37 Facts About Ron Lyle

Ronald David Lyle was an American professional boxer who competed from 1971 to 1980, and in 1995.

Ron Lyle challenged unsuccessfully for the world heavyweight championship, losing to Muhammad Ali in 1975.

Ron Lyle dropped out of Manual High School at age 17 after the school basketball coach told him he would not be on the team.

Ron 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.

Ron Lyle nearly died on an operating table there after being stabbed by another inmate, but survived after 36 blood transfusions.

Ron Lyle played baseball and basketball on the prison's teams, the Canon City Rockbusters.

Ron Lyle first attended a prison boxing event on July 4,1962, as a spectator, where he decided he could compete as well.

Ron Lyle watched boxing on TV and said, "I can do better than that," and soon the prison was bringing in boxers for him to fight.

Ron Lyle was told that a professional boxing career was not a suitable parole plan.

Ron Lyle made the team, and in the succeeding fifteen months, before turning pro, he won a number of tournaments.

Ron Lyle was later given a full pardon by the Governor John Arthur Love.

Less than a month later, Ron Lyle made his amateur debut with the team, avenged an earlier Rocks' heavyweight loss and became the team's heavyweight at 215 pounds.

Ron Lyle's first amateur victory was a third-round knockout over Fred Houpe.

Ron Lyle was the 1970 National AAU Heavyweight Champion, the 1970 North American Amateur Heavyweight Champion, and the 1970 International Boxing League Heavyweight Champion.

Ron Lyle lost by decision to Romanian Ion Alexe, but pounded Soviet Armenian heavyweight Kamo Saroyan against the ropes in a match broadcast by ABC television's Wide World of Sports, preparing for which he quit his regular job and dispatched of Duane Bobick, which took the latter's corner five minutes to bring him back into consciousness.

On January 25,1971, Ron Lyle fought his last fight as an amateur, knocking out the Pacific Northwest Golden Gloves heavyweight champion Jim Wahlberg.

Ron 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.

Ron Lyle turned professional under Bill Daniels, with trainer Bobby Lewis.

Ron Lyle 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.

Ron Lyle had Bobby Lewis and Chico Ferrara in his corner.

Ron Lyle was the more aggressive fighter in the early rounds, with Ali conserving his energy and covering up in the center of the ring allowing Ron Lyle to score.

Ron Lyle showed restraint and did not respond to Ali's attempts at the rope-a-dope ploy.

The referee stopped the fight, seeing that Ron Lyle was unable to defend himself and Ali was punching him in the head at will.

Ron Lyle is perhaps best known for a brawling fight in 1976 with Hall of Famer George Foreman.

Ron Lyle took the offensive against the former champion and won the opening round.

Ron Lyle later said he won due to Lyle's exhaustion.

Ron Lyle scored impressive victories over rated Jose Luis Garcia, and big names Oscar Bonavena and Earnie Shavers during his career.

Ron Lyle won a split decision over Joe Bugner, boring in with a thudding body attack in a fine contest.

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.

The match was never made and Ron Lyle retired from boxing.

Ron Lyle ran the boxing gym Denver Red Shield in Denver.

Ron Lyle was the former trainer of light welterweight contender Victor Ortiz, who fought out of Denver during some of his amateur career.

In 1992, Ron Lyle trained a young promising talent from Las Vegas, Arash Hashemi, and under his mentorship Hashemi won two Golden Gloves championships.

Ron Lyle was working as a security guard in Las Vegas in 2002.

Ron Lyle appeared in the film Facing Ali, a 2009 documentary, where he discusses his life and career.

Ron Lyle was charged with first-degree homicide at age 36 after he shot and killed a man on New Year's Eve 1977 in his home in Lakewood, Colorado near Denver, who had spent time with him in the Colorado State Penitentiary.

Ron Lyle died at age 70 on November 26,2011, from complications from a sudden stomach ailment.