Underrated Charles KO and Performance: Ezzard Charles vs. Rex Layne I

I thought it was a very interesting fight. I saw it a bit differently than you did. Perhaps you simply have a better screen. I had it a close fight going into the 10th. Layne's jab was very effective to my eyes and kept Charles out of punching range early. Layne also appeared to score often with his right and also an occasional left hook. And Layne was simply throwing so many more punches, especially early. Charles was effective with left hooks to the body, but to my eyes often missed Layne badly with wild swings to the head, although he grew more accurate as the fight wore on.

I had it 4-3-2 for Layne going into the 10th. In a 10 round decision it would have ended up for me even in rounds with Charles getting the decision because of the late knockdown in the 10th. He caught Layne against the ropes and really opened up on him with several perfect shots. Layne was not surprisingly knocked out and was saved by the bell, I think. I was surprised he came out for the 11th and came out as steady as he seemed and did fair until Charles caught him again with a perfect right.

Just on condition, Layne weighed 193 for Marciano and 195 for this fight.

They made an interesting contrast. Charles is an elegant boxer, but seemed passive to me early. Layne carried the fight to him. Layne looks clumsy, but he had a good jab and what appeared to me to be an accurate right and he generally got off first. I don't like that low guard, but it looked to me like he made Charles miss quite a bit. He seems a lot like his stablemate, Gene Fullmer, clumsy and awkward to the eye, but with some surprising skills. The difference is that Fullmer had much better stamina.

My reaction watching this is that Layne edging Charles in 1952 is not that off form given what I see in this fight.

A fun fight to watch because of the contrasting styles. Thanks for posting.

 

Watched half of it and it’s not disappointing me

 

Scoring is subjective.

What I really want to post on is your dad maintaining Walcott beat Layne. That is certainly a minority opinion. Layne appears to win off the highlights I have seen.

Better, almost all observers seem to have had Layne winning easily.

The official cards were 6-2, 6-3, and 6-3 in rounds for a UD, plus

UPI--8-2,
AP-7-2-1
NY Times--6-4

So it seems most had Layne winning at least six rounds against Walcott.

 

Punching technique has remained relatively the same. I think it's the quality of film that makes you think this, and the fact that guys nowadays prefer "flash". Fitz had an immensely high KO ratio as a natural middleweight and beat the man who beat the man. I see **** poor punching technique all the time. Baer was 6 2-3 with an 81 inch reach and an immensely high KO ratio, saying he wouldn't be functional seems a bit stupid IMO. Did Ruiz show great technique when he jackslapped Joshua? Baer beat technician Schmeling(great punch and counterpunching ability) and Primo Carnera who would be the largest heavyweight in the sport right now with his muscles and reach. Fury doesn't punch with any particularly great technique, and neither does Wilder. They still have been effective fighters. Boxing is a lot more nuanced than a guy punches weird. Look at Carnera's KO rate for Pete's sake. Nowadays the HW division is guys bloated up and looking ponderous, to the point we act like Fury is Ali reincarnated by comparison. Do Chisora and Whyte punch with particularly pretty mechanics?

 

I don’t think much of Ruiz but his punching mechanics and combos far exceed Baers. I think Baer would be a beast today by the way but he’d have to adapt…less so then Fitz. Mostly their jabs **** me off and that’s one of the most important punches.

 

"I thought that Walcott won off the highlights."

Could it be we saw different highlights?

 

you dont understand what you are watching its that simple, lol rex layne ????

 

Maybe I don’t. Maybe you can explain why Fitz is more technically sound and relevant to today’s boxing then Layne? I’m not mocking you either maybe you can tell me something I don’t know.

 

I can say with absolute certainty that Gazelle's estimation of a fight is worth tens times what yours is.

 

And FYI you’d have a tough time finding many contenders with better scalps then Layne. He’s underrated far to often when maybe there’s 9-12 people with better scalps on their contender records