STUART HALL has already lived a number of different lives. There were the ‘early years’ in Darlington, when he emerged as a promising boxing prospect. Then, there were the ‘lost years’ in Ibiza, when a lifestyle of drink, drugs and dance music turned his life upside down.

More recently, there have been the ‘glory years’ that saw him become only the second North-East fighter to claim a world title, followed by the ups and downs that have seen him sever his ties with his former promoter, form a new alliance with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom operation and battle his way back up the rankings after suffering two world-title defeats.

Such a myriad of experiences would be more than enough for most people, but sit down and speak to Hall, and it quickly becomes clear that the 36-year-old believes he is only starting. Everything that has happened so far has been building to what is going to happen next Saturday night.

In seven days’ time, at around 9pm, Hall will climb into the ring in front of 20,000 people at London’s O2 Arena. In the opposite corner will stand IBF World Bantamweight champion Lee Haskins, a blast from Hall’s past given the pair first met back in the summer of 2012.

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Fighting as the main support to Kell Brook’s blockbusting World Middleweight unification bout with Gennady Golovkin, Hall has the opportunity to become the first North-Easterner ever to reclaim a world title.

Redemption awaits, along with a potentially career-defining showdown with WBA World Bantamweight champion Jamie McDonnell, which Hall has been pursuing for the best part of half-a-decade.

All the hours of training, all the bruising punches and punishing brawls. Twenty-six fights into his professional career, and it all comes down to this.

“This feels like everything really,” said Hall, who first claimed a world title when he outpointed Vusi Malinga in Leeds in 2013. “Winning the world title was amazing, and then defending it here in the North-East was special too. But everything else is in the shadows compared to this.

“This is what it’s all been about. The chance to box in front of 20,000 people, on the biggest show of the year, and to make history by winning the title back. Nobody can take away the fact that I’m a world champion, but being a two-time world champion puts you on a completely different level.

“It hasn’t always been smooth in the last couple of years, and I’ve had to take a couple of steps back to get to where I want to be, but this feels like destiny now. Everything’s fallen into place for me to get into that ring next weekend and show everyone what I’m capable of. There’s no way on earth that I’m losing that fight.”

Hall has always exuded confidence, but there’s something about him ahead of this fight – a sprightliness combined with a focused, steely determination – that suggests he knows this is make-or-break in terms of defining his career.

Win, and he creates North-East sporting history, as well as catapulting himself into the very top level of British boxers. Lose, and you suspect that might be it in terms of competing on the world stage.

Since losing to Randy Caballero in Monte Carlo at the end of 2014, Hall has been forced to take on a series of low-profile fights in order to rebuild his reputation and persuade his new promoters he is capable of returning to the highest level.

Things changed in April though, when he comprehensively outclassed the highly-rated Rodrigo Guerrero to establish himself as the IBF’s mandatory challenger to Haskins. That set up next weekend’s showdown, which is a rematch of the July 2012 fight that saw Bristol-based Haskins unanimously outpoint Hall to claim the European title.

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“That fight means nothing,” said Hall. “I hope they’re looking at it and expecting the same again, because if they are, they’re going to be seriously disappointed.

“That’s like a different world compared to where I’m at now. I’ve won world titles and taken on some of the best fighters in the game since then – Haskins has fought nobody and had his title handed to him on a plate (when Caballero failed to make the weight in Las Vegas).

“I look at Haskins, and I don’t see anything he can do to hurt me. I don’t get hurt and I don’t get knocked out, and he’s got nothing to be able to change that.

“Look at me on the other side of the ring though. I’m fitter than I’ve ever been before, I’m stronger than I’ve ever been before and I’m also a much better boxer. He’s probably expecting me to go bulldozering in from the start, but I’m going to outbox him as well as out-powering him.

“I was sparring with Frankie Gavin this week, and he was saying he’s never seen me hit so hard or so clean. He said, ‘I’ll be honest with you Stu – when I first came in and saw you in the ring, I thought how did you become world champion? Now, I know. It’s only when you trade punches with you, you realise how good you are’.

“The sparring’s been brilliant, and I’ve been so focused with the training over the last couple of months. The last time I fought Haskins, I was in a Chinese restaurant picking up a take-away the night before the fight. This last week, I’ve been having smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for my breakfast.”

Much of Hall’s new-found dedication stems from his relationship with his trainer, Paddy Lynch. The 71-year-old Midlander has become something of a father figure to Hall, guiding him through his day-to-day living as well as his training.

Hall has been living in Lynch’s family home in Solihull, and training every day in his gym in Birmingham. There has been no drinking, no socialising, no unhealthy eating. Just a string of world-class sparring partners and regular sessions with nutritionists, masseurs and strength-and-conditioning specialists.

“I feel like a professional now,” said Hall. “No disrespect to the people I’ve worked with in the past, but I was winging it at the start of my career. I wasn’t living properly or training properly, and it probably showed in some of my performances and results.

“Since linking up with Paddy, everything’s been totally different. He’s turned everything around, and I’d love to win this world title for him. He’s in his 70s now, but he’s thrown his doors open to me and treated me like one of the family.

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“He cooks me my dinner every night, and I try to repay him by doing the washing up. When I get the belt next Saturday, it’ll all be down to him.”

In the eyes of the bookmakers, Hall starts as the outsider as he looks to wrestle back his title. In the eyes of the challenger though, there is only going to be one winner.

“Listen, this only finishes one way,” he said. “I’m not normally one for shooting my mouth off, but I’m going to win this fight. In fact, I tell you what, I’ll say right now that I’ll win it in six. Once it gets to six rounds, I’ll have shut Haskins up once and for all.”