Hanna Reaches 100 by Tom Podmore Jun 10th 2008

Birmingham's Anthony Hanna reached a personal milestone of a century of professional fights in Scotland last night (June 9) – winning a belt in the process. The iron-chinned Second City survivor, always renowned for his incredible ability to soak up a solid punch, shocked a sell-out crowd at Glasgow's Radisson Hotel by flattening and then pummelling solid Glasgow favourite Furhan Rafiq to a tenth and final round victory on Monday evening. The victory, the 21st of his career, added the vacant British Masters featherweight belt to his collection. And this is the second time Hanna has been in possession of a title. He won the vacant Midland Area flyweight crown in Solihull in 1994 (a ten-round decision over Leicester's Shaun Norman) and was also capable enough to challenge for the British and Commonwealth flyweight titles in 1999, conceding a competitive 12-round decision to world-rated Irishman Damaen Kelly, Belfast, at Manchester's always-atmospheric Bowler's Arena. The durable Midlander once went on a six-fight unbeaten run (two draws), a spell without defeat that led him to his unexpected crack at the Lonsdale Belt before the turn of the century. If you want to put in perspective the toughness of his career then look no further than the combined records of those he's crossed swords with – a staggering 554-292-53. Never matched easily, he's fearlessly gone to battle with everyone from Area level to those who've won recognised versions of world titles (and all the rest in between). Few journeymen litter his record. You want names? Here are just some of the men Hanna has swapped leather with in his productive and fight-filled 16-year paid career: Paul Ingle, Mickey Cantwell, Paul Weir, Jason and Nicky Booth, Noel Wilders, Damaen Kelly, Ady Lewis, Ian Napa, Nicky Cook, Dimitri Kirilov, Michael Hunter, Faprakob Rakkiatgym, Martin Power, Willie Limond, Jesper Jensen, Rendall Munroe, Billy Corcoran, John Murray, Femi Fehintola… The list could easily go on. And Anthony, who turns 34 in September, has only failed to hear the final bell on two occasions (15 years apart). He was stopped in his second professional outing, a sixth and final round defeat against Darren Fifield, a future Commonwealth champion, and in his 99th, crumbling under the iron-laden fists of dangerous Welsh banger Ricky Owen on a rain-soaked night at Wolverhampton Civic Hall last summer. But he held his own with some big-hitting prospects in the interim period. Scarborough's Paul Ingle, later to reign as IBF world featherweight boss, gave him a count but was extended over six and Paul Weir, a two-weight WBO champion, was taken the full eight. Future European champion Nicky Cook couldn't put a dent in the pocket-sized battler, nor could Russia's Dimitri Kirilov, the reigning IBF super-flyweight king who was taken the full six in 2000. Some of the men beaten include Nottingham-based Nicky Booth, the enigmatic and entertaining future British and Commonwealth flyweight monarch, as well as Norwich's Jackson Williams, unbeaten in five at the time and a future Amir Khan victim. Promoter Dave Coldwell was outscored over six, British Masters champ Chris Emanuele stopped in three and touted Scot Alston Buchanan, with only one defeat in 12 entering, also torn apart before the bell rang to end the third. The never-say-die scrapper, who joins a long and esteemed list of Birmingham-based fighters to have reached a century of fights, might be coming to the end of his long and hard-fought career but is far from a pushover or an easy night's work. Hanna's 100th contest, which saw him given a special certificate from the Midland Area council and a silver plate from promoter Tommy Gilmour, sees his paid ledger now read a misleading 21-72-7 (7). But that shock stoppage victory over the current Scottish champion shows there is still plenty of life left in the old dog.

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good career, excellent writeup Jun 12th 2008, 05:43:32 by ian edwards thumbs up and congrats to hanna.   A fine servant. Jun 11th 2008, 13:03:41 by metchampion Very many congratulations on reaching the one hundred mark in such superb fashion. You are a credit to your sport. Misleading indeed. I was an inspector on the southern area council, then a timekeeper - trust me, I sat ringside and saw many a 'prospect' scrape through against very professional and underrated so called 'journeymen' such as Anthony. Once again, many congratulations.   misleading? Jun 11th 2008, 07:00:02 by dansapien Hiow misleading can 21-72-7 actually be? (Hiow? Sorry, I don't understand your question having never come across this word before. Further apologies for mimicking your pedantry. Will you please just go away?)