DARLINGTONS Stuart Hall is ready to take on the world after the biggest win of his career.

The reigning Commonwealth champion stopped Sergio Perales, the man ranked the fifth best bantamweight around, on Saturday night to claim the vacant IBF inter-continental title in Doncaster.

Despite the fact the American had won 22 of his 23 previous fights, 14 inside the distance, Hall illustrated his own quality in comfortably outpointing him, with the judges scoring the fight 117-111, 117-111 and 115-113 in his favour.

Now the talk is of an all-British fight with newly-crowned IBF bantamweight champion Jamie McDonnell, who outpointed 20-year-old Mexican Julio Ceja in the main event at the Keepmoat Stadium in front of a 4,000-strong crowd.

"When I won a British title, from where I had come from, it was brilliant," said the Darlington roofer, who has climbed into the world's top ten. "To think where I am now, thinking of a world title, if I was to write a book it would be a best seller. To be thinking seriously of world titles is seriously incredible."

With trainer and manager Michael Marsden in the corner, Hall built on a promising and steady start to make life difficult for Perales.

McDonnell's points victory over Ceja who had justifiable claims to have won means he now holds the IBF crown and Hall is hoping to be the champion's first voluntary challenger.

Marsden said: "A world title is within our grasp now. He has won the IBF inter-continental and beaten the No 5 in the world rankings. It's not like he has just won the British title. We can fight for a world title now. We will be trying."

McDonnell's win means it's an ideal scenario in some respects. That is a fight everyone in this country would want to see. McDonnell's promoter, Dennis Hobson, admits there is a chance of a reunion with Hall, 18 months after the man from South Yorkshire claimed the European, Commonwealth and British titles on points.

Hobson said: "No promises, but Stuey has moved up two or three notches in my book with that win and he will now be in the world's top ten, so we shall see. Jamie is now in with the big boys and he wants to fight the best out there."

Perales showed his class plenty of times against Hall and his best round came in the fourth, when a few lefts hit the spot to build on his trademark body shots.

But Hall, eight years his senior at 33, grew stronger after that and rarely looked ruffled, while landing a number of blows which caught the Texan out.

And by the time they had reached the ninth, Hall looked hungry to finish the job off. In the penultimate round, he  felt he had done enough once more, raising his arms in triumph after landing a couple of upper cuts.

But he needed to finish the fight strongly to make sure. And, even when Perales had him against the ropes in the last, Hall produced another of his precise right hands and that saw him to the bell and to glory.

Hall, who needed stitches just above his right eye, said: "He was the hardest man I have ever fought. He had me rocking a few times. But you don't show it and you keep going.

"I would like Jamie and me to have a re-match. He beat me when I was a bit inexperienced (in September 2011). I will do the 12 rounds easier now. I would love it for British boxing if it was to happen. It was a cracking fight but I think I can go better next time."

After claiming the 16th win of his 18 fights since turning professional late, Hall has made swift progress. But Marsden, knowing the two Brits are in among a strong bantamweight field of Mexicans and Japanese, thinks age is not an issue.

He said: "The world champions are all around Stu's age. There are a couple of young kids about, but he is not an old fighter. We will do everything we can to make sure he goes on from here."