HALL RETIRES
Leg injury closes door on a career that delivered more than expected
STUEY HALL has announced his retirement at the age of 38, and is rightfully proud of his haul of British, Commonwealth and IBF bantamweight titles. He walks away with a record of 21-7-2 (7), citing an injury to his left leg as the main reason for his departure.
“I never really thought this day would come, but in the end, it’s an easy decision,” Hall, Darlington’s first world titlist, told The Northern Echo after a 10-year professional career. “I tried to hide it, but for the last year or so I haven’t been able to feel anything in my left leg.”
Some would say that Hall overachieved after an infamous existence as a party animal in Ibiza as a young man. As tough as they come, Hall lost three of his last four bouts in good company but never once failed to hear the final bell.
“Since the [Paul] Butler fight in September [l pts 12], my leg has pretty much constantly been numb. I put it down to a bit of sciatica and thought the feeling would eventually come back, but it didn’t.
‘NOT BAD FOR A LAD WHO JUST ABOUT KILLED HIMSELF PARTYING’
“I got offered the fight against [Gavin] Mcdonnell [l pts 12] at Newcastle Arena in June, and didn’t want to turn it down. I could still train, I could still box, so I thought I’d be fine.
“I thought I’d better get it checked out before the fight though, so a couple of weeks before, I went to see a specialist and he sent me for a couple of scans. They showed I’ve got two discs that are basically crushing my spinal cord.
“The doctor said, ‘Stuart, you shouldn’t be fighting at all. No fighting, no sparring, nothing.’ I didn’t even tell my family. I know it was stupid really, but I didn’t want to drop out of that