The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-10-03

taA4s 49, A
The ~er.f rznasasp<ni 81 as
o2.~~r ssanse IN tfss >es Nefk
nxAs wtsa apssssii sss ~ ta-
co. rsssad " he ~ Tea hrfsF~
Al HesiAk n tttte sefens~ -
Saith last sesS
slnce tke youngsters regifssnsni
Immediately after losing his
crown. oas q The Common qaes-
TORS herese.cuts Vas. VIII sseeis
stage a eoFnrhack
And always the hoy answered
shen the query Vas put IN hirn
No chance. In through for
iecps
WEIGHS Iss POUNDS
asked him the same question
few weeks ago Al IongAores
The same old reply fen from his
iips He smiled and dug me In
the ribs
How Do you feel. Fred >"
Fine. Never felt better Weigh
aes pounds the way stand"
One look st the tall young
ster was enough 20 convince
anyone that he SPOKE the
truth. At least his outward
appearance showed him In fine
condition.
I'm fairly well convinced that II
Steele took a few months TO work
himself into fighting form .
went at II slowly and properly. -.
he could give a first line account
Of himself against the best his
weight in the game today. And
that goes for Hostak, too.
II Garcia, five times knocked
out that I know of. and loser by
decision in many other bouts, can
come along seven years after his
two kayoes by Steele. and defeat
Aposton. there certainly is small
. reason why Steele couldn't do
equally as well.
In no way am I urging Steele
20 return to the ring. I'm merely
emphasizing what is possible.
Also, knowing fighters and ath-
Ietes over the years has taught
me to forever grant one the privi-
lege OF changing his mind, once
he has gone into retirement. And
more especially when that retire
ment comes at an athletes prime.
like Steele.
Thus. I would not be sur
prised TO see the blue-eyed,
square awed Kid fling his old
fighting kelly once more into
the squared circle. i don't say
II Is even contemplated or
considered or thought Of, but
there Is always that posi-
bility.
Benny Leonard retired as light
weight champion. Remained IN
retirement for several years.
Staged a comeback and did fairly
well until he ran into Jimmy Nc
Larnin. Leonard was one fighter
the world thought would never
come back.
FEARS STEELE
Give Steele couple or three
warm-up fights, let them be sue
cessful and he might find himself
once more in the pit with Garcia.
Which reminds me of what Gar
cia said when offered a third fight
with Steele:
please please do not
think ! can ever whip that Steele.
He is oh! such a hard hitter"
In other words, Garcia believed,
and may still believe, that If he
has one jinx fighter on his long
list, it is Steele.
But whether or not Steele re-
turns to fighting, Garcia's victory
over Aposton, who showed signs
OF slipping after the Conn defeats
automatically throws the kid into
the limelight hereabouts. The only
way he can halt discussion of his
case, or retard it, is to repeat his
intention to remain retired
and continue to prove it by action
not words.
Garcia will parade his New
York and California title
claims, but I'm wondering now
II California will uphold Its
part of the bargain that made
Apostoli the champ and stick
with the Filipino hitter?
Garcia was knocked out severa
times in California and is not helc
in too high regard down there
The five knockouts against Garcia
were by Steele (two), Young
Peter jackson, Tommy Herman
and Young Azteca, a Mexican.
And by his victory over Apos
toll, who beat Steele in New Yorl
by foul tactics, Garcia begins u
clear the middleweight picture
rather than muddle it further. Hi
background is nothing to which
he can point for support of an,
title claim, New York, California
Oslo, Warsaw or Egypt.
Yet, there he is with that Apos
toll victory. a ripe plum for some
one to kick off the fistic limb
providing there is not too muel
New York influence in the fight