier would have to be at his absolute best because if he shows up on an offnight, layne has the strength punching power durability and workrate to make things rought for joe.
To judge Layne vs Frazier properly, you have to not only consider Layne's fight with Marciano but also the Bob Satterfield fight. Layne took huge hits from Satterfield without folding and came back to kayo Satterfield. Now don't get me wrong. I am not saying that Layne would have beaten Smokin' Joe. But I am saying that Bob Satterfield had as much punching power as Frazier, if not more. So, Frazier wouldn't have blown Layne away as some here are saying. Joe would have to wear his foe down as I am sure he would have done, near about the 8th or 9th round, shall we say. Now Ron Lyle. This matchup has been beaten to death really. Many even claim that Frazier avoided fighting Lyle, along with Mac Foster and Earnie Shavers. While I am not about to believe that, it must also be admitted that some of these matchups, if not all, could and should have taken place. Anyway, a prime Frazier vs a prime Lyle would have been a bout worth seeing. Ron was bigger and physically much stronger than Frazier. He hit harder and had the better chin. Overall, he had the better boxing skills though Frazier was the quicker fighter. So, a win for Lyle should be very much on the cards. Well, not so fast. While such a result is not inconceivable, we must remember that Joe Frazier perfected his swarming style almost into an art. His relentless pressure, tremendous stamina, great determination and fairly solid chin would have seen him eke out a close points win in a very close and competitive fight.
Ron Lyle or Mac Foster would have been good fights against Frazier, but who's blaming who for not making those fights happen? Did Lyle or Foster deserve shots at Frazier after both were Ko'd by Jerry Quarry, who Frazier dispatched twice? Who knows whether Frazier avoided Foster, Lyle or even Earnie Shavers to a certain degree. Truth is, Frazier beat the man that beat both of those guys, earning the title shot in the process. Lyle would have been a tough match for Frazier because he wouldn't be scared of him. Eddie Futch invited Lyle to spar with Norton in 1971 when he was starting out, and he did fairly well even though Norton got the better of him. Futch also said that Joe would've beaten up Lyle and shattered his confidence if Futch let him spar with him that early in his career. I don't doubt that Lyle could have made an exciting contest with Frazier in 1975 or 1976 as he got better with experience. Quite possibliy, Lyle could have hurt Frazier early in the fight with his power, just like he did to Foreman. Lyle or Rex Layne wouldn't make it past the 8th round against a prime or FOTC conditioned Joe Frazier.
