British Scene: Ian Napa vs Stuart Hall Preview

Dave Oakes previews the vacant British bantamweight title clash between Ian Napa and Stuart Hall.

Talent doesn’t always guarantee success in boxing, just ask Ian Napa. The Hackney bantamweight, who’s arguably the most technically gifted fighter in Britain, has never had much luck in his career and has never received the acclaim he deserves despite being a two time British champion.

This Friday he aims to recapture the British title he lost in controversial circumstances last time out when he takes on the unbeaten but inexperienced Stuart Hall at the Peterlee Leisure Centre.

Napa’s bad luck struck again in his last fight when Jamie McDonnell received a dubious points decision to steal the British title, and claim vacant Commonwealth belt, from Napa’s grasp. I, like most observers, had Napa winning the fight, the judges had other ideas though and the split decision went in McDonnell’s favour. I have to add that Dave Parris’ score of 117-112 in McDonnell’s favour is one of the worst I’ve witnessed.

McDonnell chose to vacate both belts shortly afterwards in order to challenge for the European belt, which he won in impressive fashion, beating Jerome Arnould in the Frenchman’s backyard. Napa now gets to challenge for the vacated British title, and a win here would make him the number one contender for McDonnell’s European title, so he may yet get the rematch he so desperately wants.

Napa’s ultimate aim is a world title shot but the anger of the McDonnell fight is still bubbling under the surface of his usual cool, calm and collected persona. His trainer Brian Lawrence comments: "Napa’s focused, he’s so focused now that a bomb could go off and he wouldn’t miss a beat. I tell you I wouldn’t want to be Stuart Hall. As far as Napa’s concerned Hall stands between him and the rematch with McDonnell."

If he’s to get the chance for revenge then he must inflict the first defeat of Hall’s career on him. Hall, 7-0-1 (3KO’s), is a tough fighter who will have considerable height and reach advantages as well as boxing on home turf.

The only fighter of note on Hall’s record is former British champion Martin Power, whom Hall stopped in the eighth round. Whilst Power had been on the slide prior to their fight, he was still a dangerous opponent and Hall did well to grind him down and get the stoppage.

Hall isn’t a big puncher but he showed against Power that his shots can have an accumulative effect when they consistently land clean. The problem he’ll have in this fight is trying to catch the slippery Napa clean, Power was an open target and walked onto punches, Napa won’t be so foolish and will be constantly moving and rolling out of their way.

I believe Hall will put in a gutsy effort but the step up in class will be too great for him to contend with. I can see Napa working out Hall’s style quickly and picking him apart with fast counter-punches and classy combinations. Napa should reclaim the title via a wide points margin - that’s if the judges see it that way, of course!

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