Filipino Wins World Boxing Title

Southland Times, Issue 23987, 30 November 1939, Page 12

Filipino Wins World Boxing Title

Ceferino Garcia rallied in the seventh round of a scheduled 15-round world middleweight title bout at New York to flatten the title-holder, Fred Apostoli, and become the second Filipino in fight history to win a world boxing championship. The first Filipino ever to win a world fight crown was the late Pancho Villa, a great little flyweight, who knocked out Jimmy Wilde, the mighty British atom, in a title fight in New York many years back. Some time later Villa died following an over-the-weight' battle against Jimmy McLamin in Oakland, California. He went into the ring with an infected tooth. The first six rounds of the Garciaftpostoli bout were even, although the Filipino was considerably hurt and hanging on at the bell. It did not appear as if Garcia was going to do any knocking out, and his famed “bolo” punch was not working to schedule, but he came out for the seventh stanza a new man. Three lefts and a right flush on the champion’s chin had Apostoli badly hurt. Fred waded in, wide open, and Garcia, deserting his “bolo” punches for straight rights, made a punching-bag out of the title holder, who was far from the crafty battler of a year ago. Fred sank to his knees under the barrage of leather and stayed down for a two count. He got up, but a right dropped him again, and he stopped down this time for nine. Garcia moved in and walloped him again, and Apostoli slowly sank to his knees. The referee moved in and halted the bout. It was called

a knock-out, although many critics claim it should have been a t.k.o. Garcia, at list 31b, was out-weighed 71b. Although the fight was announced as a world title battle, Apostoli’s claim to the title was recognized only in New York and California. The National Boxing Association recognizes Al Hostak, of Seattle, as the champion. Hostak will not fight outside his home town, so there is quite a mixup as to the real title-holder. The National Boxing Association, however, has ordered Hostak to make his next title defence against Garcia, in order to clear up the middle muddle. Hostak’s manager likes to name his own referee —for obvious reasons. The little Filipino will have to score a knock-out to get Hostak’s title.