Evening star., 1937-09-05
MANAGERS DEATH
PUTS HIM ADR|FT
ThIl.Aposto|i Bout Staged
to Smoke MiddIeWeiqht
Champ Into Open.
BY SPARROW McGANN.


n YEW YORK, September H.
N Freddie Steele always was
" obedient TO the orders of his
a manager, and his success in
the prize ring can be attributed d.
rectly to that virtue Had Steele
thought he knew more about the
game than Dave Miller there is little
doubt that the latent ability he showed
As skinny kid in his first prelini-
nary would have remained hidden, as
has been the case with thousands Of
others who could not obey orders.
However, Miller could not see eve
to eye with Larry White, manager Of
Fred Apoetoli. What their differences
were could not be learned, but one
thing is matter OF record and that
is the trouble between the pair pre-
vented Steele from accepting s35, 900
for a titular engagement and de-
prived Apostoli Of crack at the 16O-
pound crown. Miller's untimelv death
now leaves Steele free to accept that
engagement. Will he take advantage
OF the new state of affairs or will
he carry on as Miller wished? This
Is the topic Of conversation along
caulif1ower row as Apostoli prepares
for the job Of relieving Marcel Thjl
from what claim the Frenchman has
to the title at the Yankee Stadium on
the twenty-third.
This Claim Not Empty.
A POSTOLI has shown enough IN
the East to justify the belief that
ne Is more han a match for the we'll.
known Frenchman. Thil has wealth.
cred many storms in the ring and has
absorbed enough ring knowledge to
make it interesting for his Youthful
foe, but Apostoli is smart boxer. hits
sharply and carries enough power in
his mltts to score knockout. He
will be after this achievement If only
to force Freddie Steele into meeting
him.
Thil's claim to the world middle
weight crown is recognized by the
National Boxing Association and
every European boxing body. The
actual deed was committed five wears
ago when he won from Gorilla Jones
in IL rounds. Jones was the winner
OF the N. B. A. tournament. and. as
such. generally was regarded as the
mlddleWeight king The local boxing
commission had ideas Of its own and
sponsored its own elimination tour
ney. Ben Jeby was the winner of
this one. Jeby was succeeded in turn
by Lou Brouillard Vince Dundee.
Teddy Yarosz and Babe Rlsko, from
whom Steele was declared the win
ner. 1t might be mentioned that
Dundee and Brouillard were beaten bv
Thll. and, as the latter has outscored
every European champion and chal-
lenger, he has more than a roofing
claim to the world title.
Chase Steele From Cover.
HE purpose of the Thil-Apostoli
match is to smoke Steele out of
his safety-f1rst tactics The Seattle
thumper has been having his own
good time selecting his opponents and
beating the gun on the six months
period OF grace permitted a champion
between titular defenses. Soon after
he won the title Steele went from
Seattle TO the Middle West. where
the aged Gorilla Jones was to be the
first victim of his so-called titular
scrap. Steele's share Of the purse
was about one-third of what he would
nave received had he accepted a
challenge from Teddy Yarosz in Pitts
Durgh or Fred Apostoli in San Fran
cisco. Last Fall Steele repeated his
act with Babe Risko at Madison
Square Garden and rushed out of
town before Mike Jacobs could get
reply to his offer of $4,000 for Steele
to meet Apostoh. Instead. he went
to Philadelphia to fight Paul Pirrone
and shortly after that defended his
Title against back-sliding veteran of
the ring. Frank Battaelis.
Steele's tactics have knocked all the
props from under him. The Thil-
Apostoli contest will determine the
real champion-or at least. the logical
challenger for the undisputed right
TO leadership. How he will react to
this, now that he is without the coun-
sci OF his manager, is something
Steele will have to decide for him.
self.
In his own diegings, the North
west, Steele can claim the title all he
wants. Elsewhere in the country
his claims will be ridiculed and he
Will be compelled to come out of hi,
shell or retire on his earnings and
let the rest OF the fight world 20
hang.