Ronald David Lyle (February 12, 1941 – November 26, 2011) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1971 to 1980, and in 1995. He unsuccessfully challenged for the world heavyweight championship, losing to Muhammad Ali in 1975. Known for his punching power, crowd-pleasing fighting style, and his courage and determination in the ring, Lyle defeated Buster Mathis, Oscar Bonavena, Jimmy Ellis, Vicente Rondón, Earnie Shavers, Joe Bugner, Gregorio Peralta and Scott LeDoux. He is most famous for his fight against George Foreman in 1976, which was voted Fight of the Year by The Ring magazine.
Early life, family and education
Lyle was born the third of 19 children He dropped out of Manual High School at age 17 after the school basketball coach told him he would not be on the team.
Prison and introduction to boxing
At age 19, he was involved in the shooting death of a 21-year-old gang rival. Lyle argued he was being attacked with a lead pipe and was not the one who pulled the trigger, but he was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 15 to 25 years in the Colorado State Penitentiary. He nearly died on an operating table there after being stabbed by another inmate, but survived after 36 blood transfusions. He also played baseball
He first attended a prison boxing event on July 4, 1962, as a spectator, where he decided he could compete as well. His prison boxing debut came in 1964. Lyle credited Lt. Cliff Mattax, the prison's athletic director for developing his interest in boxing. When Mattax first approached Lyle and tried to befriend him, he wasn't welcomed, "Man, you're a screw and I'm a convict. I came here by myself and I'll leave the same way." After recovering from the stab wound, he changed his mind. "It was the turning point of my life. Mattax was white, and he wore a badge, but he really cared. He believed in me and my ability. Right then I decided to be a success," Lyle said later. Mattax in turn said, "I don't like to take any credit for what happened, but Ron turned into a real gentleman." By 1969 Lyle was eligible for parole, but twice he was turned down. He was told that a professional boxing career was not a suitable parole plan. Fortunately, his fame had spread to Denver, where the Denver Rocks boxing team had just joined the short-lived International Boxing League. Bill Daniels, a cable television executive, president of American Basketball Association and owner of the Denver Rocks boxing team and the Utah Stars basketball team, offered Lyle an official job as a welder with a firm he owned, and on November 9, 1969, Lyle was released from prison on parole. He was released on parole on November 22, 1969, after serving 7½ years. The next morning, he arrived at the Rocks' Gym in Denver (later known as Elks Gym) to try out with the Rocks. He made the team, and in the succeeding fifteen months, before turning pro, he won a number of tournaments.
"I asked around about the Rocks. They told me they already had a heavyweight (Richard Archuletta and Dan Hermosillo). I figured I could whip him so I stuck around." They were trained by the well-known boxing veteran Bobby Lewis. Less than a month later, Lyle made his amateur debut with the team, avenged an earlier Rocks' heavyweight loss and became the team's heavyweight at 215 pounds. Lyle's first amateur victory was a third-round knockout over Fred Houpe (who would later be Leon Spinks's final opponent). He was the 1970 National AAU Heavyweight Champion (outpointed previously unbeaten Mike Montgomery of Philadelphia), the 1970 North American Amateur Heavyweight Champion, and the 1970 International Boxing League Heavyweight Champion. After capturing the NAA title, Lyle became a member of the United States National Boxing Team, as he was still on parole he was given permission to leave the US, and dispatched on a boxing journey across Europe, visiting Italy, Yugoslavia, and Romania and meeting top local heavyweights in the process. He lost by decision to Romanian Ion Alexe, but pounded Soviet Armenian heavyweight Kamo Saroyan (89–9) against the ropes (referee stopped the contest and saved Saroyan from further pounding) in a match broadcast by ABC television's Wide World of Sports, preparing for which he quit his regular job (Frazier reportedly has invited Lyle for a two-round exhibition at Kiamesha Lake, New York, on January 19, but Lyle was busy qualifying to fight the Soviet.)
Highlights
IBL Denver–Chicago match-up (Denver Rocks vs. Chicago Clippers), Auditorium Arena, Denver, Colorado, December 1969:
- Defeated Fred Houpe KO 3
IBL Eastern–Western Division match-up (Kentucky Pacers vs. Denver Rocks), Memorial Auditorium, Louisville, Kentucky, January 1970:
- Lost to Tommy Garrett by split decision 1–2
IBL Denver–Milwaukee match-up (Denver Rocks vs. Milwaukee Bombers), Auditorium Arena, Denver, Colorado, January 1970:
- Defeated James Sherard KO 2
Denver Golden Gloves, 1970:
- (no data available)
Colorado State Golden Gloves, February 1970:
- (no data available)
Regional Golden Gloves, Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah, February 1970:
- 1/2: Defeated Charles Schoolmeyer KO 1
- Finals: Defeated Charles Banks KO 1
National Golden Gloves, Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, March 1970:
- 1/16: Defeated Lerdy Sargent KO 1
- 1/8: Defeated Alan Kit Boursse TKO 3
- 1/4: Defeated Nick Wells by decision
- 1/2: Lost to William Thompson by decision
IBL Detroit–Denver (Detroit Dukes vs. Denver Rocks), Community Arts Building, State Fairgrounds, Detroit, Michigan, April 1970:
- Lost to Bill Hurt by decision
IBL Denver–Miami match-up (Denver Rocks vs. Miami Barracudas), Auditorium Arena, Denver, Colorado, April 1970:
- Defeated ?
National Championships, Trenton, New Jersey, April–May 1970:
- 1/2: Defeated Duane Bobick KO 2
- Finals: Defeated Mike Montgomery by decision
IBL Denver–Milwaukee match-up (Denver Rocks vs. Milwaukee Bombers), 1970:
- Defeated Larry Penigar by split decision 2–1
North American Championships, Vancouver, Canada, June 1970:
- Finals: Defeated Jack Meda (Canada) by decision
IBL Denver–Louisville match-up (Denver Rocks vs. Kentucky Pacers), Auditorium Arena, Denver, Colorado, June 1970:
- Defeated Tommy Garrett
IBL Championships (Denver Rocks vs. Kentucky Pacers), Auditorium Arena, Denver, Colorado, June 1970:
- Defeated Billy Freeman by split decision 3–2
Italy–USA Duals (Rocky Marciano Trophy), Palazzo dello Sport, Rome, Italy, June 1970:
- Defeated Amedeo Laureti (Italy) KO 1
Yugoslavia–USA Duals, Belgrade, Yugoslavia, July 1970:
- Defeated Anton Vukušić (Yugoslavia)
Romania–USA Duals, Bucharest, Romania, July 1970:
- Lost to Ion Alexe (Romania) by decision
Rocky Mountain Golden Gloves, Derks Field, Salt Lake City, Utah, July 1970:
- (no data available)
IBL Denver–Mexico Exhibition (Denver Rocks vs. all-star Mexican team), State Fair Grounds, Pueblo, Colorado, August 1970:
- Defeated Pete Chiano (San Antonio, Texas) TKO 1
- Defeated Pedro Vega (Mexico)
National Team Selection Eliminator, Fort Carson, Colorado, January 1971:
- Finals: Defeated Duane Bobick KO 2
USA–USSR Duals, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, January 1971:
- Defeated Kamo Saroyan (Soviet Union) TKO 2<!-- officially a TKO-win -->
IBL Denver–Seattle match-up (Denver Rocks vs. the Pacific Northwest team), Auditorium Arena, Denver, Colorado, January 1971:
- Defeated Jim Wahlberg KO
His amateur career outside of prison lasted only 14 months, during which he compiled a record of 25–4 (no stoppages,) with 17 knockouts at national and international contests. (plus unaccounted record of 23–1, 15 KOs, and also without a stoppage, while serving seven-and-a-half-years prison term,) During his amateur days he was never knocked down or cut. Lyle was an obvious choice for the 1971 Pan American Games and the 1972 Olympics, but as he stepped into the pro ranks, Duane Bobick, whom he knocked out twice, was set to represent the United States.
After he turned pro, Lyle visited his fellow inmates in prison the day before or after each and every professional fight.
Professional boxing career
thumb|Lyle punching a [[speed bag]]
Lyle started professional boxing in age 30. 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 WBA Heavyweight Champion, Jimmy Ellis. 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.
Lyle is perhaps best known for a brawling fight in 1976 with 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. 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.
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 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. 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.
Retirement
Lyle ran the boxing gym Denver Red Shield in Denver. He was the former trainer of light welterweight contender Victor Ortíz, who fought out of Denver during some of his amateur career.
In 1992, Lyle trained a young promising talent from Las Vegas, Arash Hashemi, and under his mentorship Hashemi won two Golden Gloves championships.
Lyle was working as a security guard in Las Vegas in 2002. It was republished in the United States by Hamilcar Publications in October 2018.
Ron Lyle appeared in the film Facing Ali, a 2009 documentary, where he discusses his life and career. About his fight against Ali, when referee Fredy Nunez stopped the fight, he said "I couldn't believe it, you know. I'm ahead on all scorecards. [...] Am I bitter? Forget about it. I never took it personal. If there don't be no Ali, you think you'd be sitting here talking to Ron Lyle? About what?"
During this documentary he claimed that during his stint in prison, where he received one meal a day consisting of a bowl of spinach, he performed up to 1,000 push-ups in an hour each day.
Personal life and death
Lyle was charged with first-degree homicide at the age of 36, after he had shot and killed a man on New Year's Eve 1977 in his home in Lakewood, Colorado near Denver. The victim was an acquaintance with who had spent time with Lyle at the Colorado State Penitentiary. On December 16, 1978, Lyle was acquitted. His attorney Walter Gerash<!-- not supported in this source --> said Lyle shot Clark in self-defense.
Lyle died at age 70 on November 26, 2011, from complications from a sudden stomach ailment.
Professional boxing record
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%"
|-
!
!Result
!Record
!Opponent
!Type
!Round, time
!Date
!Location
!Notes
|-
|51
|Win
|
|style="text-align:left;"|Dave Slaughter
|TKO
|2 (10)
|Aug 18, 1995
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|50
|Win
|42–7–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Ed Strickland
|KO
|2
|Jun 9, 1995
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|49
|Win
|41–7–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Tim Pollard
|TKO
|2
|May 12, 1995
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|48
|Win
|40–7–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Bruce Johnson
|KO
|4 (10)
|Apr 7, 1995
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|47
|Loss
|39–7–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Gerry Cooney
|KO
|1 (10),
|Oct 24, 1980
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|46
|Win
|39–6–1
|style="text-align:left;"|George O'Mara
|KO
|10 (10),
|Aug 23, 1980
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|45
|Win
|38–6–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Al Neumann
|TKO
|10 (10)
|Jun 19, 1980
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|44
|Loss
|37–6–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Lynn Ball
|TKO
|2 (10),
|Dec 12, 1979
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|43
|Win
|37–5–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Scott LeDoux
|SD
|10
|May 12, 1979
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|42
|Win
|36–5–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Fili Moala
|TKO
|8 (10),
|Apr 6, 1979
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|41
|Win
|35–5–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Horace Robinson
|
|8 (10),
|Jun 3, 1978
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|40
|Win
|34–5–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Stan Ward
|
|10
|Sep 14, 1977
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|39
|Win
|33–5–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Joe Bugner
|SD
|12
|Mar 20, 1977
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|38
|Loss
|32–5–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Jimmy Young
|UD
|12
|Nov 6, 1976
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|37
|Win
|32–4–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Kevin Isaac
|TKO
|7 (10),
|Sep 11, 1976
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|36
|Loss
|31–4–1
|style="text-align:left;"|George Foreman
|KO
|5 (12),
|Jan 24, 1976
|style="text-align:left;"|
|style="text-align:left;"|
|-
|35
|Win
|31–3–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Earnie Shavers
|TKO
|6 (12),
|Sep 13, 1975
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|34
|Loss
|30–3–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Muhammad Ali
|TKO
|11 (15),
|May 16, 1975
|style="text-align:left;"|
|style="text-align:left;"|
|-
|33
|Loss
|30–2–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Jimmy Young
|UD
|10
|Feb 11, 1975
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|32
|Win
|30–1–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Al Jones
|TKO
|5 (10),
|Dec 13, 1974
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|31
|Win
|29–1–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Boone Kirkman
|TKO
|8 (10),
|Sep 17, 1974
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|30
|Win
|28–1–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Jimmy Ellis
|UD
|12
|Jul 16, 1974
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|29
|Win
|27–1–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Oscar Bonavena
|UD
|12
|Mar 19, 1974
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|28
|Draw
|26–1–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Gregorio Peralta
|
|10
|Nov 17, 1973
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|27
|Win
|26–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Larry Middleton
|UD
|10
|Oct 31, 1973
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|26
|Win
|25–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Jürgen Blin
|TKO
|2 (10),
|Oct 4, 1973
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|25
|Win
|24–1
|style="text-align:left;"|José Luis García
|KO
|3 (10),
|Aug 15, 1973
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|24
|Win
|23–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Lou Bailey
|UD
|10
|Jul 3, 1973
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|23
|Win
|22–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Wendell Newton
|
|10
|Jun 11, 1973
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|22
|Win
|21–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Gregorio Peralta
|UD
|10
|May 12, 1973
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|21
|Win
|20–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Bob Stallings
|UD
|10
|Apr 14, 1973
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|20
|Loss
|19–1
|style="text-align:left;"|Jerry Quarry
|UD
|12
|Feb 9, 1973
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|19
|Win
|19–0
|style="text-align:left;"|Larry Middleton
|KO
|3 (10),
|Dec 9, 1972
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|18
|Win
|18–0
|style="text-align:left;"|Luis Faustino Pires
|KO
|3 (10),
|Oct 28, 1972
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|17
|Win
|17–0
|style="text-align:left;"|Buster Mathis
|KO
|2 (10),
|Sep 29, 1972
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|16
|Win
|16–0
|style="text-align:left;"|Vicente Rondón
|TKO
|2 (10),
|Jul 11, 1972
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|15
|Win
|15–0
|style="text-align:left;"|Mike Boswell
|TKO
|7 (10)
|May 25, 1972
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|14
|Win
|14–0
|style="text-align:left;"|Mel Turnbow
|TKO
|4 (10),
|May 10, 1972
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|13
|Win
|13–0
|style="text-align:left;"|George Johnson
|KO
|3 (10),
|Mar 25, 1972
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|12
|Win
|12–0
|style="text-align:left;"|Chuck Leslie
|TKO
|2 (10),
|Jan 22, 1972
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|11
|Win
|11–0
|style="text-align:left;"|Bill Drover
|KO
|2 (10),
|Dec 18, 1971
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|10
|Win
|10–0
|style="text-align:left;"|Jack O'Halloran
|KO
|4 (10),
|Nov 26, 1971
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|9
|Win
|9–0
|style="text-align:left;"|Joe E Lewis
|KO
|3 (10)
|Nov 10, 1971
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|8
|Win
|8–0
|style="text-align:left;"|Manuel Ramos
|UD
|10
|Oct 9, 1971
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|7
|Win
|7–0
|style="text-align:left;"|Eddie Land
|TKO
|7 (10)
|Sep 1, 1971
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|6
|Win
|6–0
|style="text-align:left;"|Frank Niblett
|KO
|9 (10)
|Aug 11, 1971
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|5
|Win
|5–0
|style="text-align:left;"|Leroy Caldwell
|
|5
|Jul 24, 1971
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|4
|Win
|4–0
|style="text-align:left;"|Edmund Stewart
|TKO
|2 (6)
|Jul 16, 1971
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|3
|Win
|3–0
|style="text-align:left;"|Gary Bates
|KO
|3 (4),
|Jun 19, 1971
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|2
|Win
|2–0
|style="text-align:left;"|Art Miller
|
|5 (6)
|May 22, 1971
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|-
|1
|Win
|1–0
|style="text-align:left;"|A J Staples
|
|2 (6)
|Apr 23, 1971
|style="text-align:left;"|
|
|}