Career
Notably, he fought through his entire career with a metal plate in his right arm – limiting his range of motion to 5 to 7 inches – and a dead or dying kidney, both as a result of childhood injuries. In April 1950, at Duquesne Gardens in Pittsburgh, Affif was ahead in a fight with Laurent Dauthuille, in the elimination bout for a title shot with Jake LaMotta. After getting knocked down in the ninth round, Affif was on his feet taking the mandatory standing eight count, when Dauthuille moved out of his neutral corner and pounced on him for the kill at 1:15.
Affif went into the ring four more times after this loss, winning two and losing two, his last loss to Gene Hairston.
He"d signed to meet Bobby Dykes and was back in training at the Pittsburgh Lyceum, when he complained of an unusual weariness. He was taken to the nearby Mercy Hospital where X-rays revealed that he had a dead right kidney that dated back to 1944, the same year that he began his boxing career.
Doctors explained it as not a boxing injury at all, but an old football injury from his years as a semi-professional running back. Affif"s story is also the basis of the 2011 novel "Poor Manitoba"s Out".
Ownership and Name Change
When Fritzie lacked the adequate time to devote to Affif"s career, he sold his contract to Billy Sarkis and Hymie Schwartz, also of Pittsburgh.
From then on, he fought under his birth name, Charley Affif.