Previously: 10, 9, 8, 7
6. This ain’t your daddy’s favorite fight. (But it probably is your grandad’s)
George Foreman vs. Ron Lyle (watch it on YouTube)
26 years before Gatti vs. Ward 1.
29 years before Corrales vs. Castillo 1.
There was George Foreman vs. Ron Lyle.
While many younger fans today might cite one of the first two as their favorite fight, boxing fans 50 and up have their own banger that many list for a favorite.
The date was January 24, 1976, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Inactive for more than a year after losing his undisputed heavyweight title to Muhammad Ali in the classic “Rumble in the Jungle,” in Zaire, “Big” George Foreman, 40–1 (37 KOs), is matched with fellow hard-hitting contender and former title challenger Ron Lyle, 31–3–1 (22 KOs), for the NABF heavyweight title.
With 27-year-old Foreman coming in at 6 ft 4 in and 226 lbs and almost 35-year-old Lyle at 6 ft 3 in and 220 lbs, this was a battle of two massive heavyweights for their time.
Experts predicted a war. Experts were correct.
5-1 favorite Foreman and the fearless Lyle engaged in a back-and-forth party of a fight with knockdowns, controversy and, famously, Howard Cosell yelling “George fought back! George fought back!” on the TV broadcast.
To everyone’s surprise, Lyle hurt Foreman with a flush right hand late in round one that had “Big” George holding on for dear life to the bell.
Foreman returned the favor in round two, hurting Lyle near round’s end and following up with a heavy salvo of blows.
Controversy erupted when the round ended after just two minutes. Timekeeper John Worth mistakenly rang the bell a minute early because he was following ABC’s malfunctioning timer instead of his own official clock.
Foreman had things mostly his way in round three.
Then came round four…
Lyle scored the first knockdown with a hard right and follow-up left.
Foreman got even by knocking Lyle down with a surprise right hand.
With any adherence to boxing skill out the window, the two wounded warriors spent the rest of the classic round landing potentially fight-ending haymakers on each other until Lyle sent Foreman down again hard at the end of the round with a left hook.
Somehow Foreman got up.
The pair went right back to war in round five, taking the momentum, and then taking a sledgehammer to the face to relinquish it back, until Foreman backed a tiring Lyle into the corner and pummeled him until he hit the deck, face-first.
After an unforgettable slugfest between two heavyweights in the glory days of the division, Foreman wins via fifth-round knockout at 2:28.
The fight was named The Ring magazine’s fight of the year 1976, while rounds four and five share the distinction of being the only time The Ring has designated two rounds of the same fight to share the award for round(s) of the year.
You younger folks have got your “And here comes Gatti back!” and your “You got to fucking get inside on him now.”
We have “George fought back! George fought back!”
