Editing Ron Lyle (section)

==Professional boxing career==
[[File:Ron Lyle boxer.png|thumb|Lyle punching a [[speed bag]]]]

Lyle had a very late start in professional boxing. He turned professional under Bill Daniels, with trainer Bobby Lewis. His first fight was at age 30 in [[Denver]], [[Colorado]], against A. J. Staples, which he won by knockout in the second round. Lyle went on to post a 19–0 record with 17 knockouts, and became the 5th rated heavyweight contender. He scored impressive knockouts over notables [[Vicente Rondon]], a light heavyweight champion; hulking [[Buster Mathis]]; and won by unanimous decision over former [[World Boxing Association|WBA]] Heavyweight Champion, [[Jimmy Ellis (boxer)|Jimmy Ellis]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1086625/index.htm | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121102101951/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1086625/index.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date= November 2, 2012 | work=CNN.com | title=Most Popular | date=October 9, 1972}}</ref> After dispatching Buster Mathis, Lyle stated that he was looking for a match-up versus current undisputed champion [[Joe Frazier]], saying, "When I'm ready. I'm not taking any shortcuts." Yancey Durham, Frazier's manager and an interested observer, did compliment Lyle on his punching power.<ref name="Levin" /> Lyle was ranked #4 heavyweight in the world by WBA and ''The Ring'' magazine.<ref name="Jet" /> Lyle's undefeated streak ended on a one-sided decision to veteran [[Jerry Quarry]]: the latter gave one of his career best performances using a boxer/puncher style to create openings first, gaining the initiative using his greater experience. Lyle then lost to [[Jimmy Young (boxer)|Jimmy Young]] in 1975. In a later rematch, Young again edged Lyle and went on to outpoint [[George Foreman]] in 1977.

===Lyle vs. Ali===
{{main|Muhammad Ali vs. Ron Lyle}}
On May 16, 1975, he was given an opportunity to face [[heavyweight]] champion [[Muhammad Ali]], during Ali's second title defense in his second reign as champion. Lyle had Bobby Lewis and Chico Ferrara in his corner. Lyle was the more aggressive fighter in the early rounds, with Ali conserving his energy and covering up in the center of the ring allowing Lyle to score. Lyle also showed restraint and did not respond to Ali's attempts at the [[rope-a-dope]] ploy. Though in danger of falling too far behind on points, Ali appeared to be in control of the pace of the fight, and picked his moments to score. The fight was close going into the 11th round, with Lyle winning on all three of the judges' score cards. Ali then hit Lyle with a strong right hand and followed with several flurrying punches, scoring. The referee stopped the fight, seeing that Lyle was unable to defend himself and Ali was punching him in the head at will. Lyle's corner was not happy with the referee's decision.<ref>http://video.google.com/videoplaydocid=3996128832928221414# {{dead link| date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref><ref name= repay />

===Lyle vs. Foreman===
{{main|George Foreman vs. Ron Lyle}}
{{quote box|width=33%|align=right|quote=No one, beyond [[Sonny Liston]], ever stood up to me. Everybody would have to run, hide, cover-up . . . no one stood up to me. But Ron Lyle decided, "I ain't run." And he hit me so hard it didn't even hurt. There I was on the canvas thinking, "What excuse are you gonna have now?" I had to get up. But when I got up, he knocked me down again. He beat me so bad, after while he fainted . . . and I won the fight. That was most memorable fight, 'cause I kept thinking, "Why am I here?"|source=—George Foreman, on his fight versus Lyle<ref name="Foreman">{{cite AV media| url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzWCHbZRzR4&t=3053 | first= George |last= Foreman |title= George Foreman: Full Address and Q&A| date= 13 July 2016| publisher= [[Oxford Union]]| via= YouTube| access-date= }}</ref>}}

Lyle is perhaps best known for a brawling fight in 1976 with [[International Boxing Hall of Fame|Hall of Famer]] [[George Foreman]]. Foreman was making a comeback after suffering his first loss to Muhammad Ali in the [[Rumble in the Jungle]] match.

The fight between Lyle and Foreman is considered one of the most exciting and brutal in heavyweight history. Lyle took the offensive against the former champion and won the opening round. At one point, he hit Foreman with a thunderous right hand followed by a staggering body punch. After nearly being knocked out in Round Two, Lyle was able to recover due to a timing error resulting in the round being only two minutes instead of the scheduled three. Later in the fight, Lyle amazed the crowd by flooring Foreman twice in the fourth round while being knocked down once himself. (Lyle, Muhammad Ali and Jimmy Young are the only boxers to have ever knocked down Foreman during a professional boxing match.) Foreman later said that Lyle was the toughest man and the hardest hitter he ever fought. Foreman recovered and scored a knockout in the fifth round. He later said he won due to Lyle's exhaustion.<ref name="Foreman" />

Lyle scored impressive victories over rated [[José Luis García (boxer)|José Luis García]], and big names [[Oscar Bonavena]] and [[Earnie Shavers]] during his career.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/7165/tss-where-are-they-now-ron-lyle/ |title=TSS Where Are They Now: RON LYLE | website= TheSweetScience.com  |accessdate=2010-07-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090910094248/http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/7165/tss-where-are-they-now-ron-lyle/ |archivedate=September 10, 2009 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> He also won a split decision over [[Joe Bugner]], boring in with a thudding body attack in a fine contest.

According to [[George Foreman]], Ron Lyle was one of the three hardest punchers he had faced in his career along with [[Gerry Cooney]] and [[Cleveland Williams]].<ref>{{cite AV media| first= George| last= Foreman| archiveurl= https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/JmG_gR576EA | archivedate= December 11, 2021 |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmG_gR576EA|title=George Foreman On Tyson & Hardest Punchers| interviewer= Lyle Hill|date=November 2, 2011 |publisher= |accessdate= December 10, 2018| via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
{{quote box|width=33%|align=right|quote= Nobody ever hit me that hard. No question about it. I'll remember that punch on my deathbed.<ref>{{cite book| url= https://hannibalboxing.com/shop/off-the-ropes-the-ron-lyle-story-ebook/| title= Off The Ropes: The Ron Lyle Story | isbn= 9781949590043| year= 2018| format= ebook| publisher= Hamilcar Publications| language= en-us| first= Candace| last= Toft| access-date= March 14, 2025}}</ref><br><br>Ron Lyle was a tremendous puncher.... Great guy, good guy, good-hearted guy. We became very good friends over the years.... Maybe once or twice a month we'd call each other, talk on the phone.<ref>{{cite AV media| first= Earnie| last= Shavers| url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVgnfPsYfz4&t=597| title= In This Corner Presents Earnie Shavers| publisher= In This Corner TV| interviewer= |year= 2017| via= YouTube| access-date= }}</ref>|source=—[[Earnie Shavers]]}}

===Later years===
The year 1979 marked a decline in Lyle's abilities. Draws with fringe contenders Stan Ward and [[Scott LeDoux]] were followed by a stunning one-punch loss to unheard-of [[Lynn Ball]]. Ball went on to match other names but never achieved similar success. ''[[The Ring (magazine)|The Ring]]'' magazine quoted Lyle as saying afterwards, "No one does that to me."

Ron Lyle briefly returned to the boxing ring, but he retired again after a first-round knockout loss to then-rising star and undefeated power-hitting [[Gerry Cooney]], who has stated he broke some of Lyle's ribs during the match.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/4528/talk-gerry-cooney/ |title=A Talk with Gerry Cooney | first= Luca  | last= De Franco |website= thesweetscience.com| date= |url-status=dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20101012054934/http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/4528/talk-gerry-cooney |archivedate=October 12, 2010 |df=mdy-all |accessdate=2010-07-16}}</ref> Lyle was 39 years old.

In 1995, after [[George Foreman]] made his comeback into the ring to capture the world heavyweight title again, Lyle, at the age of 54, also decided on a brief comeback. After scoring four quick knockouts over second-rate opponents, Lyle tried to get a rematch with Foreman. The match was never made, however, and Lyle retired from boxing.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/316594-down-memory-lane-george-foreman-vs-ron-lyle|title=Down Memory Lane: George Foreman vs. Ron Lyle|first=Cliff|last=Eastham|website=Bleacher Report|accessdate=December 10, 2018}}</ref>

===Retirement===
Lyle ran the boxing gym Denver Red Shield in Denver.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.denverredshield.org/Boxing.html |title= Boxing | website= denverredshield.org| publisher= |accessdate=2010-06-26 |url-status=dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100625022647/http://www.denverredshield.org/Boxing.html |archivedate=June 25, 2010 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> He was the former trainer of [[light welterweight]] contender [[Victor Ortíz]], who fought out of Denver during some of his amateur career.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-nov-08-sp-boxing8-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |first=Lance |last=Pugmire |title=He's his own man |date= November 8, 2007}}</ref>

In 1992, Lyle trained a young promising talent from Las Vegas, Arash Hashemi,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://arash-hashemi.com/?page_id=2 |title= 'Next Day Paint and Body' » Arash Hashemi| website= arash-hashemi.com| publisher= |accessdate=2011-04-27 |url-status=dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110811163214/http://arash-hashemi.com/?page_id=2 |archivedate=August 11, 2011 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> and under his mentorship Hashemi won two Golden Gloves championships.

Lyle was working as a security guard in Las Vegas in 2002.<ref name= "Levin" />