Venue: Convention Center, Las Vegas. 16th May, 1975.
The fight with Ron Lyle gave
television viewers a rare chance to see Ali live ( his fights
were now mostly broadcast closed-circuit in cinemas, the earliest
incarnation of pay-per-view), and Ali produced one of his
finest finishes against the powerful opponent, who, like Sonny
Liston, had learned to box in jail.
Ali began poorly and fell behind on the judges’ scorecards.
Lyle survived in a flurry in the eight round, which Ali had
called for his win, and he kept himself in the fight. By the
eleventh, Ali needed to do something a produced a straight
right coming off of a powerful jab that sent Lyle skittering
backwards, dazed and confused. Ali chased him, landing some
heavy shots and beckoned to the referee to stop the contest.
Lyle was battered, but with pride and brains intact.
