The morning call., 1890-04-29
FIFTEEN ROUNDS.
Billy Mahan Defeats Billy Shan.
non Rather Easily.
A Nights Sport at the Occidental Athletic
Club -" Frenchy" and McCafferty Fox
Ten-Round Draw.

The Occidental Athletic Club gave Its
monthly fistic exhibition last evening. At
ter a ten-round 'go," which was decided a
draw by Referee Donaldson, between Nc
Cafferty and "Frenchy," the event of the
evening was called. 1t was a contest to a.
finish between Billy Mahan and Billy Shan
non, both local aspirants to pugilistic
fame. Patsy Morgan was chosen referee.
The contestants entered the ring showing
fairly good condition. Mahan looked wiry
and frail compared with his opponent, who
certainly appeared to be the more powerful
man..
In the first second, third and fourth
rounds of the fight Shannon held the lead
ing hand and did very good work with his
left driver, dropping his duke quite fire.
quently on Mahan's nasal appendage. The
latter seemed to be bit puzzled until he
had properly gagged his opponent in the
fifth round.
LOST HIS HEAD.
When the sixth was called Mahan closed
in upon his opponent and some hot fighting
was done at close range Shannon lost his
head, so to speak, when Mahan forced the
fighting and missed several good oppOrtuni-
ties to land blows which wOnld have
counted in his favor. Mahan did not APP
pear to fight up to his usual form and
showed signs of weakness in the early
rounds when he should have been feeling
strong.
In the fourth round Mahan wrestled Shan
non down. In the eighth round Shannon
got thumped pretty freely on the ribs and
neck, and barely escaped being knocked
out by matchmaker on the jaw. In the
eleventh round Shannon was demoralized
and exhausted. He got completely pumped
and fell to the floor just as the gong
sounded, and had to be carried to his corner
He quickly recuperated, and in the twelfth
round made a splendid showing, driving
Mahan around the ring. lie gained little
heart and fought well in the thirteenth
round In the fourteenth he seemed to go
to pieces, and completely ignoring the good
ssd ql OF ms seconds he ran bang into
Mahan's fists, and to protect his face he
held his head under Mahan's left wing
His seconds tried hard to keep him away
from his opponent, who is by far the more
experienced fighter, but the good advice
was only wasted on the small-brained boy,
who used not particle of judgment once
he had become ratified
CHOPPING BLOCK.
In the fifteenth round he simply acted the
ehOpping block for Mahan, who buffeted
him in the body and neck when and where
he pleased. Shannon went down three
times and on regatning his pins he was sent
down for the fourth time for keeps.
The fight up TO the sixth round was very
good, but after that it was minus any iu-
terest, as Shannon had gone TO pieces and
lost all control of himself. In fact it looked
very much as If Shannon had arranged to
90 out al a certain time, but those who
know the defeated pugilst would cry down
any such report, as Shannon had his heart
set on winning this contest.
The fact OF the matter is he became ex-
cited, and any one who noticed the be-
wlldered expression in his eyes after he had
been carried to his corner at the finish of
the eleventh round, could see that his
brains were muddled and that his chances
of winning were very slim.
MahHn who, by the way, might have been
in better condition, was a much exhausted
man at the termination of the fifteenth
round. Excepting "a swollen lip land nose
the punishment he had received was very
light.
A FOOLISH PUG.
Shannon fought almost entirely with his
left hand; bis right Is of little use to him,
Mahan's left has improved very much and
he used 1t to good advantage last evening.
He did a very foolish thing, however. to
issue challenge to fight any man of his
weight in America. Billy Murphy of Aus
tralia could stop both Mahan and Shannon
in one night without much effort. AS for
Shannon, he will never make a pugilist for
the simple reason that he carries on his
shoulders head, the inside workings of
which are altogether too slow for a man who
hopes to succeed in prize-fghting
His friends will try and have him escLew
the prize-ring and follow some business
where less judgment will be required to in
sure a livelihood.