Bob Baker vs. Rex Layne (1st meeting)

Rex Layne 207 lbs lost to Bob Baker 215 lbs by UD in round 10 of 10

• Date: 1955-02-28
• Location: Eastern Parkway Arena, Brooklyn, New York, USA
• Referee: Ray Miller 2-7
• Judge: Leo Birnbaum 2-8
• Judge: Bill Recht 5-10

"For a while against Rex Layne, Bob Baker didn't even look like he merited a No. 4 position nor the favorite's role at 5-1 odds. Layne gave his taller rival fits in the first five rounds by scoring repeatedly with long rights to the head. In one exchange of rights in the 4th, Baker dropped Layne to one knee. Layne came back full of fight but he ran out of steam in the 6th round. From the 6th on, the fast-punching Baker nailed Layne consistently with left-right combinations to the head, sometimes tossing them in bunches of six and eight punches at a clip. Rex wobbled several times but he refused to go down. The loss snapped his unbeaten string at eight." -Associated Press

• Judge Bill Recht scored the fight 5-5 in rounds. However, utilizing NY's supplemental scoring system in the case of an even score, Recht had Baker in front 10-5 on points.

• Unofficial AP scorecard - 7-2-1 Baker
• Unofficial UP scorecard - 6-3-1 Baker

Post fight comment

• "I don't think we'll have much chance of getting Nino Valdes but I'll give it another try. Bobby Gleason, Valdes' manager, wants a $50,000 guarantee and that kind of money is out. After all it was Bob who beat Valdes in their first fight and not the other way around. You'd think he'd want a chance to even that and make some money. After all, with Marciano fighting Don Cockell, Valdes hasn't anything to do now either." -Dusty Bettor, Baker's manager, on attempting to fight the No. 1 contender, Nino Valdes