if you haven't seen it, go to 3:17 of the video which is the start of the fourth round between George Foreman -vs- Ron Lyle :
Ron Lyle came out of prison to become one of heavyweight boxing's most feared punchers during the early 1970s.
Lyle fought George Foreman, Earnie Shavers, Muhammad Ali, Oscar Bonavena, Jerry Quarry, Buster Mathis and others. He retired with a record of 43-7-1.
He was one of 19 children, and the only one to get in trouble with the law. When he was in his teens, Lyle was arrested and charged with first degree murder in the shooting death of 21-year-old Douglas Byrd in a gang fight. Lyle was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 15-25 years at Canon City State Penitentiary. While in prison, Lyle was knifed and underwent a 7 hour operation; twice pronounced dead on the operating table, he needed 35 pints of blood to keep him alive. Lyle credited Lt. Cliff Mattax the athletic director at the prison with getting him interested in boxing and changing his life. While in prison, Lyle had excelled in baseball, basketball, and football. Lyle fought on his prison's boxing team. In his first match, Lyle was defeated by Texas Johnson. However, Lyle never lost a prison boxing match again. After serving seven-and-a-half years in prison, Lyle was paroled on Sunday, November 22, 1969.
Heavyweight contender Ron Lyle dies at age 70
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The Associated Press
Published: Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011 - 12:03 pm
DENVER -- Heavyweight contender Ron Lyle, who fought Muhammad Ali for the title in 1975 and later battled George Foreman, has died in Denver at age 70.
A Salvation Army official in Denver says Lyle died Saturday from complications from a sudden stomach ailment. Details weren't immediately available.
Ron McKinney says Lyle retired last year from running the charity's boxing program, called Red Shield Cox-Lyle Boxing, but had worked out at the gym every day.
Lyle lost to both Ali and Foreman in the mid-1970s bouts. He tried unsuccessfully to schedule another fight with Foreman during a brief comeback in the 1990s.
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The Associated Press
Published: Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011 - 12:03 pm
DENVER -- Heavyweight contender Ron Lyle, who fought Muhammad Ali for the title in 1975 and later battled George Foreman, has died in Denver at age 70.
A Salvation Army official in Denver says Lyle died Saturday from complications from a sudden stomach ailment. Details weren't immediately available.
Ron McKinney says Lyle retired last year from running the charity's boxing program, called Red Shield Cox-Lyle Boxing, but had worked out at the gym every day.
Lyle lost to both Ali and Foreman in the mid-1970s bouts. He tried unsuccessfully to schedule another fight with Foreman during a brief comeback in the 1990s.
Ron Lyle came out of prison to become one of heavyweight boxing's most feared punchers during the early 1970s.
Lyle fought George Foreman, Earnie Shavers, Muhammad Ali, Oscar Bonavena, Jerry Quarry, Buster Mathis and others. He retired with a record of 43-7-1.
He was one of 19 children, and the only one to get in trouble with the law. When he was in his teens, Lyle was arrested and charged with first degree murder in the shooting death of 21-year-old Douglas Byrd in a gang fight. Lyle was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 15-25 years at Canon City State Penitentiary. While in prison, Lyle was knifed and underwent a 7 hour operation; twice pronounced dead on the operating table, he needed 35 pints of blood to keep him alive. Lyle credited Lt. Cliff Mattax the athletic director at the prison with getting him interested in boxing and changing his life. While in prison, Lyle had excelled in baseball, basketball, and football. Lyle fought on his prison's boxing team. In his first match, Lyle was defeated by Texas Johnson. However, Lyle never lost a prison boxing match again. After serving seven-and-a-half years in prison, Lyle was paroled on Sunday, November 22, 1969.
