He hasn’t even switched sports yet, but Barry Hall is already rated the best prospect in Australian boxing by one of the industry’s most influential figures, Angelo Hyder.

Hyder, a respected Australian trainer and matchmaker, believes Sydney AFL star Hall ranks alongside former rugby league player Anthony Mundine in the footballer turned pugilist category.

Hall’s AFL career was thrown into doubt again after his latest suspension.

The fiery 32-year-old forward will miss the next two AFL rounds after pleading guilty to striking Adelaide’s Ben Rutten, an act which earned the ire of coach Paul Roos.

Taking his tally of games missed through suspension to 26, the highest of any current AFL player, it has left Hall facing an uncertain future with the Swans.

Roos said on Monday he seriously doubted whether his volatile forward wanted to keep playing football, a claim later refuted by Hall.

The brain snaps which have periodically led to Hall being suspended might actually serve him well in boxing, according to former WBA light heavyweight champion Danny Green.

“The best thing about him (Hall) is that every now and then there’s a screw loose, a boxer needs to have a screw loose every now and then,” Green said.

“To jump in the boxing ring and get punched in the face for a living, you’ve got to be made of a different mettle and Barry has got that I think.

“He’s got great skill for a big bloke and his hand speed is terrific.”

Green has sparred with Hall and could promote him under his Green Machine Promotions banner while Hyder has offered to train him.

Hall had an amateur boxing background before switching to Australian Rules on a full time basis.

Hyder felt it would take just six to eight weeks to prepare Hall for a professional boxing debut over four or six rounds.

“Barry Hall is the best prospect in Australia of any boxer, Olympic qualifiers, Australian amateur champions …,” Hyder said.

“He’s a gifted athlete with hand speed equal to Danny Green.

“He’s got power. There’s a whole amount of improvement for power of any athlete I’ve worked with, not just boxing, he’s the best learner.

“He’s one of the fastest big men, which is seen by how many times he runs down players in the AFL.

“I don’t think there would be any problems fighting for a heavyweight world title. Winning one, that would be up to Barry.”

Mundine and two other former rugby league stars, John Hopoate and Solomon Haumono, have all enjoyed some measure of success since switching to boxing.

Mundine has won one middleweight and two super middleweight world titles, Hopoate is the current Australian heavyweight champion and fellow heavyweight Haumono is undefeated in 17 professional fights.

“Whereas Hoppa and Sol are very good athletes, Barry and Anthony Mundine are exceptional,” Hyder said.

“Anthony Mundine has got clean skills, Barry is not as highly skilled, but for a heavyweight he is similarly gifted to Anthony Mundine.”

Hall and Roos met on Tuesday to discuss the forward’s future, but the Swans did not provide details about the meeting.

Since his latest indiscretion, Hall has reportedly insisted he had no plans for a mid-season retirement.

Roos will front the media on Wednesday, but in a statement Sydney said they wanted to focus on Sunday’s game against North Melbourne, which the Swans must win if they are to stay in finals contention.

© AAP 2012

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