The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-03-07
Greg. q. s. Pat. Off,
BY JACK GUENTHER


New York, March - (UP) =
Eighteen months ago the boy was
sick, tired and discouraged. He had
lost several heartbreaking fights, he
needed an appendix operation and
his weight had gone up to I'll
pounds. In his own words, he was
ready to give up. He felt like STEP
ping from his hotel window into
space-anything, just to end his
misery.
Tonight the same boy goes back
into the ring. His face Is tan, his
voice is resolute and his body Is
harder than a miSer'S heart. He
bristles with nervous energy and his
weight is down to 100 pounds. He
laughs now and tells jokes. No long
er does he sit and stare into space.
He is ready, willing--and he says lie
is able-to win back the middle
weight title.
The name is Fred Apostoli, and
the credit goes to the navy.
1.-THE navy gave me the will to
live" Apostoli told me simply. 'Un-
til enlisted ! had no incentive to
do anything. I believed the whole
world had turned against me and
I didn't much care what happened.
Now that is all changed. belong to
something. I'm part Of something.
have friends whom like and
who like me. 7 have something to
win for"
You probably remember the Apos-
toll of the old days. The cbattling
bellhop" they called him. He had
been fighting since he saw his first
pair of boxing gloves at the age of
five and finally he came out of
San Francisco and turned the big
town right on its ear. He whipped
or kayoed all the good ones-Steele,
Lee, Young Corbett, Seelig, Krieger.
He won the title and then lost 1t
and suddenly he was washed up. He
was weak and his spirit was broken.
So he took a rest and finally he
Joined the navy and went to Nor
folk as a physical instructor. He got
up at 4:30 a. m. for road work and
he punched the bag and he worked
himself back into shape. He did all
this in addition to his regular duties.
"It wasn't easy at first" he said
as he cut into big hunk Of steak.
"But once the boys down at Nor
folk took an interest in me it be-
came easy. Slowly, ! got back the
urge. The officers helped me lot
and / got q new manager. You
know him, Hal Scadron. Along with
by navy boss, Commander Gearing,
we started looking around for a
comeback fight"
Freddie got the fight. The oppo-
nent was Wild Bill Bowling, who
had drawn a few weeks earlier with
Ken Overlin. Apostoli knocked him
out in two rounds. Then he went
against joey Spangler, who never
had been knocked out before. This
one lasted five rounds. Then he
went to Washington, knocked out
Ell Brookman in six-and broke his
hand.
That was last October. Since then
Freddie has been teaching boxing
at Norfolk, promoting smokers for
his mates and working, working,
working to tougher himself. Tonight
he fights Ridgewood Grove against
Augie Arellaro. It is q small club
and an obscure opponent but for
Aposton 1t Is the now or never
chance to prove himself to himself.
"Tf I get by this one-and I know
I WILL want somebody really
tough" he said, drinking big tlim-
bier Of milk "Hal won't let me take
things too fast and he, Ray Arcel
and Commander Gearing are the
men I'm listening to now. After
they get me. that one real tough one
and win 1t, then 1t on to Tony
zale for the title"
What brought about this reStlr-
gance Of spirit In q boy whom the
fight mob gave up in bewilderment?
Well, as Fred says, 1t Is just q feel
ing that at last he belongs to some-
thing. He doesn't need money, he
Is happy at his work, and he makes
no plans until his commander ap-
proves them. But he figures he
owes a debt and he wants to repay
1t.
"The fellows know at Norfolk
are pulling for me-" he said. 'sThey
believe in me. That may sound
funny because nobody who has
never been in the navy can pos
slbly understand what / mean. I'm
no kid, you know. I'm 20. But for
the first time since as long ago as
I can remember, somebody cares
whether I win or not. My buddieg
believe IN mel can't let them
aANlrla INo..aA Aa.as ~. nAn...4nnaH Z