Ron Lyle vs. Wladimir Klitschko

What? He tired out a guy with ZERO stamina, a guy Jimmy Young was able to put down, and still lost? This is no great criteria.

 

Lyle looked great against Shavers and Foreman, but Shavers aside from a huge punch wasn't very good, and one could hardly miss Foreman back then.
Ron is a tough customer, but I don't see how he's getting to Wlad, aside from a wild looping type shot that lands perfectly.

I can see maybe a late stoppage/KO for Wlad, or otherwise a reasonably comfortable decision.

 

To be fair, he did do something to Foreman that no one had ever done before or after, so he deserves credit for that. I'd still pick Wlad by TKO, however. Too clinical, too robotic.

 

i think he hits hard enough to put wlad down as wlads chin is as suspect as shavers ,but i still see wlad holding and clinching when he has to and winning by decision despite a trip to the canvas

 

Yeah, Larry also said that Ken Norton was a bigger puncher than Tyson

Anyway, Lyle has this reputation as having Shavers type power. He doesn't! The ONLY noteworthy fighter he ever knocked out was Shavers, who had the stamina of Clubber Lang and a questionable chin as well. Seriously, look through his resume, it's one of a frightening puncher.
The Foreman fight was a thriller, but Big George tried to be a boxer that night rather than a wrecking ball and was nowhere near the invincible goliath he once was. His confidence was shot, and Lyle still got bombed out.

 

Agreed,

and taking a 16 month leave of abscence after the Ali fight probably didn't help Foreman either. I'm guessing that if Lyle had fought Foreman on the night that he took the title from Joe Frazier, the match would have ended in round three, minus the two knockdowns.

 

I think Lyle is intelligent and disciplined enough to make this difficult for Wlad, and he had good pop. I picked him by KO though it could go either way.