Al Hostak - Post-championship Boxing Career

Post-championship Boxing Career

After another hand injury induced layoff, Hostak returned in February 1941 with a knockout win in Chicago, followed up by two more knockouts in April and May in Seattle, before returning to Chicago to face Zale in a third fight on May 28, 1941. Hostak opened fast, knocking Zale down, though he was up before a count could be administered. In the 2nd round, Zale pounded Hostak to the body, dropping him eight times, before he was finally counted out at 2:32 of the round. In November, Hostak would make his first and only appearance at Madison Square Garden, against former middleweight champion Ken Overlin. Overlin easily outboxed a befuddled Hostak, who threw very few punches on his way to losing a lopsided decision.

In Hostak's absence from Seattle, another middleweight attraction had been developed by Druxman, Harry (Kid) Matthews of Emmett, Idaho. The two would face of on September 29, 1942, in Seattle, with Hostak knocking Matthews down twice, but again being outboxed as he was against Ken Overlin, losing a majority decision. The two would fight to a draw in a November rematch in Seattle. This time both boxers performed much poorer than their first bout, particularly Matthews, who spent much of the bout in retreat. Hostak's career ended along with Druxman's after the bout, as both became involved in World War II.

Hostak would have two bouts in 1944 while stationed in Houston, Texas, scoring a pair of knockouts. He would make his post-war return in June 1946 and would win four more bouts by knockout over modest opposition. Hostak would take on his first significant opponent in January 1947, when he faced longtime middleweight contender Steve Belloise in Houston. He would knock Belloise down in the 1st round, but was eventually knocked out himself in the 4th round. After a 5th-round TKO over Anton Raadik in Chicago, Hostak would avenge his loss to Belloise by winning a decision in Seattle in August 1947. With the win, the 31-year old Hostak again earned a rating as a middleweight contender.

Hostak's resurgence would be short-lived though, as he was held to a draw in October 1947 by George Duke. He then lost a split decision in Portland, Oregon to Jack Snapp, which was followed by a draw to Paul Perkins. In December 1948, Hostak would decision Perkins in a rematch, before finishing his career on his 33rd bithrday by stopping Snapp in nine rounds in Seattle.

After his boxing career ended, Hostak held jobs as a bartender, King County Jail guard, and as a security guard at the Longacres Race Track. He even offered a class in 1949, shortly after his retirement, in which he would teach school-age kids how to defend themselves in fights. He was widowed in 1981, and lived south of Seattle in White Center, where he spent much of his time visiting local flea markets. Hostak would collect eight-track tapes of a wide variety of music, which he would then convert to cassette tape.

Hostak died on August 13, 2006, in Kirkland, Washington of complications from a stroke that he suffered on August 3.