BoxRec

Matthew Hall isn't retiring after his recent loss to Anthony Small, but he is spliting from long time trainer Brian Hughes.

here is what Hall said.
"I thanked him a lot for what he's done for me and making me the fighter that I am," he said. "But sometimes you need a change."

And on the defeat
"I was embarrassed by my performance," he said. "Anyone who knows me could see that I was flat.
I trained for 14 weeks and maybe I over-trained because walking into the ring I felt flat. I was winning after six rounds, but I got tired.
He wasn't hurting me - I was just tired and I never get tired. I was going to retire. To train that long and perform like that on the night was not good enough and I expect better of myself.
But there are no excuses. I lost to the better man on the night. I don't blame anyone else for it, I blame myself."
"If I didn't think I could be the best, I wouldn't do it," he said. "When I lost my first fight I shouldn't have even been in the ring because of health problems.

"This was my first proper defeat so I've got to go back to the drawing board and change a few things.

"If I didn't think I could do that, I would pack it in and do something else. I know I can perform much better than that."

Good attitude to have I think he can do a decent job at British level but he is to 1 dimensional to go up to world level good luck to him

Was he winning after 6 rounds?

He never came close to stopping Small, which is what a lot of people were predicting.

whicker wrote:Was he winning after 6 rounds?

He never came close to stopping Small, which is what a lot of people were predicting.

Imo it was even after 6 and I had Small up by one after 7. Hall was definitely fading as the rounds went on.

I thought he was winning after 6.

Small was looking pretty on the run but weren't doing anything else other than flailing about. Hall also weren't doing much, but was the aggressor and got the more meaningful punches in.

Kudos to Small though for turning it on.

Are there any official scroes for this?

Old bones Ian wrote:Matthew Hall isn't retiring after his recent loss to Anthony Small, but he is spliting from long time trainer Brian Hughes.

here is what Hall said.
"I thanked him a lot for what he's done for me and making me the fighter that I am," he said. "But sometimes you need a change."

And on the defeat
"I was embarrassed by my performance," he said. "Anyone who knows me could see that I was flat.
I trained for 14 weeks and maybe I over-trained because walking into the ring I felt flat. I was winning after six rounds, but I got tired.
He wasn't hurting me - I was just tired and I never get tired. I was going to retire. To train that long and perform like that on the night was not good enough and I expect better of myself.
But there are no excuses. I lost to the better man on the night. I don't blame anyone else for it, I blame myself."
"If I didn't think I could be the best, I wouldn't do it," he said. "When I lost my first fight I shouldn't have even been in the ring because of health problems.

"This was my first proper defeat so I've got to go back to the drawing board and change a few things.

"If I didn't think I could do that, I would pack it in and do something else. I know I can perform much better than that."

Pleasantly surprised by his attitude and genuinely hope he does come back from this stronger. He certainly seemed flat on the night compared to the dynamism displayed against Pryce so I do think he has more to offer than he showed that nice.

Deserter wrote:

Old bones Ian wrote:Matthew Hall isn't retiring after his recent loss to Anthony Small, but he is spliting from long time trainer Brian Hughes.

here is what Hall said.
"I thanked him a lot for what he's done for me and making me the fighter that I am," he said. "But sometimes you need a change."

And on the defeat
"I was embarrassed by my performance," he said. "Anyone who knows me could see that I was flat.
I trained for 14 weeks and maybe I over-trained because walking into the ring I felt flat. I was winning after six rounds, but I got tired.
He wasn't hurting me - I was just tired and I never get tired. I was going to retire. To train that long and perform like that on the night was not good enough and I expect better of myself.
But there are no excuses. I lost to the better man on the night. I don't blame anyone else for it, I blame myself."
"If I didn't think I could be the best, I wouldn't do it," he said. "When I lost my first fight I shouldn't have even been in the ring because of health problems.

"This was my first proper defeat so I've got to go back to the drawing board and change a few things.

"If I didn't think I could do that, I would pack it in and do something else. I know I can perform much better than that."

Pleasantly surprised by his attitude and genuinely hope he does come back from this stronger. He certainly seemed flat on the night compared to the dynamism displayed against Pryce so I do think he has more to offer than he showed that nice.

I'm not sure if it was a case of him being flat or just tiring because of all the missing and chasing he was forced to do by Small. Well future performances will show whether it was really a flat performance or infact the awkwardness of Small that caused him to lose the fight. I have a feelling it was the latter.

black panther wrote:

Deserter wrote:

Old bones Ian wrote:Matthew Hall isn't retiring after his recent loss to Anthony Small, but he is spliting from long time trainer Brian Hughes.

here is what Hall said.
"I thanked him a lot for what he's done for me and making me the fighter that I am," he said. "But sometimes you need a change."

And on the defeat
"I was embarrassed by my performance," he said. "Anyone who knows me could see that I was flat.
I trained for 14 weeks and maybe I over-trained because walking into the ring I felt flat. I was winning after six rounds, but I got tired.
He wasn't hurting me - I was just tired and I never get tired. I was going to retire. To train that long and perform like that on the night was not good enough and I expect better of myself.
But there are no excuses. I lost to the better man on the night. I don't blame anyone else for it, I blame myself."
"If I didn't think I could be the best, I wouldn't do it," he said. "When I lost my first fight I shouldn't have even been in the ring because of health problems.

"This was my first proper defeat so I've got to go back to the drawing board and change a few things.

"If I didn't think I could do that, I would pack it in and do something else. I know I can perform much better than that."

Pleasantly surprised by his attitude and genuinely hope he does come back from this stronger. He certainly seemed flat on the night compared to the dynamism displayed against Pryce so I do think he has more to offer than he showed that nice.

I'm not sure if it was a case of him being flat or just tiring because of all the missing and chasing he was forced to do by Small. Well future performances will show whether it was really a flat performance or infact the awkwardness of Small that caused him to lose the fight. I have a feelling it was the latter.

I hear what you're saying, but even in the first couple of rounds where fatigue wouldn't have been a factor he seemed 'flat'. Again, this could have been just being phased by Small's 'style', but he wasn't firing any combinations and was very flat-footed.

He wasn't winning on my card after 6 let's put it that way, Small was frustrating the life out of him, I had it even really but with the fight suiting Small as Hall was having to do a lot of work for very little reward.

I think a change of trainers is a good move tbh, but as we have all mentioned a drop in weights should also be forthcoming.

Deserter wrote: He certainly seemed flat on the night compared to the dynamism displayed against Pryce so I do think he has more to offer than he showed that nice.

Well, against Pryce his punches were getting through, thats the big difference.

It will be interesting to see where he goes next.

Looking at his career record, he doesn't exactly have many great "scalps" on his record, although he does seem to be able to punch!

watched the fight last night and it was closer than i had been told.

small was VERY naughty with the elbow/forearm wasnt he?

I had it even after 6 but hall fading.

Comparing his fight against Pryce, to that of the Small fight, is not the best indicator.

Hall was always too big and strong for Pryce to meet head on. And Bradley pretty much handed it all on a plate for Hall that night.
Whilst Small did not allow Hall to do what he does best.

Hall has found his level. And to retire because he realises he is never going above British title level is a little unfair on himself. He still has lots to offer. And is far from washed up.

stevieb_8006 wrote:
small was VERY naughty with the elbow/forearm wasnt he?

Fair point, yes, and also few people have made anything of the fact that Hall was cut through a clash of heads (accidentally.) Sometimes a cut can be given as an excuse.

I think perhaps it's because people thought that Hall would bomb Small out, and that simply never happened.

whicker wrote:

stevieb_8006 wrote:
small was VERY naughty with the elbow/forearm wasnt he?

Fair point, yes, and also few people have made anything of the fact that Hall was cut through a clash of heads (accidentally.) Sometimes a cut can be given as an excuse.

I think perhaps it's because people thought that Hall would bomb Small out, and that simply never happened.

It is for that reason that this fight reminded me of Hatton vs Mayweather. Everyone thought Hatton would hurt Mayweather to the body and would be able to rough him up, in reality he never even landed more than a couple of glancing body shots. Small seemed to employ the exact same tactics almost as a blueprint to beat that type of fighter, he tied up Hall, never let him land one clean body shot, frustrated the life out of him and then let him walk onto one when he was pissed off and cut.