Foreman, known as 'Big' George, made a big splash in boxing. He won the world heavyweight championship twice and racked up 76 wins in his 81 professional fights. An impressive 68 of those wins came by knockout.
Foreman's power was on full display throughout his career. He suffered his first defeat in the famous 'Rumble In The Jungle' against Muhammad Ali in October 1974. Ali used his 'rope-a-dope' strategy to wear Foreman down before knocking him out in the 8th round.
After retiring in 1977, Foreman made a comeback a decade later. In November 1994, he shocked the world by knocking out Michael Moorer in the 10th round to win the WBA and IBF heavyweight titles. At 45, he became the oldest world heavyweight champion in history.
But according to Lyle, there was one man who hit even harder than Foreman. In an interview with RetroBoxingLive, Lyle said:
"Foreman, he was a puncher he was a good puncher, but the best puncher that I ever faced was Earnie Shavers. He had forty-something knockouts in the first round, I mean some guys don't have that many fights. So Shavers' record pretty much dictated how the fight was gonna go."
Shavers made a name for himself with his knockout power. He challenged for the world title twice, losing a decision to Muhammad Ali in September 1977 and getting stopped by Larry Holmes in the 11th round in 1979.
Lyle's statement puts Shavers' power in perspective. While Foreman is often talked about as one of the hardest punchers in boxing history, Lyle's experience in the ring with both men gives weight to his opinion that Shavers hit even harder.