HANNAN BEATEN.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1521, 17 August 1912, Page 5

HANNAN BEATEN.

A RING SURPRISE, MAXWELL WINS ON POINTS. HIS DISPLAY CLEVER. Only about a thousand people attended tho Wellington Boxing Association's proicssional contests «t tho Town Hall, mid "t rather seems (hat tho recent uuaVoidable postponement of tho Hannan-Mur-phy match will mean'a substantial loss to the association. 'I'his, of courfo, was wiiortunale, tho more so when it is men.tioncd that Allen Maxwell, of Tnranaki who was selected by tho association to fill Murphy'., place, .proved a more than worthy substitute. Not only did ho provo tfiyal o going tho full fifteen rounds with llaunnn, but he won easily on points. Maxwell j s ttn cx-lighU-cight amateur champion of New Zealand, and Has shown good form in all his professional contests. The clash between him and Hanuan last night was worthy of a much bettor attendance, ftannan had not previously been beaten in Wellington, and ins deieat last night was certainly not expected. The contest did not begin nntil about 0.20 p.m., and occupied just an hour. Mr. T. Satnpson was referee.

PRELIMINARY. ' "Gnat" Williams, 9st. 131b., versus W. Rogers, 9st. 12ib. uuer ,'I' 1 , 1 ? ten-round contest between "rinal" \VUliauis, of Tokoniaru, and "Wallv" lvogers, of Wellington, did not go tho prescribed distance, Ko S ers being disqualified lor holding m the ninth round, alter having frequently offended previously. Tho weights ot the men wna given as, Williams 9st, 131b., and Rogers list. 121b. Rogers opened vigorously in tho first round, but bis methods wore mostly wild swings, which his moro skilled opponent casilv avoided. In tho sixth, however, Roger's landed a right to the head'carlv, and then jammed Williams on the ropes, tho latter appearing to bo in- trouble until Iho referco forcibly pulled Rogers off. In tho ?iF'ii- I: °" lld R °E crs k«l't hanging on to Williams, amid cries of "Send them home/ Mr. Sampson gavo Rogers a final warning at the end of tho round, but tho Wellington man continued to hold during tho ninth, and tho referee had no option but to disqualify him, and award the contest to Williams. Tho crowd echoed their approval. •-- THE MAIN EVENT. Allen Maxwell, est, 121b., beat W. Hannan, 10st., on points. When the combatants for tho big contest stood before the crowd, Maxwell looked the sturdier and heavier of tho two, but tho weights wore given as: Hannan, lust.s Maxwell, 9 s t. )21b. Tho men agreed to adhere to the "clean break." There was practically nothing doing in tho first round, llnnuau stepping back from Maxwell's straight lefts. On • the only occasion on which Iho manoeuvring actually caino to blows, Itannan was warned not to uso (he "kidney punch." '' Early in the second round Maxwell's left found ilannan's face, landing with' considerable effect on an old mark. This early success spurred Maxwell on, and, though the boxing was -comparatively quiet in_ the first half-dozen rounds,' tho Taranaki bay, while crouching low and keeping well out of the road of Hamiau's right, was doing all tho leading, and stoadjly piling on tho points. Eamian was apparently non-plussed, and did not woko up until the eighth round, when ho went in to "mix it." Tho hitting was brisker on both sides, and tho men retired to their corners amid cheering. Operations wcra quieter in tho next round, but at tho cud of tho tenth, after a brisk interchange of blows, Max. well drove a right upporcut to Hamum's jaw, and followed it with a straight left, and tho cheers for him were renewed.

It was in tlio next round Hint Hannan seemed to realise ho was almost hopelessly behind on points, and quito early ho got his right homo to Maxwell's head and followed on with loft and right boity Mows. Maxwell planted "his left on Han- ! Mn'a faco as t'lio ,gon~ sounded, ljut it | was Haunan's round— tho only one of tho fifteen. Hannan did not improve in tlio twelfth, but ho fought hard in tho thirteenth, and was evidently tryinjr very hard for a 'liuock-out." At ono stago of Ibis rpvmd, Maxwoll appeared to run gravo risk of losing on a • foul—hitting whilo holding—and with such a lead on points ho. was foolish, to take any risks.

lu' the concluding rounds Maxwell increased liis lend, and tho rofex&o's decision in his favour was received with wild cheering, which continued for somo minutes after the. contest. Undoubtedly tho winner had showed splendid form,* and, if Haunan appeared to shape below his best, Maxwell showed himself a real general by evading his opponent's most powt crful weapon—tho Tight—while, tho.manner in which ho led, ducked and smothered drew well-earned applause. It was a testimony, to his excellent defence that lieleft tho ring with hardly a mark. B"o is : n very promising boxer indeed—remarkably quick, aggressive, and clever both in attack and defence.