George Foreman vs. Ron Lyle
Date / site: Jan. 24, 1976 / Las Vegas
Result: Foreman KO 5
Foreman was coming off his stunning knockout loss to Muhammad Ali in “The Rumble in the Jungle,” which raised questions about his stamina and vulnerability. And Lyle, a big puncher, addressed those questions early. He hurt Foreman with a big right in Round 1, kicking off a crazy back-and-forth brawl. Foreman hurt Lyle in Round 2. In Round 4, Big George went down from a hail of punches, got up and put Lyle down and then went down again himself in the final seconds. Finally, in Round 5, Foreman summoned all his energy and unloaded a barrage of punches that put Lyle down and ended the 1976 Ring Magazine Fight of the Year. Whew!