Lyle would spark Neon Leon's lights out within two or three rounds. Spinks would n't have the defense to to keep Ron off him.
Im Afraid there is a world of differance between a Lumbering Bernardo Mercado and Big Ron Lyle, Somewhere along the way, Leon, who can not fight going backwards, is going to Run onto the type of shot that Ron landed on Middleton (1st) Garcia, Drover Shavers or Foreman, Not a good match for Leon, and it could be quick
A good question would be to ask could lyle win the title with as few fights as leon did? who knows how good neon leon could have been if he had of been stable enough to develop over 20 or so learning fights?
Okay Leon was given a chance that Lyle wasn't there's the bottom line with that Ali against Spinks I was even worse then he was against Lyle.
No the bottom line is that in fight number 8 leon was giving away 27lb and fighting the undisputed world champion and at a simular stage ron was fighting 22 pound lighter "frank snakebite niblett" with a record of 15-40-11!! Even by fight number 32 ron lyle was still only fighting memphis al jones who was 9-21 and had been Kod 10 times already.
Lyle was outworked by smaller guys like Quarry, and Spinks did manage to KO Mercado, so it's possible Spinks could win. BUT...most likely Lyle would take full advantage of Leon's porous defense and bounce him off the canvas a few times, until the ref stopped it, kind of like the Coetzee fight.
Spinks was a guy who losses to guys like Lyle. He was good, but needed guys to be a little off when he fought them.