Freddie Steele

elmersalsa · Post by **elmersalsa** » 28 Feb 2008, 12:39

Excellent middleweight that fought the very best of his era. Great fighter in my view. Are there videos of him or any clips?

This is one of the fighters that we seldom talk about.

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 28 Feb 2008, 14:25

I have seen him vs. Gus Lesnevich (Steele at his best)

"Steele used up something like half dozen assorted left hooks and right crosses before a towel floated into the ring from the Lesnevich corner. The referee used it to wipe the blood off Lesnevich's face.... Lesnevich drew a tremendous cheer even in defeat." Tacoma News Tribune.

The promoter of this show, Joe Waterman, would tell the Tacoma News-Tribune shortly before his death in 1949 that Steele's performance was the finest he ever saw in his over 40 years of boxing.

http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

and vs. Fred Apostoli (not at his best)

Ric · Post by **Ric** » 01 Mar 2008, 19:28

There remains to this day a film clip of Steele's bout with...? Sorry, I forget now. I watched it about two years ago over at Ochs's house.

Matt · Post by **Matt** » 02 Mar 2008, 01:40

The Lesnevich fight is the only footage of Freddie Steele available. I seem to recall that the Druxman family was rumored to have a copy of the Al Hostak fight, but it's never surfaced to my knowledge.

Senya13 · Post by **Senya13** » 02 Mar 2008, 01:53

I only have 11min highlights of Eddie (Babe) Risko fight (there's a 12min version out there too), but there are also 10min Fred Apostoli II, 2min Vince Dundee and Gus Lesnevich fights out there.

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 02 Mar 2008, 03:34

Steele KO’d Ceferino Garcia TWICE in 2 rounds

KO 10 over Apostoli

KO 3 over Vince Dundee

KO 4 over Ken Overlin

10 round decision over Gorilla Jones

KO 2 over Henry Firpo

TKO 2 over Gus Lesnevich (later held 175 lb. title)

Dec. 10 over Babe Risko

Dec. 15 over Babe Risko to win NBA middleweight title

Dec. 15 again over Babe Risko

Then lost by TKO 9 to Apostoli in fight where he suffered broken breastbone

All the fighters above with names in bold held the middleweight title at one time or another.

jimglen · Post by **jimglen** » 02 Mar 2008, 10:01

Freddie Steele was a great fighter and fondly remembered by American fans & historians, but a fight that could have taken place would have been Freddie Steele vs. Jock McAvoy.

Unfortunately for McAvoy nobody wanted to know him after he demolished Babe Risko in a non-title bout in under 1 round, sending Risko to the canvas 6 times to be counted-out, it would appear Jock sent Risko crashing with every big punch and finally into dreamland. McAvoy took John Henry Lewis 15rnds, J H Lewis better than Lesnevich and Mac also pollaxed Al kid McCoy in the 6th and took the decision after 10. Al McCoy was himself a 'feared' fighter and went on to fight Joe Louis for the HW title.

Jock McAvoy was the most feared middleweight in the world in the mid-late 30s and the Mob would let him No Where Near the middleweight title, nor could he get fights with Steele or the like. I think a lot of Steele, Dundee, Overlin and especially Fred Apostili, but Ol' Jock McAvoy was their supperior.

Woller · Post by **Woller** » 02 Mar 2008, 12:44

I got the Freddie steele - Vince Dundee rsc3 full fight. Poor Dundee is on the floor at least 10 times.

Woller

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 02 Mar 2008, 12:57

jimglen wrote:Freddie Steele was a great fighter and fondly remembered by American fans & historians, but a fight that could have taken place would have been Freddie Steele vs. Jock McAvoy.

Unfortunately for McAvoy nobody wanted to know him after he demolished Babe Risko in a non-title bout in under 1 round, sending Risko to the canvas 6 times to be counted-out, it would appear Jock sent Risko crashing with every big punch and finally into dreamland. McAvoy took John Henry Lewis 15rnds, J H Lewis better than Lesnevich and Mac also pollaxed Al kid McCoy in the 6th and took the decision after 10. Al McCoy was himself a 'feared' fighter and went on to fight Joe Louis for the HW title.

Jock McAvoy was the most feared middleweight in the world in the mid-late 30s and the Mob would let him No Where Near the middleweight title, nor could he get fights with Steele or the like. I think a lot of Steele, Dundee, Overlin and especially Fred Apostili, but Ol' Jock McAvoy was their supperior.

I had a long talk with Red Burman, who fought Joe Louis for the heavyweight title.

Burman fought Louis, Tommy Farr twice, John Henry Lewis, Melio Bettina, etc.

Burman said John Henry Lewis was a great, great puncher.

Thanks for the comments about McAvoy.

I will look him up.

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 02 Mar 2008, 13:35

jimglen wrote:Freddie Steele was a great fighter and fondly remembered by American fans & historians, but a fight that could have taken place would have been Freddie Steele vs. Jock McAvoy.

Unfortunately for McAvoy nobody wanted to know him after he demolished Babe Risko in a non-title bout in under 1 round, sending Risko to the canvas 6 times to be counted-out, it would appear Jock sent Risko crashing with every big punch and finally into dreamland. McAvoy took John Henry Lewis 15rnds, J H Lewis better than Lesnevich and Mac also pollaxed Al kid McCoy in the 6th and took the decision after 10. Al McCoy was himself a 'feared' fighter and went on to fight Joe Louis for the HW title.

Jock McAvoy was the most feared middleweight in the world in the mid-late 30s and the Mob would let him No Where Near the middleweight title, nor could he get fights with Steele or the like. I think a lot of Steele, Dundee, Overlin and especially Fred Apostili, but Ol' Jock McAvoy was their supperior.

From what I see, McAvoy never weighed more than a big middleweight (high 160’s)

Yet he fought John Henry Lewis, Freddie Mills, Len Harvey.

He had 133 wins [with 89 KO’s] in 148 fights.

He had five (of his total of 148) fights in the US, leading up to his light heavyweight title shot against John Henry Lewis.

World Light Heavyweight Title
1936-03-13
Jock McAvoy 168¼--- challenger
John Henry Lewis (50-6-3) 172¼ --- champion
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, United States

Lewis "had little difficulty ... wagering a careful, systematic battle in which he left few openings for the fast-punching Englishman, Lewis fought his way home to victory in convincing style but his triumph was far from popular with the crowd. Most of the 15,000, who paid $37,712 to see the battle, were swayed by the brave showing made by the fighter from the little isle and vociferously booed the decision". (New York Times)

Looks like McAvoy forced great puncher John Henry Lewis to fight a careful fight.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 02 Mar 2008, 13:39

McAvoy is up there as one of the greatest British fighters ever. Stricken with polio in later life, he once chinned an unruly fan at a boxing show - from his wheelchair!
Sadly, he ultimately shot and killed himself.

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 02 Mar 2008, 14:08

jimglen,

Any films of McAvoy?

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 02 Mar 2008, 14:24

.

FREDDIE STEELE
.

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 02 Mar 2008, 14:38

JOCK McAVOY on YOUTUBE

Jock McAvoy vs Marcel Lauriot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJGCTySChDE

McAvoy preparing for fight with John Henry Lewis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ny7my24J ... re=related

Woller · Post by **Woller** » 02 Mar 2008, 15:46

YOUTUBE?!?! Who cares about that quality??

What about real films??

Søren

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 02 Mar 2008, 15:49

http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/3062885. ... 4F32AD3138

Jock McAvoy (left) and heavyweight opponent Jack Peterson (32-3-0)

For Commonwealth (British Empire) heavyweight title 1936-04-23
Earls Court Empress Hall, Kensington, London, United Kingdom ~
McAvoy reigning middleweight and light-heavyweight champ.

McAvoy lost 15 round decision

Seamus · Post by **Seamus** » 02 Mar 2008, 15:51

In addition to the wins Granberry pointed out, Freddie Steele also stopped Johnny "Bandit Romero KO 8 (wins over Archie Moore and Lloyd Marshall, and made very short work of perennial contenders Baby Joe Gans KO 3 (121 career wins) Paul Pirrone KO 1 and Frank Battaglia KO 3.

Collins2000 · Post by **Collins2000** » 02 Mar 2008, 19:38

bennie wrote:McAvoy is up there as one of the greatest British fighters ever. Stricken with polio in later life, he once chinned an unruly fan at a boxing show - from his wheelchair!
Sadly, he ultimately shot and killed himself.

Are you sure?

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 03 Mar 2008, 04:46

Collins2000 wrote:
bennie wrote:McAvoy is up there as one of the greatest British fighters ever. Stricken with polio in later life, he once chinned an unruly fan at a boxing show - from his wheelchair!
Sadly, he ultimately shot and killed himself.
Are you sure?

Positive. Took his own life with a shotgun.

jimglen · Post by **jimglen** » 03 Mar 2008, 07:59

suicide by Barbituate overdose,

many believe it was an 'accidental' overdose as McAvoy was very dependant on the meds for his health conditions and the depression his failing health brought with it. hopefully it was 'accidental' McAvoy was a great fighter and champion - one of my favorite.

if you look closely of the old youtube footage, you can see some fine boxing skill and ring craft, you'll also note how small the ring was (No getting away from each other in those days), remember whe SRL fought the bigger Lalonde, Leonard demaned the biggest ring he could get away with 24' sq.

man, McAvoy, Greb, Ketchel, Walker and all the top middleweights were fighting HWs in 'phone-boxes' by comparison!

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 03 Mar 2008, 08:22

I've always known it as suicide from one of his collection of shotguns. Unless the ol' memory is playing tricks.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 03 Mar 2008, 08:30

Jimglen is spot on. I've just checked with Brian Hughes MBE, who penned a biography on McAvoy.
Jesus, the mind, eh!

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 03 Mar 2008, 09:55

bennie wrote:Jimglen is spot on. I've just checked with Brian Hughes MBE, who penned a biography on McAvoy.
Jesus, the mind, eh!

Not the mind, bennie.

YOUR mind.
.

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 10 Mar 2008, 03:07

FREDDIE STEELE

Freddie Steele

Freddie Steele

(middleweight champion)