England’s Hall Struggles But Wins : Boxing: He earns a split decision in bout against Campo’s Russell Mosley.

Allan Hall is touted as a potential boxing champion with movie-star looks.

So when the lightweight from Darlington, England, climbed into his first ring in the United States Thursday night at the San Diego Sports Arena, television cameras were rolling, the British flag was waving and a crowd of 2,267 stood for the English national anthem.

But after all the pomp and circumstance, Hall had to survive six rounds of hostile treatment from some of the fans and from his opponent, Russell Mosley of Campo, before earning a split decision.

“I was expecting to win, but not as hard as that,” said Hall, a former English amateur champion who improved to 13-0 in his first professional fight outside his country. “I’m a combination puncher, but I couldn’t get two and three punches together. That was a shock.

“My corner was telling me to win more convincingly. But I was thinking, ‘Shoot. What do I have to do?’ ”

In the main event, Miguel Martinez (23-4) of Tijuana, successfully defended his NABF flyweight title with his 19th consecutive knockout, against Henry Lopez (21-5-1) of San Ysidro, in the fourth round of a scheduled 12-round bout.

Mosley (5-9-1) gave Hall a run for his money in a fast-paced, six-round bout, fought cleanly between two well-schooled fighters.

Hall, 22, did land more combinations and kept Mosley at a distance with some strong counterpunches to the head. But Mosley answered enough times to force a split among the judges. Referee Frank Rustich scored it a draw, 57-57, and Ernie Swank and Fritz Werner each scored it 59-55, Hall.

“The boy (Mosley) was in his own back yard and he really lifted himself for this fight,” said Frank Maloney, Hall’s trainer. “He didn’t want to lose; he had Terry Norris in his corner. And he was good enough to beat a lot of guys Allan faced in England.”

Hall knocked Mosley into the ropes with a left hook in the second round. Mosley appeared to be going down, but Hall said his opponent slipped.

“I saw a big right hand waiting for me in the corner,” Hall said. “That’s why I didn’t go in.”

Hall, who has six knockouts and is ranked No. 4 by the British Boxing Board of Control as a junior welterweight, said he will now try to fight three more times, instead of two, during his stay in San Diego. Then he will return to England to fight for a title.

Maloney will meet with Don King in Cleveland today about fight between Razor Ruddock and his heavyweight, Lennox Lewis, who is ranked No. 2 in the world by the WBA, WBC and IBF.

In other fights on the undercard:

* In an eight-round split decision that drew protests from the crowd and the loser’s corner, junior welterweight David Santos (17-1) of San Francisco defeated Jarrocho Gonzales (37-6) of Tijuana. Santos is a sparring partner of Roberto Duran, who was at ringside.

* Eddie Hawkins (2-1) of Camp Pendleton won a unanimous four-round decision over Dick Green (0-4) of San Diego in a battle of welterweights.

* Martin Rea (2-0) of Camp Pendleton earned a technical knockout over Octavio Martinez (2-2) of Los Angeles, knocking Martinez down with 49 seconds left in the third round of a four-round featherweight bout. The fight was stopped moments later.

* Richie Evans (9-4) of Campo took a unanimous decision over Eric McNair (6-9) of El Cajon in an eight-round bout of middleweights.

* Camp Pendleton lightweight Didier Hughes (5-0-1) earned a unanimous decision over Juan Parra (14-7) of Obregon, Mexico, in a six-rounder.