BOXING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 78, 19 August 1912, Page 4

BOXING.

A lUXG SURPRISB. MAXWELL BEATS HAXXAX. HIS CLEVER DISPLAY. Says Saturday's Dominion: Only about a thousand people attended thr Wellington Boxing Association's professional contests at the Town Hall, and id rather seems that the recent unavoidable postponement of the Hannan-Murphy match will mean a substantial loss to the Association. This, of course, was unfortunate, the more as when it is mentioned that Allen Maxwell, of Taranaki, who was selected by the Association t» iill Murphy'* place, proved a more than worthy substitute. Not only did he prove, equal to going- the full fifteen rounds with Hannan, but he won easily on points. Maxwell is an ex-light-weight amateur champion of Xew Zealand,, and has shown good form in all his professional contests. Hannan had not previously been beaten in Wellington, and! his defeat last night was certainly not. expected. The contest did not begin until about 'J.2O p.m., and occupied just an hour. Mr. T. Sampson was referee. When the combatants stood before, thecrowd, Maxwell looked the sturdier and! heavier of the two, but the weights wero given as: Hannan lOst, Maxwell list 121b. The men agreed to adhere to the "clean break." There was practically nothing doing in the' first round, Hannan stepping back from Maxwell's straight lefts. • On th» only occasion on which the manoeuvring actually came to blows, Hannan was warned not to use the "kidney punch."

' Early in the second round Maxwell's loft found Hannan'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, thd Taranaki boy, while crouching low and keeping well out of the road of Hannan's • right, was doing all the leading, and steadily piling on the points. ,' Hannan was apparently non-plusfietf, and did not wake up until the eighth round, when he went in to "mix it." The hitting was brisker on both fiides, and the men retired to their corners amid cheering. Operations were quieter in the next; round, but at the end of the tenth, after a brisk interchange of 'blows, Maxwell drove a right uppercut to Hannan'sjaw, and followed it with a straight left, and the cheers for him were renewed. It was in the next round that Hannan* secrhed to realise he was almost hopelessly behind on points, and quite early he got his right home to Maxwell's headland followed on with left and right body blows. Maxwell planted his left on Hannan's face as the gong sounded, but it was Hannan's round—the only one of" the fifteen. Hannan did not improve in the twelfth,, but he fought hard in the thirteenth,, and was evidently trying very hard for a "knock-out." At one stage of this round. Maxwell appeared to run grave risk of losing on a foul—hitting whil« holding—and with such a lead on points he was foolish to take any risks. In the concluding rounds Maxwell increased his lead, and the Teferee's decision in his favor was received with wild cheering, which continued for some minutes after the contest. Undoubtedly th« winner had showed splendid form,'and, if Hannan appeared to shape below his best, Maxwell showed himself a real general by evading his opponent's most powerful weapon—the right—while the manner in which he led, ducked and smothered, drew well-earned applause. It was a testimony to his excellent defence that he left the ring with hardly a mark. He is a very promising boxer indeed—remarkably quick, aggressive, and clever both in attack and defence.