Ezzard Charles vs. Rex Layne (3rd meeting)
Ezzard Charles 187 lbs beat Rex Layne 203 lbs by UD in round 10 of 10
- Date: 1953-04-01
- Location: Winterland Arena, San Francisco, California, USA
- Referee: Frankie Carter 59-51
- Judge: Toby Irwin 59-51
- Judge: Johnny Lotsey 60.5-49.5
Charles scored knockdowns in rounds six, seven and ten with Layne out on his feet at the final bell. He also scored a left eye cut and a right eye puff in round six.
"Ezzard Charles earned the right to challenge for the heavyweight crown he once held by smashing Rex Layne into a bloody, helpless wreck at San Francisco's Winterland last night to win a 10-round unanimous decision. Layne was out on his feet at the end of 10 rounds, but that's about all that could be said for the courageous 24-year-old from Lewiston, Utah. Rex staggered to his feet after taking a nine-count from a right to the head in the final stanza. He was hanging on the ropes and only the fact that the final bell rang before Charles could get in another shot kept Rex from taking the full count. Layne was down three times during the course of the fight, was cut about both eyes and was bleeding from the nose and mouth when the end finally came." -Oakland Tribune
- Unofficial AP scorecard - 59-51 Charles
- The Tribune stated that when Layne was decked in the 6th, a confused referee Frankie Carter, gave Layne what amounted to a 20-second count and then did not hear the bell ending the round which resulted in Layne taking further punishment for another 45 seconds.
- Gate - $34,083 plus $25,000 from TV.
- Purses: Both fighters received $7,500 apiece from TV plus 30% of net receipts.
Post-fight comment
- "They should have stopped it in the 6th round. That's how fighters get seriously hurt. It would have been different if he had a chance to win, but after the 6th I don't think he had even an outside chance. It isn't very pleasant to keep on opening up cuts and trying to ruin a man when it's obvious he is completely beaten." -Ezzard Charles