Fury vs Usyk can't match greatest heavyweight fights - for obvious reasons
Last week marked the 46th anniversary of one of the greatest heavyweight clashes of all time, five rounds of mayhem between George Foreman and Ron Lyle.
Foreman was coming back from defeat to Muhammad Ali two years prior. Lyle also lost to Ali, in 1975, but was ahead on all three cards when the ref stopped it in the 11th round.
As we build up towards the showdown for the unified heavyweight title between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, that hell raiser in Las Vegas in 1976 reminded me of what boxing is missing. Foreman, one of the biggest punchers of all time, was down twice in the first, Lyle once. The fight continued at the same frantic pace until Lyle finally toppled in the fifth.
Foreman said afterwards that Lyle hit him so hard it didn’t even hurt. The bout was Ring Magazine’s fight of the year. I can’t recall any of today’s heavyweights touching that peak in terms of excitement. Mike Tyson was spectacular but the punishment was going only one way. Shut your eyes and all you see is Tyson standing over his victim.
These days there is none of the give-and-take we had in the Seventies. Ali v Joe Frazier in 1971 was a sensational fight, not to mention the Thriller in Manilla in ‘75. They went at it like middleweights.
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Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield came close. There might be others too. But not with the same frequency that I recall.
As much as I love Usyk, he studiously avoids tear-ups. I don’t blame him for that. He is technically excellent, but you are never going to see him in a barnburner.
Fury blitzed Deontay Wilder in their second fight, but there was nothing coming back. The first fight was exciting only because of Fury’s remarkable rise from the deck to draw.
George Foreman's clash with Ron Lyle in Las Vegas was one of the greatest heavyweight showdowns (The Ring Magazine via Getty Images)Fury v Usyk will not take us back to the Seventies. It will be a technical contest. Usyk wins by getting in and out of punching range. Fury wins by jabbing him into oblivion and not letting him get close.
It might be engrossing but I don’t see three knockdowns in the opening round. I would love it were Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou to go at it, but that is not easy to do at the massive weights today’s fighters carry.
It was exhaustion that stopped Lyle in the end. Foreman too was out on his feet and that was just five rounds. Foreman weighed two pounds over 16st, Lyle four pounds under and we thought they were huge. Fury and Ngannou are both 19st-plus.
Usyk weighs the same as Lyle and Fury dismisses him as a middleweight. If you look back at the Seventies most guys started out between 14 and 15st, a far better weight for excitement.
If you don’t believe me, watch Foreman and Lyle on YouTube. You won’t regret it.
Follow Barry on Twitter at @ClonesCyclone @mcguigans_gym
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