The first fight is essentially Zale's "breakout" performance against NBA MW titlist Al Hostak in a non-title fight. The big-punching Hostak floored Zale in the first round, but Zale displayed his toughness and resilience by boxing Hostak to a standstill over the next several rounds. After Hostak tried (and failed) to get a KO with an all-or-nothing attack in the 5th, Zale drove forward and won the remaining rounds. Zale's upset victory earned him a shot at Hostak's title, which he duly won with a 13th-round stoppage. What impresses me most about this vid is how quick on his feet and versatile Zale was at this time - a far cry from the largely flatfooted fighter we see in the Cerdan and Graziano films. Shortly after winning the title, Zale suffered his own shocking non-title loss when he was outboxed by the lanky Billy Soose over 10 rounds. Soose would go on to win a version of the MW title himself and has the distinction of having never been stopped in his career.
