- Born
- Died
- Height6′ 3″ (1.91 m)
- Ron Lyle was born on February 12, 1941 in Dayton, Ohio, USA. He was an actor, known for Facing Ali (2009), ABC's Wide World of Sports (1961) and The Godfather of Boxing: Legend of Doc Broadus (2005). He was married to Nadine Lyle. He died on November 26, 2011 in Denver, Colorado, USA.
- SpouseNadine Lyle (divorced)
- He fought George Foreman in January 1976 in Las Vegas, Nevada. During that match, he caught Foreman with a left-right combination that knocked him down in the fourth round. Then Foreman floored him with a right hand and knocked him down before he came fighting back in the fourth round. In the next round, Foreman battered him into a corner with repeated left hand blows mostly and he fell forward and was counted out.
- He defeated Oscar Bonavena and Jimmy Ellis before challenging Muhammad Ali in May 1975 in Las Vegas, Nevada where he lost in the 11th round after the referee stopped the fight. He inflicted a purplish swelling under Ali's right eye by the 11th round. But Ali unleashed punches in that round that left Lyle defenseless and the referee stopped the match.
- He won his first 19 fights, 17 by knockout, before landing a fight with Jerry Quarry at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1973 where he was defeated.
- He was an Amateur Athletic Union champion after his seven year prison sentence. He turned professional boxer at 30 years old.
- After retiring, he supervised a Salvation Army boxing program for youngster in Denver, Colorado.
- [on fighting Jerry Quarry in 1973] I've been as far down as a man can go. To me, Jerry Quarry is just another obstacle. I'll go through him or over him.
- I tell the kids if you get into this for the notoriety, for the money, and the girls, the fast life, well, those are the wrong reasons but if you get in it for the respect of your peers, if you fight for the right reasons, it will all come.
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