Ron Lyle Was Beating Muhammad Ali
ALI’S VICTORIES THAT LEFT A STENCH
San Francisco, CA– Yesterday, I penned an article on how a lot of people, most significantly, Hall of Fame historian Hank Kaplan, thought the the two fights Muhammad Ali had with Sonny Liston were fixed. The thought process most of you invoked was that Sonny quit in the first fight after six rounds and dived in the first round of the second encounter.
MUHAMMAD GOT PRE-RAMADAN GIFTS!
Although I could do another story on controversial decisions that Ali benefited from, intead I’ll mention them in brief. There was the Ron Lyle fight where Ali was out of shape and behind on two cards, even on the other when referee Ferdinand Hernandez stopped the 1975 fight Lyle was controlling in round 11 after Ali staggered a tired, but never dropped Lyle. If there were any injustices that went Ali’s way, that stands out in my mind as the recently departed Ron Lyle was ahead on two cards and even on the other. Then of course the there was the Jimmy Young match, a fight that most pundits feel Young won more rounds than Ali. Referee and judge Tom Kelly had it 72-65, while Larry Barrett’s card read 70-68, and Terry Moore thought Ali was ahead on the 5-point must system of scoring 71-64.
MUHAMMAD ALI’S CONFESSION TO KEN NORTON
Some of you thought Ali got a gift in his third fight with Ken Norton, well, I was there in Sacramento, CA when Ali told Norton in front of me, “That last one, I think you got the better of it, champ.”
Norton, who had brooded about the call for years, was smiling from ear to ear. In a 1976 fight held in Yankee Stadium that could have gone either way, referee and judge Arthur Mercante tabbed Ali the winner 8-6-1 in rounds. Judges Harold Lederman and Barney Smith both gave Ali the fight 8-7 in rounds.
ALI HAD TWO MORE WINS, ONE EASY, ONE NOT!
One fight later in May 1977, Ali bested Alfredo Evangalista in 15 easy rounds, but his next scrap, although he won with referee/judge Johnny LoBianco seeing it 9-5-1, both jurists Eva Shain and Tony Castellano had Ali winning 9-6 in rounds. The loser, Earnie Shavers, the hardest puncher in boxing history, “The Acorn” probably did more permanent damage to Ali than any other opponent, before or after.
SO DID I THINK ALI THREW ANY OF HIS FIGHTS?
With an ego as big as the body of the 300+ lb. Butterbean, Ali’s next title defense was his last in what was his second reign as champion, this after his title regaining effort against George Foreman in late 1974. This was now February 1978 and the opponent was 1976 Olympic Gold Medalist Leon Spinks (6-0-1, 5 KOs), a virtual novice who was supposed to be an easy mark for Muhammad.
ALI WAS “LOOSE AROUND THE MIDDLE”
Muhammad Ali-Leon Spinks l
Officially, the just turned 36 years of age Muhammad Ali hit the scale at 224 1/2 lbs. Spinks weighed 197 1/2 and was Ali’s junior by 12 turns of the Roman Calendar at just 24. Spinks did nothing but come forward and throw punches, while an uninspired looking Ali laid on the ropes for the most part. It was quite apparent Muhammad was out of shape and his body language was not that of a man looking to win.
THE SCORES WERE SPLIT 2-1!
After 15 forgettable rounds with the great Davey Pearl refereeing, judge Lou Tabat saw matters 145-140 Spinks, Harold Buck also had “Neon Leon” prevailing 144-141, while the third judge Art Lurie had an undeserving Ali squeezing out a 143-142 score. This bout was sanctioned by both the WBA & WBC, the latter of which demanded Spinks face #1 contender Ken Norton.
NORTON THE ONLY HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP WHO NEVER WON THE TITLE!
Spinks refused to face Norton, opting instead for more money and a rematch with Ali. The WBC anointed Norton with their belt after a November 1977 “title eliminator” with Jimmy Young. Norton would lose the belt in his next fight with Larry Holmes in June 1978. The referee was my ex-TV broadcast partner Mills “Let’s Get it On” Lane. All three judges Harold Buck, Joe Swessel and Lou Tabat all had it 143-142, Buck and Swessel for Holmes, while Lou Tabat thought Norton deserved the one point nod.
Muhammad Ali-Leon Spinks ll
THE SPINKS-ALI REMATCH WAS A “DIFFERENT TUNE”
Seven months later in September 1978, Spinks and Ali met in a nearly sold out Superdome in New Orleans, LA. Looking much trimmer, even though he was only some three pounds lighter at 221 lbs., a “toned” Ali easily defeated Spinks when referee/judge Lucien Joubert’s card tallied 10-4-1, as did judge Ernie Cojoe. The third panelist, Herman Preis favored Ali 11-4 in rounds, giving Ali a third and unprecedented third reign as heavyweight champion. This was Ali’s last win as a professional.
ALI SURRENDERED TO SPINKS FIRST TIME!
Although trainer Angelo Dundee scoffed at the notion that Ali purposely lost the first Spinks fight, I felt Muhammad did so in order to to become heralded as the first three-time world heavyweight champion. It wasn’t as obvious as Ali’s attitude before the Larry Holmes fight when he told advisor Gene Kilroy “not to bet on him.” Even though it wasn’t as obvious as day and night, I still feel Muhammad Ali “threw” the first fight with Leon Spinks.
Pedro Fernandez