Earl Walls vs. Rex Layne (1st meeting)

Rex Layne 206 lbs lost to Earl Walls 192 lbs by KO at 1:03 in round 1 of 10

• Date: 1953-07-03
• Location: Exhibition Grandstand, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
• Referee: Johnny Behr

"Canadian heavyweight champion Earl Walls set himself up as a contender for the world title Friday night by knocking out the 8th ranked Rex Layne of Salt Lake City at 1:03 of the 1st round in their scheduled 10-round bout at the outdoor Edmonton Exhibition Park. The tall, rangy Walls smashed one tremendous right hand from a flurry of infighting square to the jaw. Layne fell like a wet log and didn't twitch as referee Bill Behr of Chicago tolled the count." -Canadian Press

• Attendance - 10,000 (app.)
• Purses: Layne - 30% of the gate or $10,000 (whichever was greater), Walls - 20% of the gate.
• Walls' Pacific Northwest heavyweight title was at stake.
• There was a verbal promise of a rematch within 60 days and they met again on September 8th.
• Walls' manager Jimmy Jones was seeking a title fight with British Empire heavyweight champ Don Cockell, which never materialized.

Post-fight comment

• "I won that one for Canada. I hit him with a left hook and a straight right hand."