Sonny Liston.. How much of a threat would Lyle be?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Fergy, Nov 2, 2025.


  1. Melankomas

    Melankomas Prime Jeffries would demolish a grizzly in 2 Full Member

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    Liston in like 2 rounds, with all due respect to Lyle I think he was fortunate to be fighting the mentally shot version of Foreman he faced and even then Liston is much sharper technically than even the best version of Foreman.
     
  2. InMemoryofJakeLamotta

    InMemoryofJakeLamotta I have defeated the great Seamus Full Member

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    Except for 1995 Mike Tyson
     
  3. greynotsoold

    greynotsoold Boxing Addict

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    The voice of reason. I was a boxing fan in the 70s and I just can't seem to recall the nigh unto invincible version of Ron Lyle.
    Lyle stopped Shavers but Shavers was far from unstoppable, his career shows that. He caught Foreman and hurt him but lost. He could also catch Liston and hurt him, I guess, but it isn't likely that he would be the one left standing.
     
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  4. InMemoryofJakeLamotta

    InMemoryofJakeLamotta I have defeated the great Seamus Full Member

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    Are you in your prime right now?
     
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  5. InMemoryofJakeLamotta

    InMemoryofJakeLamotta I have defeated the great Seamus Full Member

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    Lyle would be more formidable than Williams imo. But he gets stopped by Liston.
     
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  6. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

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    How exactly was Lyle any better than Williams? Williams was every bit as big and fearless and a more concussive puncher.

    For all his supposed chinnyness, Williams at 51 fights, the length of Lyle's entire career, had only been stopped once and that as a late substitute against Bob Satterfield.

    Liston was an excellent, very responsible boxer with great strength and length, and the soundest of fundamentals. He would carve up Lyle, bewilder him and stop him.
     
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  7. GoldenHulk

    GoldenHulk Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Lyle would be tough, but he simply gets hit too much.
     
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  8. swagdelfadeel

    swagdelfadeel Obsessed with Boxing

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    I was wondering whether this guy has actually seen Lyle fight.
     
  9. swagdelfadeel

    swagdelfadeel Obsessed with Boxing

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    Yup. Williams was also the much better skilled boxer. He fought his slickster Eddie Machen, to a majority draw, with one judge giving him the edge — while Lyle was downright helpless against his, Jimmy Young.

    More pertinent to this matchup, Williams was the more powerful puncher than Lyle and most importantly enjoyed a significant hand speed advantage over Liston that frequently allowed him to get there first. This wouldn't apply to Lyle who was not only slower to Liston but inferior in literally every other facet as well.
     
    Last edited: Nov 3, 2025
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  10. PRW94

    PRW94 Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Sonny Liston would leave Lyle convulsing on the canvas, very quickly.
     
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  11. RockyJim

    RockyJim Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Stand up to Liston...you've got him beat! He wasn't tough "mentally"...He QUIT against Clay/Ali in 1964 and 1965...and he was beating Leotis Martin in Las Vegas...even knocked Martin down with a left hook. Martin stood his ground...backed Liston up...Sonny's nose started bleeding...Howard Cosell said that the blood was going into Liston's mouth. Sonny became a different fighter after this...Martin KO's Liston in the 9th round. I'll take Ron Lyle...
     
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  12. swagdelfadeel

    swagdelfadeel Obsessed with Boxing

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    You should've replaced D'amato.
     
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  13. Melankomas

    Melankomas Prime Jeffries would demolish a grizzly in 2 Full Member

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    It's true, anyone who isn't scared of Sonny automatically beats him. Liston found this out the hard way when he tried pushing his weight around a 70 year old Jimmy Wilde before suffering the consequences.

    Also, Galento wouldn't be scared of Liston. Just sayin'.
     
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  14. greynotsoold

    greynotsoold Boxing Addict

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    Physically, probably not, though I try real hard. Mentally...well, I'm not nearly as stupid as I used to be.
     
  15. JohnThomas1

    JohnThomas1 VIP Member

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    Shavers was 54 fights deep, Lyle a lot less. He'd not long prior KO'd Jimmy Ellis (ranked about #4) in 1 then lost to Quarry in 1 next fight. I think Earnie was about as good as he ever got. He was never very reliable. He was about 10 seconds away from ko'ing Lyle who was asleep on his feet after rising at the bell.

    Totally agree Liston would make minced meat of Lyle.
     
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