Heavyweight icon George Foreman mixed it with the best across many eras – but one instant classic fight stuck in his memory.
Foreman was a true icon of the blue-riband division, with a hugely successful career spanning 1969 to 1997, which sent records tumbling throughout.
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Foreman was a true icon of the sport and fought some of the best around during his rise to stardom
Due to the longevity of his ferocious punching power, Foreman was able to compete with the best across multiple decades, even becoming the oldest ever heavyweight champion aged 45 by stopping Michael Moorer in 1994.
During his time in the spotlight, ‘Big George’ touched gloves with some legendary operators including greatest of all-time Muhammad Ali and legend Evander Holyfield.
But it was surprisingly Ron Lyle who left him reeling with his strength during their 1976 classic ‘Fight of the Year’ which only lasted nine rounds.
He said during a ‘Best I Faced’ segment with The Ring: “He was the strongest man I ever faced in any fight.
“The likes of Shannon Briggs, and men like that, didn’t affect me because they were just ordinary fighters.
“They didn’t make an impression and I just chased them around.
“The men I faced in the 70s were more fearsome than the ones I faced in the eighties and the nineties, with the exception of Evander Holyfield. Evander could have competed in any era.”
Foreman also credited Lyle, who only marginally missed out on reigning as world champion, as the hardest puncher he stepped in the ring with.
The American was never in a boring fight and his grit and physical prowess left a mental mark on Foreman.
What happened during George Foreman vs Ron Lyle?
Foreman and Lyle lit up the iconic Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and left boxing fans around the world on the edge of their seats in a golden era for the sport.
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But it was Lyle who both dropped and impressed Foreman – with the power punching phenom facing huge difficultiesCredit: Getty
Both fighters had both lost to icon Ali in 1974’s ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ and 1975 respectively, a smooth operator with skills that defined the sweet science forever, but they posed a different test to each other.
‘Big George’ was looking to return to winning ways after a two year hiatus, but he was dragged into a gruelling slug fest with neither backing down.
Lyle started extremely quickly with relentless aggression and put it on Foreman, with two crushing shots to body and head drawing gasps from the crowd.
But it meant he left his defence with gaping holes and Foreman found the mark with regularity, with vicious blows cannoning into Lyle.
Albeit, he shocked the boxing world by sending Foreman crashing to the canvas twice in the fourth round, with only Ali and Jimmy Young the others to inflict the same fate on Foreman.
But the rugged chinned former Olympian bit down on his gumshield and let his hands go in the fifth, a barrage which left Lyle collapsing face first on to the deck, drawing an early conclusion to the bout.
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It was a huge win for Foreman, but he certainly took his physical damage on an epic fight night
Foreman was hugely complimentary to his warrior rival in the aftermath of the bout, and even suggested he won purely down to the Ohio slugger’s exhaustion.
George Foreman’s career in boxing
Foreman was one of the true greats of the sport, and his legacy went on and on after beating Lyle.
He immediately defeated another great in Joe Frazier, one of many historic victories in the legend’s iconic stint in the paid ranks.
Foreman went on an unbeaten run, before losing to Jimmy Young but it didn’t deter his status as a true superstar.
The frightening talent went on a 14-year winning streak before coming up against Holyfield in 1991.
‘The Real Deal’ represented the rise of a new era, and it was seen as a passing of the torch, with the gifted American losing out in the ‘Battle of the Ages’.
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Foreman was beaten by Holyfield, but went on to become the oldest world champion in the sport aged 45Credit: GETTY
Despite many believing he was coming to the end of his peak in the squared circle, Foreman continued to defy the odds and fought on.
He was desperate to pick up a heavyweight world title once again but came up short for a second time in a clash with Tommy Morrison in 1993.
But his big night came against Moorer, when he became the oldest champion in history in any weight class at the time, with a victory over Moorer which etched his name in the record books.
The record has only ever been surpassed by Bernard Hopkins, who captured the unified IBF and WBA light-heavyweight titles at the age of 49 in 2014.
Foreman fought four more times, picking up three victories, but his career-ending bow came in a contentious defeat to Shannon Briggs, which saw him call time on his career.
His truly breathtaking stint of high-level competition will rarely be matched.