Today in Boxing History: Fred Apostoli born in San Francisco
Apostoli turned professional in 1934 and used his murderous body attack to score wins over Freddie Steele, Solly Krieger, Lou Brouillard, and Marcel Thil during the first four years of his career. He was finally recognized as the world middleweight champion in November of 1938, when he knocked out New York State Athletic Commission titleholder Young Corbett III in the eighth round.
Following his win over Corbett, Apostoli moved up to light heavyweight and dropped back-to-back decisions to Billy Conn. In October of 1939, Apostoli lost his middleweight title via a seventh-round knockout to Ceferino Garcia.
He continued to fight and remained a contender in the middleweight division, despite never again challenging for the title. His career was halted in 1942, as he served in the Navy during World War II. Apostoli returned to the ring in 1946 and retired in 1948 after going 13-2 following the war.
Apostoli passed away in 1973. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame thirty years after his death.