Al Hostak
Encyclopedia
Albert Paul Hostak (January 7, 1916 – August 13, 2006), nicknamed "the Savage Slav," was an American
-born middleweight
boxer
who fought from 1932-1949. Hostak twice held the National Boxing Association
Middleweight title between 1938 and 1940. He was known as a hard puncher and had a record of 63 wins (42 knockout
s), 9 losses and 12 draws.
to Czech
immigrants who eventually moved to Seattle, Washington, settling in South Seattle's Georgetown District. A stutterer
in his youth, Hostak was drawn to boxing after fighting many of his tormentors, and discovering he had a knack for fighting. He would begin his boxing career as a 16-year old in 1932, fighting many of his bouts in nearby White Center
. Hostak would go unbeaten for his first 27 bouts, all four and six-rounders, before losing a decision to Jimmy Best. Hostak would continue to fight preliminaries matches through the end of 1936, during which he worked as a sparring partner for Freddie Steele
of Tacoma, Washington
, who had won the middleweight title in July 1936.
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 whom 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.
. It would be the biggest bout in terms of attendance and significance in Seattle's boxing history, as over 35,000 fans would turnout to watch Seattle's Hostak and Tacoma's Steele battle for the middleweight title.
After a feeling out process at the beginning of the bout, Hostak began jabbing at Steele, until he began to parry Hostak's jab. Hostak then feinted with his jab to entice Steele, to drop his right hand, before landing a left hook that knocked Steele down. Though Steele bounced up quickly from the initial knockdown, he would be sent down four times in total, before he was counted out by referee Jack Dempsey
at 1:43 of the 1st round.
Hostak would fight again in September 1938, stopping Young Stuhley in three rounds, before making his first title defense against Brooklyn
's Solly Krieger
on November 1, 1938 in Seattle. Hostak would break both of his hands early in the bout, as Krieger fought inside against Hostak, pounding him to the body, as Hostak found difficulty dealing with a boxer who he could not hurt. In the 14th round, Krieger sealed a majority decision victory, when he knocked down a tired Hostak for the 1st time in his career.
After his hands had healed, Hostak returned with a third-round knockout of Johnny Erjavec in Seattle, before facing Krieger in a rematch in Seattle on June 27, 1939. In the seven and a half months between their two bouts, Krieger had boxed as a light heavyweight, with reports in the press indicating that he was having a very difficult time making the 160-pound weight limit. Krieger proved to be a shadow of his former self in the rematch, as Hostak knocked him down four times, on way to a 4th round TKO. With the victory, Hostak became the first boxer to regain the middleweight title since Stanley Ketchel
in 1908.
After an October 1939 non-title knockout over Charley Coates, Hostak signed for his first bout ever outside of the state of Washington, facing German-Jewish refugee Erich Seelig in Cleveland on December 11, 1939. Seelig though was no match for Hostak, who knocked him out in 1:21 of the 1st round. In January 1940, Hostak would take a non-title match in Chicago against middleweight contender Tony Zale
at Chicago Stadium
. Hostak would knock Zale down in the 1st round, howeverr Hostak would break his hand in the 5th round, as Zale swept the last five rounds, to take a unanimous decision.
Hostak and Zale were then rematched by Nate Druxman for Hostak's middleweight title on July 19, 1940 at Civic Stadium in Seattle. Hostak again would break his hands in the bout, as Zale wore down Hostak with a devastating body attack. With both of his eyes swollen, Hostak was dropped for a nine count in the 12th round, and was down again in the 13th round, before the bout was stopped.
, 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 market
s. 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.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-born middleweight
Middleweight
Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897...
boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
who fought from 1932-1949. Hostak twice held the National Boxing Association
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
Middleweight title between 1938 and 1940. He was known as a hard puncher and had a record of 63 wins (42 knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
s), 9 losses and 12 draws.
Early career and life
Hostak was born in Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
to Czech
Czech lands
Czech lands is an auxiliary term used mainly to describe the combination of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia. Today, those three historic provinces compose the Czech Republic. The Czech lands had been settled by the Celts , then later by various Germanic tribes until the beginning of 7th...
immigrants who eventually moved to Seattle, Washington, settling in South Seattle's Georgetown District. A stutterer
Stuttering
Stuttering , also known as stammering , is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words or phrases, and involuntary silent pauses or blocks in which the stutterer is unable to produce sounds...
in his youth, Hostak was drawn to boxing after fighting many of his tormentors, and discovering he had a knack for fighting. He would begin his boxing career as a 16-year old in 1932, fighting many of his bouts in nearby White Center
White Center, Washington
White Center is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. It lies between Seattle and Burien part of which was annexed by Burien on 1 April 2010. The population was 13,495 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
. Hostak would go unbeaten for his first 27 bouts, all four and six-rounders, before losing a decision to Jimmy Best. Hostak would continue to fight preliminaries matches through the end of 1936, during which he worked as a sparring partner for Freddie Steele
Freddie Steele
Freddie Steele was a boxer and film actor born Frederick Earle Burgett in Seattle, Washington. He was recognized as middleweight champion of the world between 1936 and 1938. Steele was nicknamed "The Tacoma Assassin" and was trained by Jack Connor, Johnny Babnick, and Ray Arcel, while in New York...
of Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, who had won the middleweight title in July 1936.
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
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
middleweight Tony Fisher
Tony Fisher
Tony Fisher is the name of:* Tony Fisher , American football player* Tony Fisher , British rugby footballer* Big Tony Fisher, bassist for American funk band Trouble Funk-See also:* Anthony Fisher, Australian Catholic archbishop...
, 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 whom 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
The Ring (magazine)
The Ring is an American boxing magazine that was first published in 1922 as a boxing and wrestling magazine. As the sporting legitimacy of professional wrestling came more into question, The Ring shifted to becoming exclusively a boxing oriented publication...
.
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
Fred Apostoli
Alfredo "Fred" Apostoli was a rugged, accomplished body punching middleweight, who was recognized as the world champion when he defeated Marcel Thil on September 23, 1937. He was elected to The Ring's Boxing Hall of Fame...
at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
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.
Championship reigns
Hostak's bout with Steele was made for July 26, 1938, at Seattle's Civic StadiumCivic Stadium
Civic Stadium may refer to:* Civic Stadium in Eugene, OregonOther places formerly called Civic Stadium:* Oshawa Civic Auditorium in Oshawa, Ontario* Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton, Ontario* Jeld-Wen Field in Portland, Oregon...
. It would be the biggest bout in terms of attendance and significance in Seattle's boxing history, as over 35,000 fans would turnout to watch Seattle's Hostak and Tacoma's Steele battle for the middleweight title.
After a feeling out process at the beginning of the bout, Hostak began jabbing at Steele, until he began to parry Hostak's jab. Hostak then feinted with his jab to entice Steele, to drop his right hand, before landing a left hook that knocked Steele down. Though Steele bounced up quickly from the initial knockdown, he would be sent down four times in total, before he was counted out by referee Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...
at 1:43 of the 1st round.
Hostak would fight again in September 1938, stopping Young Stuhley in three rounds, before making his first title defense against Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
's Solly Krieger
Solly Krieger
Solly Krieger was an American middleweight boxer who fought from 1928-41.-Boxing career:A Golden Gloves amateur champion, Krieger turned professional in 1928....
on November 1, 1938 in Seattle. Hostak would break both of his hands early in the bout, as Krieger fought inside against Hostak, pounding him to the body, as Hostak found difficulty dealing with a boxer who he could not hurt. In the 14th round, Krieger sealed a majority decision victory, when he knocked down a tired Hostak for the 1st time in his career.
After his hands had healed, Hostak returned with a third-round knockout of Johnny Erjavec in Seattle, before facing Krieger in a rematch in Seattle on June 27, 1939. In the seven and a half months between their two bouts, Krieger had boxed as a light heavyweight, with reports in the press indicating that he was having a very difficult time making the 160-pound weight limit. Krieger proved to be a shadow of his former self in the rematch, as Hostak knocked him down four times, on way to a 4th round TKO. With the victory, Hostak became the first boxer to regain the middleweight title since Stanley Ketchel
Stanley Ketchel
-External links:**...
in 1908.
After an October 1939 non-title knockout over Charley Coates, Hostak signed for his first bout ever outside of the state of Washington, facing German-Jewish refugee Erich Seelig in Cleveland on December 11, 1939. Seelig though was no match for Hostak, who knocked him out in 1:21 of the 1st round. In January 1940, Hostak would take a non-title match in Chicago against middleweight contender Tony Zale
Tony Zale
Anthony Florian Zaleski was an American boxer. Zale was born and raised in Gary, Indiana, a steel town, which gave him his nickname, "Man of Steel." In addition, he had the reputation of being able to take fearsome punishment and still rally to win, reinforcing that nickname...
at Chicago Stadium
Chicago Stadium
The Chicago Stadium was an indoor sports arena and theater in Chicago. It opened in 1929, and closed in 1994.-History:The Stadium hosted the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL from 1929–1994 and the Chicago Bulls of the NBA from 1967–1994....
. Hostak would knock Zale down in the 1st round, howeverr Hostak would break his hand in the 5th round, as Zale swept the last five rounds, to take a unanimous decision.
Hostak and Zale were then rematched by Nate Druxman for Hostak's middleweight title on July 19, 1940 at Civic Stadium in Seattle. Hostak again would break his hands in the bout, as Zale wore down Hostak with a devastating body attack. With both of his eyes swollen, Hostak was dropped for a nine count in the 12th round, and was down again in the 13th round, before the bout was stopped.
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 GardenMadison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, against former middleweight champion Ken Overlin
Ken Overlin
Ken Overlin , was an American-born middleweight boxer who fought professionally from 1931 to 1944, compiling a record of 131 wins , 18 losses, and 9 draws....
. 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
Emmett, Idaho
Emmett is a city in Gem County, Idaho, United States. The population was 5,490 at the 2000 census; it was estimated to have risen to 6,341 by 2007...
. 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
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Hostak would have two bouts in 1944 while stationed in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, 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
Steve Belloise
Steve "Gink" Belloise was an American boxer.Belloise was a talented fighter who lost only 13 of 111 bouts and scored 59 knockouts during his career; He was a top contender for the Middleweight Championship during the early 1940s and a brother of Mike and Sal, boxersSteve defeated such men as Anton...
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
Anton Raadik
Anton "Rampaging Estonian" Raadik was the most famous Estonian born Middleweight boxer of the 1940s and 50s fighting out of Chicago, Illinois.- Professional Boxing Career :...
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
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
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
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
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 market
Flea market
A flea market or swap meet is a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered. It may be indoors, such as in a warehouse or school gymnasium; or it may be outdoors, such as in a field or under a tent...
s. 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
Kirkland, Washington
Kirkland is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It is a suburb of Seattle on the Eastside . The population was 48,787 at the 2010 census makes it the 9th largest city in King County and the 20th largest city in the state...
of complications from a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
that he suffered on August 3.
Miscellaneous information
In 2003, Hostak made Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.External links
- Al Hostak, 1916-2006: Seattle fighter won middleweight title (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) (Accessed August 14, 2006