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Fight night first

26/ 9/2002

ONE of the most exciting young boxers on the circuit is set to make his debut on Saturday night.

Eighteen-year-old Matthew Hall will have his first professional fight, against Birmingham's Pedro Thompson, at the Manchester Evening News Arena, on Ricky Hatton's undercard.

He is expected to have a hefty home crowd to cheer him on after selling more than 400 tickets in less than a week.

Brian Hughes, chief coach at the Collyhurst and Moston Boys Club, where Hall trains, will be a proud man as he sees four of his young charges in the ring on Saturday.

Welterweight David Barnes takes on Moscow's Serguei Starkov, welterweight Michael Jennings comes up against Carl Taylor from Birmingham, and light-middleweight Thomas McDonagh will fight Brian Coleman, also from Birmingham.

But he is particularly looking forward to seeing Hall earn professional status.

"He is the youngest professional boxer in Great Britain but, believe me, he's ready to make that step," Hughes said. "Frank Warren became his promoter about four weeks ago, and it's very rare for him to put press conferences on for a young lad turning professional. But Matthew was interviewed by the local and national press, and Sky television this week, so that just shows what Frank thinks of him.

"He's looking forward to seeing what he is like and will be building him up for the future. If everything works out he will get him fighting in America after Christmas. But Saturday comes first and Matthew can't wait."

Hughes admitted that Hall had helped him rediscover his own appetite for boxing.

"Things have happened over the last couple of years that haven't been pleasant. I was getting a bit disillusioned. But I haven't seen the lads so happy as now, and I've got my enthusiasm back for it." There's no trouble with them, inside or outside of the ring, they all want to get to the top, and the atmosphere's tremendous. It's beautiful!"