Rex Layne vs Luis Firpo

:good

 

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...020,1287422&dq=ezzard+charles+rex+layne&hl=en

Having seen Charles's other fights with Rex Layne, and the news reports on Layne-Charles II, I have a pretty good idea on how the fight went and it was most likely not Layne's way. Layne probably threw a lot of punches but I doubt he scored with many of them, while Charles picked his shots and landed clean blows.

We know that ex-boxers aren't always the best judges or referees and Dempsey was another one who should have never officiated. This wasn't the only disputed verdict he made. No surprise that he would give the decision to the home fighter and also his friend Layne who was an aggressive fighter. I'm certain that Charles got screwed in this fight.

 

The fact that Layne beat Walcott and Charles makes me question how they would match up vs the bigger and more skilled punchers that followed Layne.

Not sure who would win here. Neither were skilled on defense, but Fripo had the better chin. Fripo to outlast Layne would be my pick.

 

Not debating that Layne may have been a bit more textbook but the same crudeness was said of Bonavena except Firpo was bigger, stronger and harder hitting ... Layne had a bit more style but Layne was terribly slow, only had a right himself and pretty easy to hit so he plays directly into Firpo's strengths. He fought even with the faded Walcott and Charles because he was stronger, younger and able to keep pressing forward, forcing old fighters with old legs to fight . Against Firpo that would be a terrible strategy ...AS far as faded Wills goes, if he can be called faded then easily the same could be said about Louis, Walcott, Charles and Moore ... Marciano never fought one great, physically prime, large fighter in his career, not one.

 

Well, Nat Fleischer writing in Ring scored it 5-5. Jack Hurley scored it 6-4 for Layne. With Dempsey, they make up the three best boxing men at the fight, and none gave it to Charles. Layne seems to have been well ahead going into the 9th round, but Charles rallied.

I don't think it all that surprising that Layne might have come up with a supreme effort before a record crowd of hometown folks. And as he had outpointed Walcott, I think he had it in him to edge Charles on his best night.

Nat Fleischer in Ring--"In my opinion the fight was a draw. I handed Layne five rounds and six points and had the same tally for Charles."

 

Maybe but he would have been soundly defeated by the Charles that fought Louis.

 

Wow.... this matchup choice blew my mind,... whoever imagined this fight must have seen shitloads of fights,... I just thought this is way out from left-field..... I love this fight... Although Firpo may end it with one punch, I feel that Rex just has too much to offer Louis, this guy gave Rocky some shaky moments, I think Rex stops "Angel", late in the fight with Layne wearing Firpo down round by round, as long as he doesn't get caught cold or it's probably lights out.

 

No one is saying that Charles wasn't a better fighter than Layne. The fact that he defeated him decisively two of three shows that. The issue was the 1952 bout. It seems to have been a very close fight.

In the profile of Layne as a fighter, his having a poor defense is true, but I can't agree, off the films, that he was a one-handed fighter. He had a surprisingly good left jab as well as his accurate right cross. I think that jab would give Firpo a great deal of trouble. Firpo was wide open also.

On Wills not stopping Firpo. Wills was 35. As has been mentioned, it is difficult to judge how good Willard and Brennan were by the time Firpo beat them. Walcott and Charles still had big wins ahead.

 

Agreed. It was close as they all were because Charles was past his prime.

 

That isn't Rocky's fault, he was champion and every fight guaranteed to be a thriller... thats whats pays for the drinks,....... I understand what you mean...... But what more could Marciano do ???...... he cleans out the division,... he may have fought Valdez who WAS BIG.... but I see nothing in Rodrigo that suggests he has a chance....... a weak era ???.... it depends on what you're looking for doesn't it ??...... but why go off thread ?.. Rocky gets so much attention, but how many times do we discuss Firpo ?... or even more Rex ??.......... I hope we can keep it about the fighters and the match-up.... would you pay to see it at ringside ??

 

No doubt. You called it like it was, plain and simple .. I just get a kick out of the fanatics that try and make more of his accomplishments than they were ... try to position former greats as still greats and so on .. honest perspective is key ...

 

I'd say Firpo.
He was bigger and stronger and more savage and relentless.

 

A scorecard of 7 even rounds and only a single round scored for Charles is absolutely outrageous, considering that Charles battered Layne in some of the rounds and had him holding on and bleeding badly from the mouth at the end.

According to the news reports, Layne was supposedly landing left hands on Charles but these same left hands were picked off by Charles in his first and third fights against Layne. I have a strong feeling that I would have scored a clear decision in favour of Charles due to cleaner punching if I had the ability to view this bout, just based off what I've read on the fight and what I've seen of the two.

 

"Layne was supposedly landing left hands"

Fleischer seemed to see it that way.

"The left which heretofore hadn't been used too effectively by Layne, was working perfectly during most of the fight. He had trained hard to get the left hook operating with force, and he utilized the punch repeatedly and effectively."

"Deviating from his habit in his previous bouts against top men, Layne followed up his blows and was sharper on the attack than ever before. He had a big margin during the first six rounds but lost that advantage in the final sessions."

It happens in sports. Hell, I remember years ago a horse named Onion defeating Secretariat in the Travers Stakes.

Off Fleischer and also Hurley, it appears Layne fought his peak fight and fought Charles on equal terms on a night when Charles was not at his best and took too long to get started. The decision might have been given to Charles, but it seems it wasn't unfair that it went to Layne.

Anyway, my take unless I can watch a film and judge for myself.

*A bottom line with me is that I give the decision the benefit of the doubt unless there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary. And the press doesn't quite cut it. There is a film of Maxim-Patterson in which the press was unanimous that Floyd won, but on film I think Maxim won and deserved his unanimous decision.

 

He was the great HW at the time,,,,,,, where you put him in ATG lists is up to you, but we can't tell dead people he wasn't great. The other thing is, he had limitations and he silved the problem by doing what he was good at....... I will say huge things about his great chin and his great punching power,... they are pretty much established facts and it's natural that he's a favourite of many people, it's a rare boxing fan who doesn't love to see a huge blow send a victim into next week, especially when it's been a thrill a minute. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What really impressed me about Rocky, is his incredible fitness and stamina, he always came prepared to fight at a consistent pace, I've seen him have a cruise round very rarely. Marciano should be admired by every boxer for that work ethic he had, every coach and trainer should DRILL it through their young fighters brains with a "Knock & Kirby's".......------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ He may not have had the opposition that Frazier had ( he had some big guys but they were poor compared to Smokin's big'uns)...... there are some big names but they were not the big guys, (Arch and EZZ)........ He did remain undefeated and his KO record is ....well you know............ What he did have was BOTTOM and one of the great examples of the benefits of a massive will to overcome. ----------------------------------------------- I hope that post satisfies both sides of the argument,... In boxing who's perfect ??