George Foreman fought a list of some of the heavyweight division’s most famous names across his storied career.
Foreman was a two-time world heavyweight champion and an Olympic gold medalist. He’s best known for his stunning second-round knockout of then-unbeaten Joe Frazier in 1973 and his heroic battle with Muhammad Ali in the iconic ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ in 1974.
He also holds the record as the oldest man to ever lift the heavyweight tile when he did so aged 45 after beating Michael Moorer by stoppage after a 10-year lay-off in 1994.
Speaking to The Ring Magazine, Foreman was asked about the hardest he had ever been hit and he credited that to Ron Lyle.
“This guy hit me so hard that it didn’t even hurt. Joe Frazier caught me with the left hook but he couldn’t hit like Lyle and although Muhammad knocked me down I was exhausted and still got to my feet. Lyle was the hardest hitter.
“The thing about Lyle was he was completely unafraid and challenged me at ring centre. Nobody, other than Sonny Liston in sparring, stood and punched it out with me with any success. Joe Frazier only tried once and even the great Muhammad Ali couldn’t back up quick enough. Ron Lyle would not back up.”
Lyle is best known for his fight with Foreman in 1796. It was voted Fight of the Year for how brutal it was and Foreman admitted years after that he feels he only won by KO in the fifth because Lyle was exhausted.
After a comeback at age 54 with a view to getting a rematch with Foreman that never came, he eventually retired in 1995.
