Muhammad Ali vs. Ron Lyle

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Muhammad Ali vs. Ron Lyle
Muhammad Ali vs. Ron Lyle.jpg
DateMay 16, 1975
Venue Las Vegas Convention Centre, Las Vegas, Nevada
Title(s) on the line WBA, WBC and The Ring undisputed heavyweight championship
Tale of the tape
Boxer Flag of the United States.svg Muhammad Ali Flag of the United States.svg Ron Lyle
Nickname "The Greatest"
Hometown Louisville, Kentucky Dayton, Ohio
Pre-fight record 46–2 (33 KO) 30–2–1 (21 KO)
Age 33 years, 3 months 34 years, 3 months
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)6 ft 3+12 in (192 cm)
Weight224+12 lb (102 kg) 219 lb (99 kg)
Style Orthodox Orthodox
Recognition WBA, WBC and The Ring undisputed
Heavyweight Champion
WBA/WBC
No. 3 Ranked Heavyweight
Result
Ali won via 11th round TKO (1:08)

Muhammad Ali vs. Ron Lyle was a professional boxing match contested on May 16, 1975, for the undisputed heavyweight championship. [1]

Contents

Background

Lyle had offered the opportunity to compete for the title despite his loss to the then little-known Jimmy Young two months earlier at Honolulu, Hawaii.

This bout was aired live primetime in the United States via ABC with Howard Cosell doing the play-by-play and it took place in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The fight

Ali entered the bout at 224.5 pounds, the heaviest he had ever been at that point in his career. Lyle, at 219 pounds, was also at the heaviest weight of his career.

Ali had forecast that the bout would be a "treat for the people", but in many of the rounds he preferred to defend and absorb Lyle's sharp punches. The challenger had been exhorted by a chant of "Lyle, Lyle" from several Denver followers, and in the opening round he bloodied Ali's nose, although the bleeding abated.

Ali was jarred sporadically by Lyle's punches, usually the right hand. In the fifth, the champion chose to dance, taunting Lyle with jabs but often being pinned against the ropes. In the sixth, he displayed the "Ali Shuffle", to the delight of the crowd, and to the temporary confusion of the stiff-moving challenger.

As the ring girl from the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas strutted past Ali with a big card signaling the start of the eighth round, Ali stared, aware that this was the round in which he had predicted he would knock Lyle out. From his flatfooted stance, he tried for the knockout, but Lyle cornered and fought him off, particularly with a jarring right hand.

For the next two rounds, Ali rested, boxing defensively and retreating to the ropes while accepting Lyle's punches. But in the fateful 11th when he connected with the right hand. Ali suddenly pounced and finished Lyle (Ali was behind on 2 of the 3 scorecards heading into this round as Judge Bill Kipp had Lyle ahead 49–43 on a 5-point must system, while Art Lurie had Lyle ahead 46–45, and Bill Mangiaracina had it 46–46), making the scorecards of the three judges academic and making Lyle's TV home appearance an unartistic success. The end came with 1:08 of the round, after a straight right hand drove the 33-year old ex-convict across the ring and left him defenseless against the champion's onslaught. Referee Ferd Hernandez stopped the bout giving Ali a 11th round technical knockout. [2] [3] [4] [5] Lyle protested briefly, then staggered to his corner in a daze.

Aftermath

Lyle's corner was not happy with the referee's decision to stop the bout. [6] [7]

Undercard

Confirmed bouts: [8]

WinnerLoserWeight division/title belt(s) disputedResult
Flag of Argentina.svg Víctor Galíndez Flag of the United States.svg Ray ElsonLight Heavyweight (12 rounds)8th round TKO.
Flag of the United States.svg Larry Holmes Flag of the United States.svg Ernie SmithHeavyweight (8 rounds)3rd round RTD.
Flag of the United States.svg Fred Houpe Flag of the United States.svg John L JohnsonHeavyweight (4 rounds)4th round TKO.

Broadcasting

CountryBroadcaster
Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico Televisa
Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines KBS 9
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom BBC [9]
Flag of the United States.svg  United States ABC

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References

  1. "Muhammad Ali vs. Ron Lyle". boxrec.com. BoxRec. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  2. "Muhammad Ali's ring record". ESPN. 19 November 2003. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  3. "When right made might". Sports Illustrated. 26 May 1975. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  4. Stephen Brunt (2002). Facing Ali. The Lyons Press. pp. 238–40.
  5. Thomas Hauser (1991). Muhammad Ali:His Life and Times. Simon & Schuster. p. 303.
  6. http://video.google.com/videoplaydocid=3996128832928221414# [ permanent dead link ]
  7. "RON LYLE: "ALI JUST TRANSCENDED THE SPORT AND I DON'T EVER THINK WE COULD REPAY HIM"-- FIGHTHYPE.COM". www.fighthype.com. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  8. "BoxRec - event".
  9. "International Match of the Day Special". bbc.co.uk/. BBC Programme Index. 17 May 1973. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
Preceded by Muhammad Ali's bouts
16 May 1975
Succeeded by
Preceded by Ron Lyle's bouts
16 May 1975
Succeeded by