Stuart Hall praises North East boxing: "We're going to see a lot more champions in the future"

Stuart Hall believes North East boxing is flying but also says it's harder than ever for young pros to break through

Former bantamweight world champion Stuart Hall has issued a stark warning about the brutal reality facing young boxers in the North East, revealing that even the most talented fighters risk falling through the cracks without the financial backing to survive in the modern game.

Hall, who made history by becoming one of the North East's most decorated boxing champions, says the pressure on young professionals to sell tickets just to earn a wage has made breaking through harder than ever. In an exclusive interview with the team at Pure Digital PR, Hall shared his thoughts on the state of modern day boxing.

"I wouldn't like to be a professional now, mate," he said. "Because you turn professional and you've got to sell so many tickets to get your pay for your bout. It's just all hard work."

The Darlington-born champion says the cold reality is that talent alone is no longer enough, and that without serious financial support, even the most gifted prospects are likely to walk away from the sport before they get the chance to fulfil their potential.

"If you haven't got a big backing and you've got talent, you're not going to stay in it because you're not going to be able to sell enough tickets," Hall said. "Good luck to all these younger fighters who are trying to do it. It's a bit hard now."

Despite the challenges, Hall is bullish about the state of North East boxing more broadly, pointing to the rise of Josh Kelly and Savannah Marshall as evidence that the region is punching well above its weight.

"We're flying," he said. "We've got another world champion in Josh Kelly. Savannah Marshall for the girls. It's flying, and I think in the North East, we're going to see a lot more champions in the future."

Hall reflected on how far the region has come since his own days coming through the ranks, recalling a conversation with former Commonwealth champion Issac ‘Argy’ Ward that brought home just how much has changed.

"Me and Argy had a chat about when we were young, when we were boxing, it was like Manchester, Liverpool and London and all these big cities that had the backing of boxing," he said. "Little towns like Darlington, we didn't have that. There's a lot of clubs now in the North East building up. We needed a boost, and we're winning titles and bringing them back to the North East. It's just brilliant."

But Hall believes the region still needs more support from the top to truly unlock its potential, calling on the government to do more to back grassroots boxing in the area.

"More help, more advertisement, more backing from the government," he said. "To get these kids into more sports and more boxing. I think more help from the government, to be honest with you."

His message to the next generation of North East boxers hoping to follow in his footsteps was equally direct, and came with a blunt warning for those who think they can make it without total commitment.

"If you want to be a boxer, you've got to be a boxer. You can't play boxing," Hall said. "It's not just 'I'll go to the gym Monday, Wednesday, Friday'. You've got to live it. If you're not going to live it and you're not going to give it everything, go and play football. You've got to live the life as a boxer."