Wallace a winner, thanks to earlier following the rules

Brendon Wallace struggles with Rene Raschka shortly before picking up a TKO victory due to blood at the River City Rumble. PHOTO/LEWIS GARDNER

It was a strange way for Wanganui Warrior Brendon Wallace to win a fight - against Rotorua's Rene Raschka - when a trickle of his own blood stopped the contest at the River City Rumble on Saturday night.

Raschka looked to grapple Wallace early on in the three-round bout, leaving the home-town fighter to try body shots, with Raschka being warned for taking them to the mat with a near headlock.

Raschka kept trying the leg trip entering the second round, before Wallace was able to respond with some excellent punch and kick combinations that hurt the Rotorua fighter and left him swaying.

In another grapple in round three, Raschka saw a trickle of blood from Wallace's nose and walked away, with the referee inspecting and ending the fight to the confusion of the Wanganui War Memorial crowd, who thought their guy was being robbed. The official then got on the microphone and explained, if one competitor has not submitted an official blood test, then, in the event of blood, the fight is stopped with the other fighter declared the winner.

This was done for the safety of the athletes to protect against hepatitis and HIV infections, the referee said.

Wallace, who had submitted his test, received a TKO win.

"These guys are told, months and months in advance, 'get bloods done'," said promoter Steve Alderton.

"It's a shame, but Brendon was well ahead [on the scorecards]."

Whanganui Thai Fighters' Conroy King was not as fortunate against Rotorua's Jake McCowatt, who started with rapid-fire combinations that did damage.

In the second round, King's left eyebrow was cut open and after an inspection by the ringside doctor, the fight was called.

TPK Whanganui's Conrad Gray had a height disadvantage to overcome with New Plymouth's Callum MacBeth, and got a warning after tripping him over a couple of times.

MacBeth settled in the second round and connected when Gray came forward, getting in some big upper cuts.

It was leg kicks vs roundhouse punches in the third round in a massive exchange of blows, with MacBeth pouring it on in the later stages, and, although Gray was still there to the finish, the unanimous decision went against him.

Wanganui Warrior Brayden Maua showed his power early on against Masterton's Matt Gain, with power blows every time an opening appeared.

But Gain was cagey - defending well, getting his shots in and getting quickly out of harm over the next two rounds, with Maua moving backwards to create room but simply unable to get off as many strikes as he needed.

Gain convinced two of the three judges he had done enough to get the decision.