Stuart Hall has vowed to gain the sweetest revenge on Lee Haskins when the pair clash for Haskins’ IBF World Bantamweight title at The O2 in London on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
Hall is gunning to regain the title he won in 2013 and says that this shot represents his last chance to top the world.
Hall and Haskins met back in 2012 for the European title, with the Bristolian edging the fight on points, and he defends the IBF belt for the second time having been elevated for full champion when Randy Caballero failed to make the weight.
The pair clashed in their head-to-head at today’s press conference and the Darlington star says Haskins doesn’t deserve to be World champion and he’ll end his reign in London.
“This is it for me,” said Hall. “Haskins thinks I’m over the hill and some old man but I can’t wait to prove him wrong. This fight means absolutely everything to me and no way am I letting that ‘Playboy’ get in the way of my dreams.
“Haskins is a frail little girl. He’s not going to put a dent in me. I’m going to steam through him and quick. I can’t wait to see his face when he’s on the floor.
“He was giving it the big one saying he is going to knock me out in six rounds, is he having a laugh? All Lee will do is run and be on the back foot, but I’ll go hunting for him and I will knock him clean out.
“Haskins isn’t World-level and I’ll prove it. He’s got lucky throughout his career, he is British level at best. Lee was handed that World title. Yes, he trained, yes, he made weight but that wouldn’t sit right with me – I would want to have earned it.
“He was parading it round like he’s gone out there and dethroned the champion but he didn’t and he would have got spanked by Caballero if the fight took place.”
Hall’s clash with Haskins is part of a blockbuster night of World title action in London topped by the mammoth WBC, IBF and IBO World Middleweight battle between Gennady Golovkin and Kell Brook.
Charlie Edwards challenges John Riel Casimero for the IBF World Flyweight title, Martin J. Ward and Andy Townend meet for the vacant British Super-Featherweight title, Callum Smith defends his WBC Silver title against tough Hungarian Norbert Nemesapati while his older brother Paul continues his hunt for a third World title shot, WBC Silver Super-Bantamweight champion McDonnell is tracking down a World title shot of his own Sheffield Super-Bantamweight and Brook’s Ingle Gym mate Galahad continues his comeback, Conor Benn boxes for the fourth time in the paid ranks and unbeaten Middleweight Craig Richards tastes his fifth action in the pros.
Photo credit: Lawrence Lustig/Matchroom Boxing
