Freddie Steele vs. Fred Apostoli (2nd meeting)

Freddie Steele 159 lbs lost to Fred Apostoli 162 lbs by TKO at 0:54 in round 9 of 12

• Date: 1938-01-07
• Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, USA
• Referee: Arthur Donovan
• Judge: Charley Lynch
• Judge: Marty Monroe

• Steele broke his breastbone during this bout, which was to hamper him for some time to come.
• YouTube.com video: [1]

According to one unidentified newspaper account:

Blood came in a cascade from Freddie Steele’s left eye, the right was just a slit and in the middle of his face was a ring of red where once a nose had been. At times he was bent double, like a small boy peering through a knothole in a fence. That was the lurid scene, as presented before 8,000 spellbound witnesses at Madison Square Garden last night, when mercifully they stopped the fight after 54 seconds of the ninth round to save the middleweight champion of the world from further punishment.

It was one of the wildest, most boisterous evenings ever put on at the Garden. For sheer savagery there have been few fights like this one. They faced each other with lips curled back in a snarl and belted each other ceaselessly with both hands. It was the greatest middleweight fight seen around here in a generation, topping even the Greb-Walker brawl by many a sanguinary punch and of course, will have to be repeated outdoors next summer, this time with the title riding along.

• Apostoli had to abide by the terms of this contract, which made it a non-title affair, with Apostoli coming in at 161 1/2, thus, no title at stake.
• A low blow was called on Apostoli by referee Arthur Donovan during the 7th round. Donovan allowed Steele nearly a minute to recover and then awarded the round to Steele, which was in accordance with NY rules at the time.

Post fight comments

• "I knew I could do it. I've only lived the last three years to get that guy in the ring. Now if he doesn't give me a title fight I'll claim it anyway." -Fred Apostoli

• "We'll claim the title from hell to breakfast. If Steele wants a return match he'll have to take the challenger's cut. His claim to the crown isn't worth a plugged nickel after tonight." -Larry White, Apostoli's manager

• "I just was beginning to get right. It sent a terrific pain all over my lower body. I know Apostoli didn't do it on purpose, but it won the fight for him. After that I was strictly a catcher." -Freddie Steele, on the 7th round low blow from Apostoli.