Bantamweight

On Saturday night, Stuart "Stuey" Hall (16-3-2, 7 KO) will take on Randy "The Matador" Caballero (21-0, 13 KO) for the vacant IBF bantamweight title.

Just a little over four months after losing the IBF strap, Hall has an opportunity to regain the belt. Back in June, he was outpointed by up-and-coming star Paul Butler and lost the title via split decision. 

Butler subsequently decided to vacate the title to move down in weight. Hall jumped at the chance to regain his perch, and the bout with Caballero was born. Hall may have jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire with this matchup.

Caballero is a sensational, undefeated 24-year-old boxer-puncher who looks to be ticketed for stardom. Could Hall be his speed bump or steppingstone? Here's how you can watch.

When: Saturday, Oct. 25 at 3:30 p.m. ET

TV: Channel 5 in UK

Guts for Glory

Hall doesn't possess blinding hand speed, and he isn't a huge puncher. That's pretty clear when you see that he's scored only seven wins by knockout. What he does have are toughness and craftiness that make him a competitive opponent for most any bantamweight in the world.

Thanks to some friendly matchmaking, Hall rode his skills all the way to a world title when he outboxed Vusi Malinga to win the vacated crown in Dec. 2013.

When the 34-year-old steps in the ring to face Caballero on Saturday, he may very well be in with the most talented opponent he's ever faced. Jamie McDonnell, Lee Haskins and Butler are all good fighters. All three own a win over Hall, but none of them punch like Caballero.

If Hall is to have a chance to regain the IBF title, he'll need guts and a strong chin. Taking the youngster's firepower early in hopes of seizing the fight late could be a sound strategy.

Caballero has never been 12 rounds before. Hall has gone the championship distance six times. Leaning on his experience on this stage may be Hall's only chance to win.

The Look

Big-time boxing prospects generally have an aura about them in the ring. There's a feeling that they are a step quicker and their punches have just a touch more bite. Caballero has the look.

While he's not the greatest defensive fighter, he shows sharp counterpunching instincts, and he gets great torque on his punches. He's stopped five straight opponents, and two of them had never been beaten by KO/TKO prior to facing The Matador. Being the first to stop fighters who have never been stopped is an underrated stat in the sport.

Caballero is of Nicaraguan descent, and he knows the significance of his nationality as it relates to the sport of boxing.

Great former fighters like Alexis Arguello and Ricardo Mayorga hailed from Nicaragua, but there has been a recent drought of champions from the South American country. Caballero has the drive and skills to end the slump.

Is Saturday his night to capture his first world title? 

Prediction

To win this bout, Hall must use his length advantage (5'8" to 5'6") and attempt to frustrate his younger opponent with tie-ups on the inside. It's a tough game plan to execute—especially when a fighter doesn't have a ton of power to draw from.

The difference in punching power will be the deciding factor in this one.

Caballero will make Hall pay with faster and heavier hands during exchanges. Stuey is rugged. He's never been stopped before, but he will be on Saturday. Caballero will announce his arrival to the mainstream bantamweight scene in style.

He wins by eighth-round TKO.

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In a back-and-forth thriller that had to wait out a nerve-wracking judges' decision, IBF world bantamweight titleholder Stuart Hall saw his reign end Saturday night against unbeaten 25-year-old phenom Paul Butler in Newcastle, England. The final scores were 115-113 (Hall), 115-113 (Butler) and 117-111 (Butler). 

The fight went one way and then the other. Butler came out as the aggressor, but heading into the latter rounds, Hall found his form and started punishing the younger opponent. When Butler bounced back to fight through the adversity in the latter rounds, it proved to be enough to squeak out a split decision.

BoxNation captured just how close the fight was:

There was no love lost between the two boxers heading into Saturday's fight, and that might be an understatement. But the time had come for them to decide all of it—and the title—over the course of 12 rounds.

In the wake of his biggest career victory, Butler wasn't shy about offering up a rematch, per BoxNation:

As things got underway, it became apparent that the younger, smaller and quicker Butler was going to take advantage of those qualities against an older, bigger and stronger Hall. 

Hall connected on two straight right hooks at the first-round bell to shake Butler a bit, but that wasn't enough to wipe away the challenger's energetic start. He came out inspired, controlling the pace and not ducking to the pressure as many had expected. 

Butler's supreme energy continued into the middle rounds, as the younger boxer started finding more and more openings. Hall was protecting himself well and started to match his opponent's flurries at times, but Butler kept on asserting his dominance and widening the gap.

The body shots were there for Hall, and boxing promoter Dave Coldwell was wondering why he wasn't taking advantage:

The 34-year-old Hall proved his experience despite trailing, using his obvious advantage in strength to shoo off Butler and chip away at him. But it wasn't enough to give Hall serious contention in any of the early rounds as Butler's lead seemed to grow. 

Butler continued to have the upper hand heading into the fifth round, when a seemingly incidental butting of heads caused a cut to open up over Hall's left eye. 

Shortly after, Hall started to turn things around. He got Butler against the ropes multiple times with a couple of flurries, using his strength once again to beat down the challenger—giving him the obvious edge in Round 6. 

Hall used that momentum to fight a revitalized couple of rounds, squashing Butler's stranglehold on the fight. But instead of wilting, Butler continued to grapple and didn't fall victim to Hall's strength through eight rounds.

At that point, it seemed as if Butler's advantage had completely vanished, per BoxNation: 

As Round 9 began, Butler started receding more and more. Hall stood his ground and kept driving his opponent to the ropes, landing open hits as Butler looked to be overpowered by the sheer will of Hall's attack.

But when the fight got into the final couple of rounds, both fighters brought their A-game, knowing how close the fight had been and how few opportunities were left to impact it. 

Round 11 could have been split either way after both fighters went after it. Hall seemed to find a bit more in Round 12 than Butler, but it was also awfully close.

Heading to the scorecards, both fighters celebrated like they had won, and Boxing Ireland was among the many who couldn't figure out a victor: 

When it went to the judges, nobody really knew who would get the nod. The first score of 115-113 was called in Butler's favor, then the second card of 115-113 to Hall was announced—meaning it came down to the third judge.

An announced score of 117-111 made it obvious—Butler's early dominance and late resurgence were enough to give him a big victory in the eyes of that third and decisive judge. 

The result marked the end of Hall's reign as a world champion, and even though he exited with his third career defeat, he fought to the end and made it interesting. If he had just been able to match some of Butler's early intensity, he would have defended his belt. 

It's impossible to say that Butler didn't earn every ounce of that belt won on Saturday. Hall brought the fight of a champion, and it took a dominating performance in the early rounds for Butler to have a chance heading to the scorecards.

Saturday effectively marked the start of a new era in the IBF bantamweight division. The 25-year-old Butler has reached the pinnacle of being a world champion, while the 34-year-old Hall will likely track down a bounce-back bout to get another crack at the belt. 

Just over two months removed from a technical draw with Martin Ward, IBF bantamweight champion Stuart "Stuey" Hall (16-2-2, 7 KO) is ready to defend his title again.

Hall will face a fellow Englishman, the 25-year-old Paul "Baby-Faced Assassin" Butler (15-0, 8 KO) on Saturday.

A bad cut over the eye of Ward in the second round of his fight with Hall forced the bout to be stopped inconclusively on March 29.

Having suffered little to no damage in the fight, Hall was ready for a quick turnaround. 

This will be Butler's first attempt at a world title. He hopes to capture the belt and put on a show for the fans at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle in the process.

Here's how you can watch the bout.

Where: Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle

When: Saturday, June 7 at 2 p.m. ET

TV: Box Nation

Live Stream: Box Nation (subscription required and region restricted)

The Book on Hall

Hall has endured a growing amount of criticism for the caliber of his opponents. Yes, he's fighting frequently, but he's not taking on the types of fighters most would expect a champion to face.

Scott Christ of Bad Left Hook described the fight as follows:

Hall-Butler is another "world title fight" for Hall.

Per Boxing Scene, Hall's promoter Dennis Hobson defended Butler as a formidable opponent for Hall.

I genuinely believe that Hall against Butler will go down as a British classic.  There is no love lost between the pair, and their styles should gel to make a ‘fight of the year’.  The North East is an untapped area for boxing and we’re doing some fantastic work up there. 

It's hard to believe that when Hall himself has said this, per Ian Aldous of Boxing News 24:

I’ve won the world title now and it’s all about trying to earn as much as I can for my family. I’m not bothered about Paul Butler. He’s an easier fight than (IBF ranked no.1 challenger – Randy) Caballero.

Hall has a solid backstory. He's a fighter who got a late start in the sport. He turned pro when he was 28 years old and was able to win his first world title in Dec. 2013.

But the shine of the improbable champion is beginning to wear. Hall needs a thrilling fight against Butler, or another bout this year against a solid opponent to keep the fight community from labeling him less than a fighting champion.

The Book on Butler

Butler doesn't have a ton of professional experience, but he is talented. Anyone who believes this is going to be an easy test for Hall is mistaken.

The challenger is eager and confident to prove he not only deserves to be in the ring with Hall, but he fully expects to beat him and become champion.

Butler told Tom Gray of Ring Magazine:

"I honestly believe I’ll stop Stuart Hall. My plan is to take over from the midway point and see what those 34-year-old legs have got left in them." 

Despite the fact that Butler has had just 15 professional fights, he doesn't fight like an inexperienced newbie. He's had a good amateur career and he'll be looking to take a major step as a professional by winning a world title.

Prediction

Hall is as tough as nails, and he has sneaky power with his right hand. But he does have a tendency to be wide with his punches. Because he'll be at a speed disadvantage against Butler, the champion is in danger.

Butler's hand speed will be a major problem. Everything the challenger does is tighter, quicker and sharper.

If Butler can guard against spending himself early, he'll get the stoppage win he spoke of, and become the new IBF bantamweight champion.

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Jamie McDonnell proclaimed his career "back on track" after he became a two-time bantamweight world champion with a 10th-round knockout victory over Tabtimdaeng Na Rachawat on Saturday.

McDonnell, the IBF champion until he was stripped of the belt for his out-of-the-ring dealings last year, knocked Na Rachawat to the canvas with a stunning left hook to claim the vacant WBA title, before announcing his desire to unify the division.

Na Rachawat started strongly, but his lack of elite pace and power was exposed by McDonnell as the fight went on. The Doncaster, England, fighter was well ahead on the scorecards even before he dropped his opponent.

"It means everything," McDonnell told Sky Sports. "It gets things back on track. [Losing the title] took a year out of my life, and now I’ll look to get a unification fight with anyone else in this division.

"Stick me in with any of them and I’ll dust them."

This was a solid performance from the 28-year-old, who fought second on the undercard of the eagerly anticipated Carl Froch vs. George Groves rematch. The contest started slowly, with both fighters feeling each other out to a great extent, before a quick flurry in the third round from Na Rachawat seemed to open up a cut above McDonnell's left eye.

The Thai fighter showed hunger and intent throughout the 10 rounds; however, except for that moment, he was unable to match McDonnell's ringcraft and poise as the Brit ticked off round after round with sensible, controlled bursts from range.

Na Rachawat grew more and more desperate as the fight wore on, although he was hampered somewhat by his tendency to fade as rounds came to their conclusion. McDonnell was ordered by his corner to take advantage of that weakness, and eventually he did: He drew Na Rachawat into him before dropping him with a tight left hook that caught the 31-year-old flush on the chin.

"Fantastic support here tonight," McDonnell added. "It was brilliant. I felt at ease in there. As soon as the first cut went I could feel it, but I got to my boxing, used my legs, and got out of danger.

"He was tough and kept coming and coming. In the end he walked onto a hook, I surprised myself."

All quotes taken from Sky Box Office's live broadcast.

Just three months ago, Stuart "Stuey" Hall (16-2-1, 7 KO) won the vacant IBF bantamweight title via unanimous decision over Vusi Malinga. Hall is not resting on his laurels.

He's jumping back in the ring to take on challenger Martin Ward (18-2, 4 KO) in Hall's first defense. The bout will take place on Saturday from Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, Tyne and Wear.

This fight has a bit of geographical significance. It marks the first time two fighters from northeast England are clashing for a world title, per Hall's promoter, Dennis Hobson, who spoke with Ryan Songalia of The Ring.

In the same article, Hobson provided more region-specific details about the potential rivalry: "Martin Ward, he's a traveler so I think there's a bit of needle between them. I think the press conferences and face-offs should be quite interesting. I think it's going to generate a lot of interest."

Though Hall is the champion and the favorite, per Oddschecker, Ward refuses to accept his underdog status.

The 27-year-old told Joe Townsend of BBC Sport, "Go and speak to people that really know boxing and ask who is the underdog for this fight. Sixty percent would say it's Stuie, there's no way I'm the underdog."

Apparently, the group of people Ward is referring to has nothing to do with the official oddsmakers. 

In any case, he could still come away victorious Saturday night. Here's how you can watch the clash.

When: Saturday, March 29 at 2 p.m. ET

Where: Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom

TV: Box Nation

Live Stream: LiveSport.TV

The Book on Hall

If you've ever played or seen the video game series Hitman, you already know where I'm going with my next reference.

Hall looks like he could play the live-action version of Agent 47, the assassin from the virtual storyline.

It might be an apt comparison if Hall had more power. Though he doesn't possess much pop, Hall is a tough and scrappy competitor. He pushes forward like a fighter with a bigger punch than he has, but his ability to absorb shots and counter is what makes him dangerous.

In the fight with Malinga, Hall's energy and constant pressure proved to be too much. He easily won a decision by holding at least a five-point advantage on each judge's scorecard.

Malinga tried to mix it up with Hall, but the champion will likely be facing a different style against Ward.

The Book on Ward

The challenger is convinced that his elusive style and southpaw stance will give Hall fits. He told Glynn Evans, via BoxRec News:

Stuey showed in his losses against Jamie McDonnell and Lee Haskins that he struggles to cope with good, mobile boxers. He struggles with what I’m good at and, if I stick to my boxing, I’m going to give him a hard night at the very least. I’m not here to take part, I’m here to win. If I didn’t think I was capable, I wouldn’t bother turning up.

There is some truth to that. Hall did lose pretty clear decisions to those fighters, and both of them are noted for their mobility and boxing acumen. Malinga has the tools to fight that way, but he may have thought he wouldn't get the nod from the judges if he boxed and moved.

The fight was held in Yorkshire, and Hall was the clear hometown favorite.

This bout is different. Both men are local fighters, and that could give Ward the freedom to fight his preferred style. Will that be Hall's undoing?

Prediction

Ward is correct. Hall does struggle with mobile fighters who won't engage him in brawls. By moving and changing angles, the southpaw will be able to frustrate Hall.

Ward has perhaps even less power than Hall, so he won't be looking to land one big shot. Instead, he'll likely be prepared to fight the full 12 rounds, employing the mobility that is likely to cause Hall issues.

This bout will have its share of solid exchanges, but most of it should feature Ward beating Hall to the punch and staying just out of range of the champion's counter-attempts.

It will be a short-lived reign for Hall as champion. Ward will win a unanimous decision to become champion.

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The vacant IBF bantamweight title will be up for grabs Saturday when 34-year-old South African Vusi "Marvelous" Malinga (21-4-1, 12 KO) takes on 33-year-old Englishman Stuart "Stuey" Hall (15-2-1, 7 KO).

Jamie McDonnell was the champion, but he was stripped of his title for failing to agree to fight Malinga, the mandatory challenger, in the allotted time frame, per Declan Warrington of the Daily Mail Online.

Malinga has had two previous shots at a world title, but he has failed in both attempts. He was stopped in the first round by Hozumi Hasegawa in 2009. In June 2012, he was defeated by Leo Santa Cruz in a unanimous decision.

Without question, this would appear to be his best chance at accomplishing the feat.

Hall doesn't have a wealth of experience, but he hasn't come completely out of nowhere. He actually battled McDonnell in a competitive bout back in September 2011. Hall lost the fight by unanimous decision, but he was within three points on every one of the judges' scorecards.

Hall figures to be the crowd favorite in this one. The fight takes place in his home country of the United Kingdom, so he'll be motivated by the energy of the fans in attendance.

This bout could very well produce a spirited and memorable scrap. Here's the information needed to catch the fight.

When: Saturday, Dec. 21 at 2 p.m, EST

Where: First Direct Arena, Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom

TV: Box Nation

Live Stream: LiveSport

The Book on Malinga and Hall

Fighting for His Family

Malinga comes from a fighting family. His uncle, Sugar Boy Malinga, is a former world champion. Because of the success in the sport members of his family have enjoyed, Malinga feels the pressure to perform at a championship level. Due to his age, he knows his opportunities may be fading.

He told Boxing Scene: "It’s very important that I win. I have to win this fight for my father, my family and for everyone back in South Africa."

Aside from the pressure that comes with competing for one of the highest prizes in his sport, Malinga is also carrying the pride of his name and his country. Will he be able to deliver against a tough opponent in his home country?

Looking for Strength from His Countrymen

When speaking to Dennis Hobson of East Side Boxing, Hall made no bones about acknowledging he needs the fans' support against Malinga. He said: 

I do like a crowd and I need them behind me.  I’m expecting a lot from Darlington to come down, and hopefully the Leeds fans will back me up as well.  When things are tough then I do thrive off a crowd, and I will need them in this fight.  A big crowd will definitely help me.

Facing an opponent who is so driven to succeed is a tough challenge, but Hall insists he is up for the task. It will be interesting to see what influence the crowd has on the judges—should the bout go the distance. 

Prediction

The key to winning this fight for Malinga will be movement. Against Santa Cruz, he was content to stand in front of his opponent, but he simply couldn't outslug his talented foe. This is his style, so there is little chance he goes in a different direction for this fight.

McDonnell gave Hall a problem by utilizing his movement, jab and boxing skills. When he stayed planted too long, Hall had his moments—though he didn't appear to hurt McDonnell with any of his shots.

Chances are, Hall won't have the power to rock Malinga either. The South African showed a tremendous chin against Santa Cruz. He took a good number of hard right hands but did not wilt. Hall isn't as skilled or powerful as Santa Cruz, thus it is difficult to imagine a scenario where Hall rocks Malinga.

The winner of this bout will be the man that works the body effectively, has the chin to withstand clean shots and the stamina to win the later rounds. I believe that will be Malinga.

The South African will capture his first world title by unanimous decision.

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Scott Quigg (27-0-1) retained the interim WBA super bantamweight title on Saturday at the O2 Arena in Greenwich, London in a majority draw. He used a late rally to pull even with Cuban contender Yoandris Salinas (21-0-2) after being outboxed early in the fight.

The official scorecards per the Box Nation broadcast were as follows: Jean-Louis Legland 114-114, Ruben Garcia 115-113 for Quigg, Leszek Jankowiak 114-114.

Quigg had hoped to erase the “interim” tag from his distinction, but he dug himself too big of a hole early on to win the fight on points.

I scored the fight a draw, as did Jankowiak and Legland. Though Quigg won his rounds more decisively, it was still six rounds even in my eyes, thus the decision was just.

Salinas dominated the early rounds with his jab, but Quigg’s body work and constant pressure wore Salinas down. 

A little more than midway through the fight, Salinas began to react negatively to Quigg’s body shots. Powerful left hooks and right crosses to Salinas’ midsection forced the 28-year-old to go into a shell. He abandoned the slick jab and right-foot-forward stance he had been having success with. 

He opted for a more squared-up, forehead-to-forehead stance. It was a little puzzling, as it would have seemed more movement would have been advised. The change certainly didn't allow him to better protect his ribs. This change in posture made him much easier to hit and it took the effectiveness of his jab away.

Quigg showed his toughness and resolve throughout the fight. He stuck to his game plan and he certainly earned the draw. Many would say he deserved to win the fight, as he was clearly the man in better shape at the final bell.

The 24-year-old from Bury, Lancanshire in the United Kingdom looked impressive enough to maintain the buzz he’s created for himself thus far, but there is still more work to be done if he wants to become a legitimate world champion.

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