TRACY BEATEN.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1240, 23 September 1911, Page 6

TRACY BEATEN.

BANNAN, THE CHAMPIOfI. COUNTED OUT FOR FIRST TIME. GREAT CONTEST AT TOWN HALL GOES FIFTEEN HOUNDS. "It's tho first time I've over been counted out," was what that game and clever boxer, "Tim" Tracy, told a Dominion reporter last evening somo five or ten minutes after he had lost the light-weight championship of New Zealand to tho moro youthful "Billy" Hannan, of West Maitland. "I was fairly beaten," added Tracy. "I have nothing to say against tho boy's victor}-. He beat me fairly and squarely, but I heard every count. I honestly thought that I was leading on points up to tho knock-out. Howovor, we meet again in Auckland on November 9." If tho Auckland people seo such a contest as Wellington patrons • witnessed at tho Town Hall last night, they will bo fortunate,' indeed. It was probably a record crowd for,a local contest, and it tilled the building. At a quarter to 8 o'clock tho attendance was little short of 1900, and, when the preliminaries began tho spectators must have totalled over 2000. Tracy's reputation for ring cleverness, taken in conjunction with the fine impression which Hannan had created in his recent contest here, naturally led tho public to expect a great battle, and they got it. The men stepped into the ring at about 0.20 p.m., and both looked the acmo of fettle. Their weights were givon as 9st. 121b. each. While they were still in their corners, the referee stepped forward with Arthur Kelly, of Blenheim, and announced that Kelly was desrous of meeting tho winner, and the crow/1 applauded. From the opening round tho match was full of interest, and it was good to see the excellent spirit in which both the principals carried on the battle. ,Tra£y tecured a lead in the first half of the battle, and maintained it for two-thirds of tho strenuous plank which both combatants were walking. Then Hainan's determined look became more determined still, and he set about making up tho points. When the final round came, both men had been down once, but they shook hands in a manner that might have suggested that they had both been fighting a common opponent. \V hen the round ■ was half-way through, Tracy was sent down to bo counted out, and the bout closed amidst vociferous entering both for victor and vanquished. Seen after the fray, Hannan stated that he had gone into the ring feeling quite confident, and quite determined to put up a good fight. He thought that he was in front after the twelfth round, and well in front when tho last round began. Hannan remains in New Zealand for some time ,and will train on for his second match with Tracy. Each competitor took i£so of last night's purse. " Tho two • preliminary contests to the championship match were both worth seeing, and helped to make a first-class evening's sport. The arrangements w.ere creditable to the secretary (Mr. W. G. Talbot) and tho various other officials of tha association. THE BIG CONTEST. Both men stood up, watching intently ror' tho first few seconds, and then Hannan sent his left to the body, and attempted. the' same feat again, following with a right. to the head, but Tracy blocked this with his left, and swung his right to some purpose. Hannan sent a straight left clean homo to Tracy's face at the end of the round, which closed with honours even. In tho second round, Tracy began early with a left to the faco,' and Hannan replied with his own "Roland", for Tracy's 'Oliver." Then Hannan twice .sent his left to Tracy's body, and swung left and right for tho face, but the champion countered the movement, and hooked in his right to some purpose. ■ A second later hostilities ceased until Hannan's glove could_ be .tied up. On resuming Hannan 6ent in left and right, and, subsequently, two body blows .ant Tracy down for a second, and Hannan had just scored, again with his left as the gong sounded. It was Hannan's round.

The champion opened tho third round with a couplo of good lefts, but Hannan was well atoot, and scored twice to tho body. Tracy landed some light taps with his left, but the Maitland boy presently 1 replied with a left swing which caught Tracy pretty hard. The latter, however, planted home a good right, and repeated the punishment, and as Hannan at this stage appeared quite ready nnd ■ willing to "mix it," the crowd showered applause on the combatants. Tracy had tha best of a warm interchange towards the close and tho round was his. Proceedings were milder in the fourth round. Tracy led off, and scored with tho first two hits, but Hannan was on hand with both left and right, and landed some telling blows, whilo Tracy neatly side-stepped several dangerous ones. If anything the round was in favour of Hannan. Early in the fifth clash Hannan feinted with the' right, and got his left towards Tracy's jaw, but the latter, usiug all his well-known art, safely avoided a dangerous delivery. Hannan then shot out his i left, but in somo brisk boxing that followed, Tracy scored. Hanna.n failed to connect with a right upper-cut, but, subsequently swung the right home twice-, and I'racy replied with two straight lefts. Hannan promptly camo in again with both hands at work. It was a good round, slightly in favour of the local man. The siitli round opened quietly, and Tracy was the first to get in, but Hannan soon came with a steamy left and right, and warm work ensued, both tho competitors making free uso of each hand. Things wore vigorous right up till tho gong sounded, Haanan snowing to most advantage. Immediately on stepping up in the seventh unpleasantness, Hannan swung left and right to Tracy's face, but tho latter at once caught the Australian on tho point with a heavy right, which visibly shook him, Hannan received another knock from Tracy's left, and then exchanged. body blows with tho champion. Tracy scored eeveral times subsequently, and tho round ended much in his favour. ■ A mild interchange marked the beginning of the eighth round, but presently Hannan lauded homo a splendid right siring. Tracy was clearly on the defensive for the next, half minute, aud. as Hannan followed him round, both smiled. Hannan then scored with tho left several times, and Tracy made a connection with one good right swing, but, on tho whole, it was Hannan's round. There was not much to choose between the men in. tho ninth round, though thero .was still plenty of fighting. But Tracy was clearly superior in the tenth, which lie opened by planting a good left to the face, and cleverly evading several dangerous endeavours by his opponent. Hannan eventually got a blow home, and then followed a brisk interchange, in which Tracy twice hit his opponent in a way- which steadied tho Cornstalk a lot. The champion was now forcing the fighting, but Hannan showed no disposition to shirk tho ordeal, though tho pace had slackened off somewhat as tho time for "corners" arrived.. The eleventh round was sensational. Tracy's left and right eariv found Hannan's jaw. Tho Australian managed to reply with a couple of light taps, but, as ho essayed a right swing, Tracy caught him fairly on tho point, and. put him down for five scconds. There wero oriea of "Foul!" as ono of tho seconds approached tho ropes, and tho referee had to stop the combatants, and caution the second to keep back. Before the end of tho round Hannan twice connectod with tho right, but at this stago Tracy was clearly leading.

Ilannan landed a right early in the next round, and Tracy promptly replied in much the samo style. Hannan then pushed his left honio twice, and, keeping lii-s head well, stepped back from a right upper-cut. Tho move, however, did not lake him into safety, for Tracy at onco landed him against tho ropes. Hannan, however, scored two to one for tho remainder of the round, and thus made up some of his leeway. Hannan became busy at once in t.lio next round, aud, after swinfrins his right to tho champion's head, made tho latter reel from a right upper-cut. Tracy got in a useful body blorc~ aad H.tiiran fiurunj liie right homo

again, but somehow liad the misfortune to bump his face against a heavy right punch. Tho pace now had tho crowd roaring, and Hamnan warned up, proportionately, nnd rained half a dozen blows with left and. right on Tracy's face just before the gong sounded. Tracy was then "groggy," and unablo to return tho attack. Hannan had thus pnlled up his points, and ho now scored with left- and right early in the penultimate round. Tracy's left was useful to him, but Hannan was scoring better, and the cliampion was evidently feeling tho effects of the previous round. The gong sounded amid a sceno of enthusiasm. The competitors then sihook hands with frioadly" smiles, and set out for victory. It was in-fighting now, and Hannan got in a right upper-cut, and then stood off, and swung his right in two half circles, scoring on each trip. Ho missed a right upper-cut, and Tracy landed a right to tho face. Hannan then planted right and left to the jaw in quick succession, and Tracy went down to be counted out for the first' timo in his career. _ Hannan ivas light-weight champion of New Zealand. PRELIMINARIES. Ellis, Bst. 91b., of Wellington, was matched against Ireland, Bst. 101b., of Waipawa. The first round was vigorously contested, and, after a spirited interchange of blows, Ireland essayed a right upper-cut and missed, while Ellis planted his right heavily on Ireland's jaw. Ireland replied willingly, but Ellis sidestepped, and ducked _ cleverly, and, towards the end of the round, got his right home to Irelands faco several times. In the second round Ellis opened quickly with a right to the face, and followed it up with a right upper-cut. Ireland was rattled, and from the next blow he was down for seven. Thence onwards he was unablo to reply to Ellis's attack, and, beforo the conclusion of the round, Mr. Sampson stopped the contest, and.announced Ellis tho victor. LIGHT-WEIGHTS, Eogers, 9st. 81b., defeated Hardy,: 9st. 121b., in eight rounds. In the opening round Rogers set a solid pace and did all the fighting. The second round was still in favour of Eogers, but, in tho third Hardy took a' hand in the hitting, and quite held -hi 6 owii. Prom that stage, however, Eogers had tho best of every round, and, at tho end of the last, ho was landing his right at will on Hardy's body and face. The latter, however, put up a creditable fight, and showed ability to take punishment.