WHEN Stuart Hall takes to the ring in Monte Carlo’s Salle Des Etoiles tomorrow night, he will be taking part in his fourth world-title fight in the space of ten months.

No other British fighter can even come close to that record, yet outside of his native North-East, and away from hardcore boxing circles, you could be forgiven for not even knowing that Darlington’s former world champion exists.

Despite this weekend’s IBF bantamweight showdown with American Randy Caballero being televised live on Channel Five – the first world-title fight involving a British boxer to be screened live on terrestrial television for almost a decade – interest in the fight remains minimal.

The national newspapers have barely mentioned it, the leading sports discussion shows on TV and radio have ignored it completely, and when Five Live produced an hour-long boxing special last week, Hall’s name was not given an airing.

Commentator Mike Costello and respected boxing pundit Steve Bunce discussed potential fights that might or might not take place two years down the line, but a meaningful world-title fight in one of the four main divisions taking place less than a fortnight later, featuring a former British champion attempting to regain his belt, was not deemed worthy of even a passing mention.

Five or six years ago, such widespread disinterest could be attributed to boxing being out of fashion. The sport was struggling, with a dearth of world-class British fighters coming through, and media exposure of any kind was difficult to achieve as a result.

That is not the case now. Carl Froch’s super-fight with George Groves sold out Wembley and returned boxing to the front pages, never mind the back, and with the likes of Carl Frampton, James DeGale, Amir Khan, Kell Brook, Anthony Joshua, Luke Campbell and Chris Eubank Jnr all making headlines as they either compete for world titles or get themselves into a position where they can realistically challenge for one, the sport is healthier than it has been for a couple of decades.

Yet still the refusal to acknowledge Hall’s talents and achievements remains. Why? Surely it can’t because he has the misfortune to share his name with the disgraced former presenter of ‘It’s A Knockout’?

That’s a flippant remark, but it’s increasingly hard to explain the unwillingness to give Hall the credit he deserves other than to wonder if the North-East is still viewed as a boxing backwater in national circles and therefore the impact of the region’s flag-bearer is diminished.

Some might argue that despite his four world-title fights, Hall is part of a weak weight division and is challenging for the IBF title when he would not feature in the top two or three fighters on other governing bodies’ lists.

Sadly, that’s the state boxing has got itself into, with a plethora of acronyms handing out a succession of belts. Gone are the days when there was only one world champion.

Yet anyone who watched Hall’s thrilling battle with Vusi Malinga last December can surely not quibble with his right to be competing at the very highest level or his willingness to lay everything on the line in the ring.

The Northern Echo:

His subsequent fights against Martin Ward, which ended in a draw after an unfortunate clash of heads, and Paul Butler, which saw him lose his title after a messy affair, were nowhere near the level of the Malinga fight, but then it’s hard to think of too many world-title bouts in any division that have matched last year’s epic in Leeds for drama or attrition.

Sometimes, boxers need a back-story to grab attention, hence the sustained interest in Britain’s former Olympic contingent and the sudden clamour to promote Chris Eubank Jnr, whose parentage meant he was always going to be of interest if he stepped into the ring.

That’s fine, but it’s hard to think of too many of Britain’s current crop who boast a more colourful background than Hall, a figure who has dragged himself from the gutter – quite literally on a number of occasions during his ‘lost years’ in Ibiza – to reinvent himself as the North-East’s second ever world champion.

The 34-year-old is approachable, witty, down-to-earth and driven – all the attributes you would want if you were trying to generate interest in a story.

He’s also from Darlington though, and had he been born in London, Manchester or Sheffield instead – areas that are perceived to have a much greater boxing pedigree – it’s hard not to wonder if he would be a much bigger star.

That’s a real shame, and while the likes of Bradley Saunders, in the professional ranks, and Savannah Marshall, in the amateur game, are achieving great things, Hall’s experiences underline just how much work is still required if North-East boxing is to be allowed to punch its weight.

Having worked closely with Hall over the last couple of years, I desperately hope he wins tomorrow to become the North-East’s only two-time world champion. Win, lose or draw though, I’m even keener to see him finally gain the recognition he deserves.

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CHED EVANS is hardly doing himself any favours with the video message that was aired on the internet following his release from prison having been convicted of rape.

He continues to protest his innocence and outline his desire to have the case taken to the Court of Appeal – as is his right if he believes he did not commit the crime – but his comments lack contrition and can only increase the suffering of the victim of the case, who has had to assume a new identity after being exposed on social media.

Nevertheless, none of that should detract from Evans’ right to resume his career as a footballer. It might sit extremely uneasily to see a convicted rapist playing professional football while he is on parole, but one of the core tenets of the British penal system is that a criminal should be afforded the chance of rehabilitation into society once he or she has been punished for their crime.

A parole board has ruled that Evans should be freed, and from that point onwards, provided he abides by the terms of his release and does not reoffend, he should be able to resume his life as he sees fit.

Football, for all the talk of players being role models and clubs being an active part of the community, is really no different to any other sphere of employment. If Evans is not afforded the opportunity to return to the world of work, we might as well lock up all criminals forever and throw away the key.