STUART HALL'S “winning character” will make all the difference in Saturday's IBF World Bantamweight showdown with Vusi Malinga, according to the man who will be in his corner at Leeds' First Direct Arena.

Hall has been working with Leeds-based trainer Mick Marsden since the early days of his professional career, and the pair put the finishing touches to the North-Easterner's preparations earlier this week.

Having seen off Sergio Perales to claim the IBF Inter-Continental title in May, Hall stands on the cusp of the greatest triumph of his career.

And while Malinga represents stern opposition having already fought for a world title on two occasions, Hall boasts all the attributes required in a world champion.

“From the minute Stuart walked through the door, I knew he was something special,” said Marsden. “There's something about fighters like him that you can see straight away.

“You can never really say how far they're going to go because lots of things have to fall into place to get as far as Stuart has, but the raw materials have to be there and you can generally tell that from the word go.

“Stuart is a winner, simple as that. He always has been, and that's what will make the difference at the weekend. He's not afraid to lay it all on the line because he'll do anything and everything to come out on top.

“You only see that in the very best. You can train and work on skill and technique, but it's also about the person and whether you have the heart for the fight. It takes a special person to have the drive and temperament to get to the highest level.

“With Stuart, I think it also helps that he's lived a bit. He's not some fresh-faced kid who came straight out of the amateur ranks. He's seen a fair bit of life, and that just makes him even more determined not to let this chance pass away.”

The Northern Echo: GETTING READY: Darlington's Stuart Hall `

Hall had his final full sparring session with Rendall Munroe on Monday, and Marsden feels the choice of training partner for the 33-year-old could also have a major effect on Saturday's result.

Munroe, a former EBU and Commonwealth champion, generally fights at super bantamweight, so Hall has been forced to trade blows with a fighter well above his own weight.

“He knew exactly what we were going to get with Rendall – world-class sparring,” said Marsden. “We could have gone down the route of bringing an African lad over, but we needed to be certain that Stuart was going to be pushed all the way.

“Rendall's 33 and very experienced at world-class level. He's a southpaw, like Malinga, and he still has ambitions of fighting at the very highest level. He's been perfect for sparring because he's exactly like Malinga will be. Stuart's shown he can deal with that, and that should help when he goes toe-to-toe with Malinga at the weekend.”