Lee Haskins and Stuart Hall Can Serve Up a Domestic Treat for a World Title

As cheerleaders go, Lee Haskins couldn't ask for a better one than Barry McGuigan.

While he didn't quite have the pom poms out on Saturday, McGuigan demonstrated his support for the IBF bantamweight world champion with his words, rather than any overelaborate dance routines.

After seeing Haskins ease to a points victory over Ivan Morales, McGuigan—a man who knows what it takes to win a world title—told Channel 5 (h/t Press Association via BT Sport): "Lee is one of the most underestimated fighters in the country and he hasn't been given the recognition.

"He's 32 years old, but there's not a mark on him. He's as fresh as a daisy.

"The kid is a tremendous fighter, he needs these opportunities and we now hope he will get that recognition."

McGuigan has a vested interest in Haskins' progress.

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His Cyclone Promotions joined forces with Sanigar Events—the team looking after Haskins—to promote the card at the Ice Arena in Cardiff, Wales.

But McGuigan was correct with his analysis about one of Britain's lesser-known world champions: Haskins is underestimated and deserves greater recognition for what he has achieved.

It didn't help the Englishman's profile that he happened to pick up the IBF title without throwing a punch.

He had travelled to Las Vegas for his big opportunity against Randy Caballero in November 2015, only for his opponent to miss the weight. Caballero didn't just miss it by a bit either. Per Matt Christie of Boxing News, the American was more than five pounds over the limit.

Haskins had worked hard to get his chance, too, winning six on the spin since Stephane Jamoye had knocked him out in December 2012.

Yet Caballero's failure to bother getting underneath 118 pounds denied Haskins from being crowned world champion in a ring.

Beating Morales, the younger brother of the legendary Erik, was a solid start to his reign, although journalist Paul Zanon summed up the fight with one tweet:

As McGuigan mentioned, Haskins now needs opportunities to show what he can do at the very highest level.

At 32, and after a bumpy round to the top, he needs to cash in on his current status.

Thankfully, there is the chance to kill two birds with one stone by facing his mandatory challenger, and former IBF champion, Stuart Hall.

The pair have met before, with Haskins winning comfortably on points to pick up the vacant European strap.

The rivalry has simmered ever since that bout in 2012. Festered is perhaps the better word to describe it—they simply don't like each other.

Haskins chased a rematch in 2014 when Hall was the world champion. The former told the BBC's Points West (h/t BBC Sport): "The truth is Stuart Hall doesn't want to know.

"I don't blame him. They know with Lee Haskins at his best, there's no one in Britain who can beat me."

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Now, in 2016, the roles are reversed. Haskins is the one holding the belt—but he is more than happy to face Hall again in his second defence.

The southpaw told Chris McKenna of the Daily Star: "This is a fight I cannot wait for. They could offer me £1m for a unification, I would still rather take the Stuey Hall fight."

Hall is a tall (5'8" to be precise), tough fighter with plenty of experience. He is a hard-working sort who wears down opponents with his work rate rather than with one-punch power.

Haskins, in contrast, is a slick boxer who tends to blow hot and cold in a round, never mind a fight. He can delight and frustrate in equal measure, something that hasn't always helped him prosper with promoters.

Their methods are vastly different, yet Hall and Haskins could blend together to make for an intriguing contest that will pit style against substance.

Hall moved into the position of mandatory challenger by beating Rodrigo Guerrero on points in April, but even then he had someone else on his mind.

He said prior to his last fight in Leeds, England, according to Behind The Gloves: "The way he [Haskins] goes on gets under my skin. I want the rematch because he is a big head and I don’t like big heads in boxing, I like humble people, the likes of Jamie McDonnell—he is a great bloke, he is humble."

McDonnell is the reigning WBA champion in the division and a potential target for both Hall and Haskins.

Before then, however, the two domestic rivals have to settle an old score. A bit of bad blood never hurts when it comes to selling tickets, as well as attracting a television audience.

When you add in the bout being for a world title, it is easy to see Haskins-Hall being a real cracker. We can only hope negotiations don't deny the public from seeing it happen at some stage in 2016.