BOXING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIII, Issue 26, 28 May 1912, Page 8

BOXING.

PORTER v. MAXWELL. [following is the account given by thj "Wanganni Herald" of the fight between Maxwell and Porter at Wanga:itii on Friday last: — Both Porter and Maxwell took the eyo well, and appeared thoroughly lit —:l fact that was phoved by the way they lasted through a strenuous 15 rounds. The weights were announced as : M..xw611, 9.12; Porter, 9.13. Maxwell quickly established a lead, Lu.ding the left apparently at will, but Porter soon found his feet and gave as good as he got. Both boys mixed it with a will, the left being the favourite weapon in the carliei stages. Every round bristled with exchanges and the pace was often fas! and furious. Maxwell would jump in with a left at either head or body,

■ and Porter was quite willing to accommodate him, and both would hammer away to the King's taste until 1 the "break, break" of the referee ■ would part them. Honours were " even in the second round, Maxwell pinning his faith to long-range lefts, '' while Porter was making good play ! with the similar weapon at close charters; his loft hook to the jaw was 1 a profitable punch. At this stage 1 and for some, rounds to come, Max- : well's blows appeared to carry more ' weight, and some of lus right chop:-. • to the neck—Porter took good care to tuck his jaw under the rampart ot his shoulder —must have been uneom- ' f'ortably obvious to his opponent. The ■ third was a rattling good round, the ; boxers rushing to close quarters from the gong. Breast to breast, thej smothered one another with punches; then either one or the other would drive his opponent before him with a shower of swings, upper-cuts, and , jolts, while the crowd yelled its appreciation of the rallies. Porter annexed the honours ostitis meeting by a bare margin. There was nothing to pick between them in the fourth, but Porter battled along and his score of points continued to pile up faster than his opponent's. Neither, however, was in much danger of a knock-out - at any time, and both had always a little in reserve. Put it must not be i thought that either spared himself, » and each round was battled through with the utmost vim. Thud! Thud! ■\ Maxwell would come boring in; and Thud! thud! Porter would fight him ■ off. Then the order would be re- . versed, and the blows would be sent • in almost faster than one could keep j count of. The fourth round threatened to be rather flat, when Maxwell I suddenly unwound a hay-making right awing, which, had it landed where it was intended to, would assuredly have made an end of things. But Porter was not to be caught napping; smart , footwork took him out of danger, and the punch merely clove the atmosphere. From then on there were no : more hay-makers, and the light progressed on somewhat similar lines to i bafore. But it was never dull, and though there were no knock-downs, ■ many of the blows taken by each boxer would have put paid to the account of one less tough. Maxwell tired perceptibly towards the end, and though he was responsible For some dangerous attacks in the last two rounds, he was unable to reach the Hastings boy's tally of points. "Porter wins" was a just and popular decision. The contest was fought out in a thoroughly sportsmanlike manner, and both boys received ovations on leaving the ring. The result came somewhat as a surprise to local fightfollowers, who had singled out Maxwell as the more likely to win. Neither of the contestants wore very badly marked, though Porter, whose eyebrow was opened, came off worse as far as actual visible damage was concerned. A return match should draw well at some future date. It was a rattling good fight. The points in rounds 1,3, and "> went to Maxwell, 2, I, 6, and 11 worr drawn, and Porter annexed the remaining eight.