Al Hostak - Rise To Prominence

Rise To Prominence

As 1937 began, middleweight champion Freddie Steele and his handlers had finally decided to take their fighter out of the confines of the Pacific Northwest, and show him on the East Coast. With Steele, Seattle's top boxing draw leaving town, Seattle boxing promoter Nate Druxman needed to develop another box office attraction, a role Hostak would fulfill in 1937.

Hostak began the year by knocking out Newark middleweight Tony Fisher, a former title challenger, in two rounds on January 12. A month later he knocked out Leonard Bennett, who had broken Steele's jaw in the first of two of their bouts, in both of which he had gone the distance. In March and April, Hostak scored second-round knockouts of Johnny Sikes and Young Terry. This set up a July 13, 1937, date with Eddie (Babe) Risko, who had lost the middleweight title a year before to Steele, as well as a rematch to Steele in February, both by decision. Hostak would gain national recognition when he knocked out Risko in the 7th round in Seattle. In August he again won by knockout over another foe of Steele's who had gone the distance, this time stopping Allen Matthews in nine rounds. Hostak would add three more knockouts to end 1937, stretching his streak to eleven straight knockouts. At the end of 1937, Hostak was ranked as the #3 Middleweight in the world by Ring Magazine.

As 1938 began, a high profile match with Steele in Seattle appeared inevitable for the summer of 1938. Steele however, suffered a setback in January, when he was stopped by Fred Apostoli at Madison Square Garden in a non-title bout. In the process, New York withdrew recognition from Steele as middleweight champion, giving it to Apostoli. Seattle promoter Nate Druxman continued on with plans to make the bout for the summer, as Hostak kept busy with three more knockouts in the early of half of 1938.