Watch: 48 Years Ago, Muhammad Ali Retained His Heavyweight Throne With a 11th Round TKO

His stand on the United States Military draft saw Muhammad Ali removed from boxing and titles for the next three years. After his return in 1970, the first attempt to regain the world championship failed against ‘Smokin’ Joe Frazier. Four years later, at the legendary ‘Rumble in The Jungle,’ Muhammad Ali finally became a world champion for the second time. But the title defenses that followed the knockout victory over George Foreman include some outstanding technical displays from Ali besides revealing an ‘iron’ chin to all the boxing lovers.

One such fight occurred at the Las Vegas Convention Center on May 16, 1975. The opponent was a very hard-hitting, power-puncher, Ron Lyle. It was his second title defense. The first was the infamous fight with Chuck Wepner at Richfield, Ohio’s Coliseum, on March 24, 1975. The slugfest dragged on till the fifteenth round, till Ali stopped him with barely a few seconds lefts in the fight.

Oh, what a fight! May 16, 1975 – Muhammad Ali versus Ron Lyle

Tom Gray, Deputy Editor at SportingNews, shared small footage of the Ali-Lyle fight from his Twitter account. But, perhaps, he remembered the fight more being closer to the day he was born. He mentions that he was twenty-two days old at the time. Hence he asked all the followers, “What’s the nearest heavyweight championship fight to your birthday?”

Regarding the fight, Ron Lyle started with his usual aggressive fashion. However, Ali refused to take the bait and retained his composure. Lyle, on his part, didn’t fall for the champion’s ‘rope-a-dope’ tactics. But by the time the fight entered the eleventh round, the former stood ahead in the judges’ scorecards. Then, changing tracks, Ali attacked and launched an intense barrage of punches at Lyle, convincing the referee to stop the fight.

Muhammad Ali defended his title ten times till February 15, 1978, when Leon Spinks stopped him. Six months later, Ali returned the favor and became a world champion for the third time. After that, he announced retirement but, two years later, came back to claim the WBC and the Ring belts. However, he was thirty-eight, and it was apparent he wasn’t well. Muhammad Ali retired after losing the sixty-first professional match to the Jamaican Trevor Berbick in 1981.

Read More: “Why Are We Going Miles and Miles Away From Our Country to Fight Other Poor People”: Despite Getting Banned From Boxing for 3 Years, Daughter Says Muhammad Ali’s Stand Against War Turned Haters Into Fans

Let’s continue with the question on the post. What’s the nearest heavyweight championship fight to your birthday? Tell us in the comments below.

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