Misconception about the Ali/Lyle fight.

I agree with the OP. Ali was clowning and generally fuking around in this fight. I think he came out with his mirage tactic. Nobody laughed it was a bad performance.

He turned it on and got the win when he had to.

 

Stevie G.

Both, Yes and No.

No doubt, that Ron Lyle was 'more' exhausted than hurt.

Though I do agree with Ron's Manager, Chickie Ferrera.

'This isn't a 4-Round Fight, this is a World Championship Fight'.

Muhammad Ali after a very good 8th Round, was 'out-hustled' in
both Rounds 9 and 10.

And, though the 'stoppage' could be deemed 'fair', it was Ali who was looking
for help from Referee Ferd Hernandez to 'stop the bout'.

Chickie Ferrera was good after the fight though. 'One tough little *******'.

 

yes indeed. when ali caught him with that big right hand and after that lyle was not defending himself so the referee made the right descision

 

Stevie G,

I agree on the Jerry Quarry bout, as that was a correct and sportsmanlike move.

But with Ron Lyle, the guy was an ex-convict, and was a tough dude.

And Ferd Hernandez was an experienced Referee, not some guy off the Strip in
Las Vegas.

I think the Referee could have seperated the two for moment, to take a look at Ron, then wave on the action.

Chickie Ferrera was correct, this was a World Championship Fight.

 

No complaint from me on the stoppage.

Either way, it was just.

But look at the tape after the stoppage.

Ali walked to his corner on 'drained legs' and draped his arms over the top strand
of the ring ropes. He was 'gassed'.

Lyle, walked back to his corner with some wobble, but he was smiling, and just shook
his head in disbelief.

 

Ali was getting caught up in his "rope-a-dope" strategy which he promoted heavily during this period as some type of innovative, unique strategy that had renewed the whole outlook on boxing.

Lyle knew what he was getting into and unlike Foreman, simply went for a points win and refused to play Ali's "game", although he was still getting "played" by himself as Lyle never had the stamina to go 15 rounds, no matter the pace. Thus his best chance would've probably been an early round knockout, improbable as it seems.

Once Lyle tired, Ali struck. It was far from a great win, supposed to be a warm-up fight since Lyle was not so highly regarded coming off a loss to then unknown Jimmy Young.

Ali was once again convinced by the greatness of his strategy which allowed him to be lazy without having paid a price but it may have cost him in his next fight against Joe Frazier, a fight in which Ali absorbed a great amount of punishment on the ropes.

 

The Great A,

Ron Lyle didn't even deserve a World Heavyweight Title shot going into that
May 1975 Las Vegas bout.

In February, 'Little' Jimmy Young 'pitched' a near shut-out over Ron Lyle in a
10-Round Hawaii bout.

Scorecards { 8-1-1 / 7-2-1 / 6-0-4 } in Rounds.

Ron Lyle really only won 'one' round in that fight, and that was the round in which
Jimmy gave to Ronnie, because he was laughing at how easy the 'non-fight' had
become.

 

Lyle did not deserve a shot necessarily but considering that Ali defended his title 3 times during a 3 month period, he himself deserved to have easier opponents in between, while preparing to face a more deserving challenger in Joe Frazier. As we know, Lyle wasn't such an easy opponent after all and went onto be known as one of the better heavyweights of that time period.

Young was poison to Lyle who just couldn't get off any punches on him at all. Young would counter him, tie him up and maneuver Lyle to positions where he could not land in the clinches. With his cleverness he knew every move that the late starter Lyle would ever make before he made them.

Lyle did possess power and strength that made him a threat to most other opponents. Young was simply able to deal very well with those particular attributes, as he later showed against Foreman.