Bob Baker, "The Grinder", 1950s heavyweight war horse, 6'2", around 210 and a good puncher, he had fast hands, a formidable jab, and could box. Sadly he suffered from brittle hands during his career, but still manage to put together a solid run. Bob is one of the more underrated ring mechanics of the last 50 years, Baker would have been competitive in any era and was a damn good fighter. One of defining characteristics of Bob Baker's boxing style was his relentless pressure and stamina, which earned him the fitting nickname "The Grinder." Baker was known for his ability to wear down his opponents with a non-stop barrage of punches, relentless pursuit, and constant pressure. His determination to outlast his opponents in the ring was truly remarkable.
Touted as the next Joe Louis in the early 1950s, Bob Baker was desperately unlucky not to at least fight for the “Brown Bomber’s” old heavyweight championship. Baker’s left hook in particular was a potent weapon as the Pennsylvanian raced to 25-0.
Perhaps Baker’s biggest fault was inconsistency though his level of opposition was so high the losses he suffered were understandable. Two points losses to Peter Jackson and Clarence Henry, a one-round defeat to Bob Satterfield and a ninth round stoppage at the hands of Archie Moore perhaps go some way to explaining why he never fought for the world title.
But Baker, strong and determined, developed a knack for rallying down the stretch to eke out decision wins over some of the best men of his era, Jimmy Bivins, Nino Valdes (twice), Joe Baksi, John Holman, Rex Layne (thrice), Dick Richardson (though he would lose the return) and a young George Chuvalo were all beaten by Baker.
After his eventful 10-year career, Baker became a foreman in Penn Hills and, according to colleagues, he never spoke of his achievements in the boxing world.
"Used to train with him at Stillman's Gym, when he was considered a behemoth for the time.
Always felt sorry for him, Stillman's was an airless armpit in summer, and Baker sweated like a pig training bundled from head to toe, constantly wincing taking off his wraps after sparring." - John Garfield, Boxing Forum 24
Bob Baker vs Coley wallace in 1954. Coley Wallace is famous because he outpointed Rocky Marciano in a three round amateur fight in 1948, Wallace beat Marciano by split-decision. The story goes, in March of 1948, Rocky went to New York as the New England representative in the Golden Gloves All-East Coast Championships. His first fight was against a very good fighter named Coley Wallace, who had a record of 17-0 with 17 KO’s. Rocky was the aggressor throughout the fight and landed all the punishing blows, but the judges announced Wallace as the winner. The fans booed and threw bottles and programs into the ring. Rocky would always say he was cheated in this fight, and would determine to take the matter out of the hands of judges by knocking out future opponents.
Comments
Great shot of Jackie Fields in his prime.
Jackie Fields is one of my favorite fighters, one more last good photo.
Bob Baker, "The Grinder", 1950s heavyweight war horse, 6'2", around 210 and a good puncher, he had fast hands, a formidable jab, and could box. Sadly he suffered from brittle hands during his career, but still manage to put together a solid run. Bob is one of the more underrated ring mechanics of the last 50 years, Baker would have been competitive in any era and was a damn good fighter. One of defining characteristics of Bob Baker's boxing style was his relentless pressure and stamina, which earned him the fitting nickname "The Grinder." Baker was known for his ability to wear down his opponents with a non-stop barrage of punches, relentless pursuit, and constant pressure. His determination to outlast his opponents in the ring was truly remarkable.
Touted as the next Joe Louis in the early 1950s, Bob Baker was desperately unlucky not to at least fight for the “Brown Bomber’s” old heavyweight championship. Baker’s left hook in particular was a potent weapon as the Pennsylvanian raced to 25-0.
Perhaps Baker’s biggest fault was inconsistency though his level of opposition was so high the losses he suffered were understandable. Two points losses to Peter Jackson and Clarence Henry, a one-round defeat to Bob Satterfield and a ninth round stoppage at the hands of Archie Moore perhaps go some way to explaining why he never fought for the world title.
But Baker, strong and determined, developed a knack for rallying down the stretch to eke out decision wins over some of the best men of his era, Jimmy Bivins, Nino Valdes (twice), Joe Baksi, John Holman, Rex Layne (thrice), Dick Richardson (though he would lose the return) and a young George Chuvalo were all beaten by Baker.
After his eventful 10-year career, Baker became a foreman in Penn Hills and, according to colleagues, he never spoke of his achievements in the boxing world.
"Used to train with him at Stillman's Gym, when he was considered a behemoth for the time.
Always felt sorry for him, Stillman's was an airless armpit in summer, and Baker sweated like a pig training bundled from head to toe, constantly wincing taking off his wraps after sparring." - John Garfield, Boxing Forum 24
Bob Baker was a big dude for his time, great boxing photo here showing Bob Baker pinning Nino Valdes in the corner during one of their encounters.
Bob Baker vs Coley wallace in 1954. Coley Wallace is famous because he outpointed Rocky Marciano in a three round amateur fight in 1948, Wallace beat Marciano by split-decision. The story goes, in March of 1948, Rocky went to New York as the New England representative in the Golden Gloves All-East Coast Championships. His first fight was against a very good fighter named Coley Wallace, who had a record of 17-0 with 17 KO’s. Rocky was the aggressor throughout the fight and landed all the punishing blows, but the judges announced Wallace as the winner. The fans booed and threw bottles and programs into the ring. Rocky would always say he was cheated in this fight, and would determine to take the matter out of the hands of judges by knocking out future opponents.
Bob Baker vs Willie Besmanoff in 1957.
Bob Baker vs Tommy "Hurricane" Jackson in 1956.
Bob Baker vs Elkins Brothers in 1951.
Bob Baker vs Jimmy Slade in 1954.