Does anyone know the story behind Ron Lyle's shocking kayo loss to Lynn Ball in 1979? Ball was a big puncher, but he had a 10-4 record. Ball had also lost a series of bouts to no-name opponents. What happened? I imagine Lyle walked into a bomb -- a fluke punch -- but still, I'd like to know the facts. Did anyone here see it?
I think I saw that fight....one big massive punch on an aging Lyle is what I remember. Ball was kinda a low-grade Shavers type fighter.
People forget Lyle was older than Ali ... he did not turn pro till he got out of jail at the age of 30 ... in 79 he was in his late 30's and simply got caught ...
Found this...not much detail but Ron was still on his feet. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vE8LAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jVIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3481,1179008&dq=ron+lyle+lynn+ball&hl=en
Good article.. Its always fun to read some of the other ads of the paper from back in the day, when looking at something else. Thre were some basketball results in that paper to.
Ron Lyle was certainly coming to the end at this time. Cooney knocked him out soon afterwards.. A prime for prime fight between Lyle and Cooney would have been a great punch up.
Saw both fights. Ball was a big slugger and a fast one, but had a glass jaw. Lyle was a creaking version of the fighter who beat Bonavena and Ellis. Still, Lyle was able to tag Ball in the 1st and drop him but couldn't keep him there and got caught in the 2nd. In Ball's fight with Monroe, he was absolutely ripping Monroe apart. However, Monroe could handle a shot whereas Ball could not and simply caught him in the 5th. Monroe did OK until he moved to the next rung against Greg Page. man, he looked little compared to Page, but although he was stopped he never went down. Scartissue
Just how big of a banger was Ball exactly? Sounds like he had a hell of a punch from reading through this thread.
Ball had very fast hands, he mixed in fairly decent company but the Lyle fight was the only top rung fight he really won.. Lynn was stopped by Michael Dokes for the NABF belt and I have a legendary picture of Mike jumping up for joy after the win.. if you want to see the Dokes Ball fight it is on youtube if you look, it wont take long.. The Bullett as he was known was a tough guy who really had fast hands and a sonic ko punch but he needed 30 seconds to set it up and land it........
That last knockdown he suffered against Dokes looked kinda fishy, but it was one of Dokes' best fight performances.
Titan from what i can remember , Mike had Ball over a couple of times , one being called a slip, but the last shot came when Mike opened Lynns guard and slotted a right hook in on the side of his jaw.. Lynn was very hurt from the first two legit knockdowns, in my eyes.. Dokes was a furiously fast heavyweight.......... he knew how to finish.. INFO... Mike was released from Jail last year, but shortly before his release he was stabbed badly and almost lost his life, he is recovering but went from 260lbs to near 190lbs.
Bigcat, that's very sad about Michael, I honestly hope he will recover.I've read an old interview from 1981 where he stated he left home at 14 and did a lot of bad things that his mother didn't even know about at the time.He was saying something to the effect that he was surprised he wasn't put in jail.He definitely should write a book.
