Dalton Smith vs. Alberto Puello | DAZN - 24 October 2026

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I hope Dalton looks good, which is tough against Puello, and goes on to have a cracking 2027.

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Alberto Puello returns against Luis Gallegos in July 18 tuneup

Former WBC junior welterweight titleholder Alberto Puello was gearing up to regain his old championship from Dalton Smith in Sheffield, England on June 6.

The Englishman injured his elbow in training and withdrew from his maiden title defense a month prior, having stunned Subriel Matias in New York to win the title on January 10.

The hope is that Smith returns in the year's fourth quarter to face mandatory challenger Puello (24-1, 10 KOs) with Matchroom Boxing head Eddie Hearn recently saying he expects Puello-Smith will be rescheduled for October.

In the meantime, Puello will take a tune-up tilt and Dominican Republic homecoming on July 18 against Luis Gallegos (20-1, 17 KOs), Shuan Boxing Promotion has announced.

The 31-year-old, who lost a contentious 12-round majority decision against Subriel Matias last July, will face Gallegos at the Coliseo de Boxeo Carlos Teo Cruz in Santo Domingo.

Scheduled for 10 rounds, their 140-pound contest will mark Puello's first back home for five years. He has made six appearances across U.S. locations since a shutout win over Jesus Antonio Rubio in July 2021.

The Ring's No. 5 rated junior welterweight worked his way up through the ranks in his native homeland before scoring a 12-round split decision win over Batyr Akhmedov to win vacant WBA honors in August 2022, three months after Josh Taylor's reign ended.

A positive test for the performance-enhancing drug clomiphene the following April saw him stripped of his title before a scheduled defense against Rolando "Rolly' Romero.

He returned in December 2023 and six months later, edged a 12-round split decision nod over then-unbeaten contender Gary Antuanne Russell for the WBC interim title. Later upgraded to full champion, he similarly eeked past Sandor Martin over 12 rounds last March before Matias inflicted his career-first professional defeat.

Gallegos (20-1, 17 KOs) turned professional in Mexico a decade ago. He fought mediocre opposition en route to winning his first 20 bouts, though suffered a third-round knockout defeat by Jesus Antonio Rubio in September 2024 and hasn't boxed since.

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Puello happy to stay busy as Smith title fight slated for Oct. 24

Former WBC junior welterweight titleholder Alberto Puello will snap a year-long hiatus on Saturday.

Puello, The Ring's No. 5 junior welterweight, will take on late-notice opponent Miguel Angel Bolano, replacing Luis Gallegos in a 10-round contest at Carlos “Teo” Cruz Coliseum in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Originally tabbed to face reigning WBC champion Dalton Smith on June 6 in his first defense, the Sheffield boxer was injured during training camp and Puello has elected to take an interim fight.

"I didn't want to wait for the fight against Dalton while he was inactive, so my team requested permission from the WBC to hold a fight beforehand," Puello (24-1, 10 KOs) told The Ring.

All being well, the 31-year-old southpaw will then try to regain his old belt.

"The fight against Smith will be in October, but I don't have the exact date yet," he said. Veteran journalist Dan Rafael was first to report October 24 is the planned date, though nothing is confirmed at the time of writing.

"La Avispa" welcomes the opportunity to face Smith in a bid to reclaim his old title.

"Smith is a good fighter, but doesn't have anything I haven't seen before," he said.

"I am confident that I can beat him, just as I have beaten my 25 previous opponents, despite not being the favorite. In fact, I should be the champion right now, but the title was taken from me in the Subriel Matias fight."

Belgica Pena of Shuan Promotions feels Puello's return will have him in optimal condition for a title tilt this fall.

"We wanted to schedule an interim fight since Puello was ready to fight in June, and unfortunately, it didn't happen," said the female promoter. "We preferred that Puello stay busy and ready for his next world title opportunity."

Bolano (10-4, 7 KOs) has been a professional for five years, fighting almost exclusively at home in Colombia and is coming off a sixth-round stoppage defeat by Gustavo Lemos in October.

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SMITH-PUELLO, WHITTAKER-WALLACE SET FOR MATCHROOM FALL SCHEDULE

Dalton Smith's rescheduled WBC junior welterweight title defense against Alberto Puello is set for Oct. 24, Matchroom announced on Monday.

That world title fight headliner marks one of four shows across the coming months, forming part of the promotional company's updated UK schedule through the earlier autumn.

Smith-Puello was originally slated for June 6 in Sheffield, before news broke of the new champion sustaining an undisclosed injury in training. The card went ahead with European junior lightweight champion Josh Padley outpointing Aqib Fiaz to retain his 130-pound title.

Now four months later than first planned, Smith will honor his mandatory challenger. Puello (25-1, 11 KOs) scored a fourth-round finish of short-notice opponent Miguel Bolano at the weekend and now, has a new date to focus on.

"It was obviously frustrating to pick up the injury when I was in such a good place, especially after all the hard work that had gone into camp, but injuries are part of boxing," Smith said in a press release.

"The important thing is that I've taken the time to recover properly, listened to the medical advice and now I'm back training, feeling strong and ready to go again.

"I want to build a legacy and that starts with defending the title against the division's best challengers. October 24 can't come soon enough, I'll be ready to put on a statement performance in Sheffield."

Rising light heavyweight contender Ben Whittaker will hope to emulate Smith's world-level success as he faces an October 3 main event at Birmingham's Utilita Arena, aware that a win over Conor Wallace will present him with the next IBF world title shot.

Activity has been key for the Olympic silver medalist since signing with Matchroom last October and in his fourth appearance under their watch, Australia's Wallace (17-1, 12 KOs) will look to derail that increasing buzz.

Last month after his second-round blowout of longtime contender Richard Rivera, speculation over a potential step-up intensified as Whittaker and Matchroom Boxing chief Eddie Hearn fielded questions from American media.

Joshua Buatsi, Anthony Yarde and Willy Hutchinson were all mentioned as potential foes, though it's clear the 29-year-old is being kept busy while navigating an uncertain light heavyweight landscape with unified champion Dmitry Bivol (25-1, 12 KOs) expected to relinquish more titles in pursuit of legacy-enhancing bouts going forward.

Wallace ended a 10-month layoff with a sixth-round knockout win of Walter Gabriel Sequeira on April 23, after which his promoter Mick Francis insisted the 30-year-old southpaw needed an opportunity to prove his mettle against the world's best after engaging at close-range against unheralded opposition.

"We thought we had a world title fight a couple months ago. He [Wallace] can box and bang, he chooses to do that [brawl], I don't know why, but he can box. It's exciting times, we'd like the Ben Whittaker fight ... he's gonna have to box against these animals, they can all bang," he said post-fight and three months later, they've got their wish.

Whittaker spoke of his delight to be returning to home comforts, where he's vowing another highlight reel night.

"This is a proper step up on my way to becoming world champion and I'm excited to put on a special performance for you all again," he said in the same press release.

Before then, British middleweight champion George Liddard (14-0, 8 KOs) will return to action on August 22 at London's York Hall. He'll face Italy's Dario Morello (26-1, 4 KOs) for the vacant European title last held by Bilel Jkitou, who is said to be pursuing bigger opportunities elsewhere in the weight class.

Liddard's friend and fellow Tony Sims-trained contender Jimmy Sains (12-0, 10 KOs) faces Tom Cowling (15-1, 4 KOs) for the Commonwealth crown Liddard defended on March 21 in a 12-round tussle with Tyler Denny.

Meanwhile on the same bill, Emmanuel Buttigieg will box P A Gordon (9-0, 1 KO) in a tussle of unbeaten hopefuls for English 160-pound honors Sains has relinquished and The Ring's No. 3 featherweight Tiah Ayton (6-0, 5 KOs) makes her third appearance of the year in the teenager's first 10-round clash against Ellie Hellewell (7-1-1, 1 KO).

Elsewhere on September 19 at Manchester's Co-op Live, 2024 Olympian Pat Brown (6-0, 6 KOs) gets his much-anticipated shot at domestic titles when facing John Hedges (12-0, 3 KOs) for the vacant British and Commonwealth cruiserweight crowns.

Brown, a finalist for The Ring's Prospect of the Year awards in 2025, has enjoyed an excellent debut year on the professional circuit and faces English beltholder Hedges in a maiden 12-round contest for both men.

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Smith aims to further prove place in loaded division against Puello

When Dalton Smith dethroned Subriel Matias for the WBC 140-pound title, he proved where he belongs in a loaded junior welterweight division.

That notion was something Smith already believed about himself, though.

A stiff test awaits Smith in his first title defense, as he'll face Alberto Puello on October 24 at Utilita Arena in Smith’s hometown of Sheffield, England. While bigger fights will become available to Smith should he beat Puello, he knows he can’t look past the two-time 140-pound champion in advance of a main event DAZN will stream internationally.

“I think it’s one of the most stacked divisions at the minute,” Smith told The Ring. “There’s some big fights to be made, but all my focus is on Alberto Puello in October, and then we look to move on to the bigger and better fights.”

Smith (19-0, 14 KOs), The Ring’s No. 1-ranked contender for Shakur Stevenson’s title, was originally scheduled to face Puello, 32, on June 6 in Sheffield, but an elbow injury forced the champion to withdraw. Smith, 29, said his injury was something he dealt with heading into his fifth-round stoppage of Matias on January 10 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Puello (25-1, 11 KOs), The Ring’s No. 4 contender, held the WBC 140-pound title before losing a majority decision to Matias in July 2025. The Dominican southpaw opted for a stay-busy bout after Smith’s injury and scored a fourth-round stoppage over Miguel Angel Bolano (10-5, 7 KOs) on July 18 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

“I think he’s a great fighter,” Smith said of Puello. “Two-time world champion – he’s there for a reason. I’m not overlooking him one bit. I’ve seen him fight. He’s been on my radar before I was a world champion, so we know him pretty well.”

Smith attended the bout between Matias and Puello in New York, as he was the mandatory challenger for the winner.

After things were nip and tuck between Smith and Matias for four rounds, the Englishman connected with a blistering straight right hand that hurt the Fajardo, Puerto Rico, native. He then connected with another right hand that sent Matias (23-3, 22 KOs) to the canvas late in the fifth round.

Matias rose to his feet on unsteady legs, and referee Ricky Gonzalez stopped the fight with 46 seconds left in the round.

“I knew I had the balls,” Smith said. “I knew I could box. I knew what I could do, but you just got to prove it to the world. That’s all that fight was. It was my time to prove to the world that I was world-level.”

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Atang on and fellow York boxer Will Harrison takes on Joe Hayden.

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Launch presser

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Giorgio Visioli vs Maxi Hughes will be the co-feature for the WBC silver international title.

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Undercard fights

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Smith keen to remind people what he can do against Puello

Dalton Smith wants to remind people exactly what he is capable of when he defends his WBC junior welterweight title against Alberto Puello.

On January 10, the 29-year-old from Sheffield announced himself on the world stage in spectacular style when he stopped the dangerous Subriel Matias in the fifth round of a firefight at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The stunning victory earned Smith the WBC title and immediately made him a major player in an ultra-competitive 140-pound division.

Smith (19-0, 14 KOs) made plans for a mandatory defense of his title against two-time world champion Puello (25-1, 11 KOs), but injury ruled him out of a scheduled June date.

The Ring's No. 1-ranked junior welterweight is looking forward to regenerating that sense of excitement when he returns home to finally fight the tricky Dominican southpaw at Sheffield Arena on October 24, live on DAZN.

"Boxing, you enjoy it for a short time and then it's like, 'what's next?'" Smith told The Ring.

"You need to keep proving yourself. You've got to keep producing these good wins and proving why you're a legit world champion."

There have been a number of high-profile comings and goings in the junior welterweight division since Smith became a champion.

Three weeks after he beat Matias, Shakur Stevenson stepped up from lightweight and produced an outstanding display to outpoint Teofimo Lopez and win The Ring and WBO titles.

That result persuaded Lopez to leave the 140-pound division behind. On Saturday night, Lopez challenges Rolly Romero for the WBA welterweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

After a relatively short stay at junior welterweight, Keyshawn Davis has also stated his intention to move up to the 147-pound division.

Puello, 32, is ranked at No. 4 by The Ring and as well as being an extremely dangerous mandatory title defense, Smith believes that the fight is also a truly significant one for the junior welterweight division.

"It's a massive fight," he said.

"Alberto's been on our radar for the last 18 months, when he was champion, before we even beat Subriel. We're two of the top guys in the division so it's going to be one hell of a fight."

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Alberto Puello: Dalton Smith's head too big to miss

Alberto Puello believes that he will humiliate Dalton Smith in front of his hometown fans when he challenges the WBC junior welterweight champion on October 24 at Utilita Arena Sheffield..

The 32-year-old Dominican will be bidding to regain the green and gold belt he lost to Subriel Matias in July of last year. The fight will be shown exclusively on DAZN.

Six months after losing his 140-pound title to Matias by close majority decision, Puello watched Smith (19-0, 14 KOs) beat the aggressive Puerto Rican at his own game. In January, Smith stopped Matias in the fifth round of a shoot-out.

Puello (25-1, 11 KOs) was impressed and more than a little taken aback by Smith’s performance, but the man ranked at No. 4 by The Ring is still confident of winning back his title and becoming a three-time world champion.

“I think, like everybody, I was very surprised that Dalton Smith could go and knock out Subriel Matias," Puello said at Wednesday’s launch press conference. “I don't want to take anything away from Dalton Smith as a fighter, but you know, I think it was a big surprise that he was able to knock Subriel out.

“There's very few things I can say about weaknesses. I don't see many weaknesses in him. But what I will say, it will be hugely satisfying to come here to his home and rip the belt away from him. It will be really satisfying for me and a humiliation for him.”

The tall, rangy Puello promises to present Smith with an entirely different set of problems to the relentless, hard hitting Matias. But those expecting the southpaw to live up to his nickname of ‘The Wasp’ and flit around the ring in Sheffield hoping to pick his way to a decision may be in for a surprise.

Puello acknowledges that unseating Smith – who is ranked at No. 1 by The Ring – won’t be easy, but he doesn’t think he will have any problem finding the target.

“I'm not going to go too much into the fight plan because that's obviously a secret, but, with the size of Dalton Smith's head, I don't think I'll be able to miss come fight night,” he said.

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Alberto Puello: Dalton Smith's head too big to miss

Alberto Puello believes that he will humiliate Dalton Smith in front of his hometown fans when he challenges the WBC junior welterweight champion on October 24 at Utilita Arena Sheffield..

The 32-year-old Dominican will be bidding to regain the green and gold belt he lost to Subriel Matias in July of last year. The fight will be shown exclusively on DAZN.

Six months after losing his 140-pound title to Matias by close majority decision, Puello watched Smith (19-0, 14 KOs) beat the aggressive Puerto Rican at his own game. In January, Smith stopped Matias in the fifth round of a shoot-out.

Puello (25-1, 11 KOs) was impressed and more than a little taken aback by Smith’s performance, but the man ranked at No. 4 by The Ring is still confident of winning back his title and becoming a three-time world champion.

“I think, like everybody, I was very surprised that Dalton Smith could go and knock out Subriel Matias," Puello said at Wednesday’s launch press conference. “I don't want to take anything away from Dalton Smith as a fighter, but you know, I think it was a big surprise that he was able to knock Subriel out.

“There's very few things I can say about weaknesses. I don't see many weaknesses in him. But what I will say, it will be hugely satisfying to come here to his home and rip the belt away from him. It will be really satisfying for me and a humiliation for him.”

The tall, rangy Puello promises to present Smith with an entirely different set of problems to the relentless, hard hitting Matias. But those expecting the southpaw to live up to his nickname of ‘The Wasp’ and flit around the ring in Sheffield hoping to pick his way to a decision may be in for a surprise.

Puello acknowledges that unseating Smith – who is ranked at No. 1 by The Ring – won’t be easy, but he doesn’t think he will have any problem finding the target.

“I'm not going to go too much into the fight plan because that's obviously a secret, but, with the size of Dalton Smith's head, I don't think I'll be able to miss come fight night,” he said.

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DALTON SMITH VIEWS PUELLO AS TOUGHER TEST THAN ADAM AZIM

Once the final details are hammered out and Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua step into the ring to settle their differences, the long overdue heavyweight showdown will bring down the curtain on a star-driven chapter of British boxing.

A clash between WBC junior welterweight champion Dalton Smith (19-0, 14 KOs) and Adam Azim (15-0, 12 KOs) would be the ideal fight to kickstart a new era.

The 140-pound clash has been brewing for years and has already become much more than a domestic clash. Smith is currently ranked No.1 by The Ring, while Azim sits at No. 5.

It is extremely unlikely that Smith will give Azim a voluntary crack at his title.

The talented 24-year-old contender from Slough will either have to secure a title of his own or work his way into a mandatory position with the WBC before a fight happens. Azim is currently positioned at No. 3.

It would be a travesty if a fight between Smith and Azim went the way of fights like Fury and Joshua and the long-delayed grudge match between Kell Brook and Amir Khan and passed its sell-by date. Smith doesn’t see that happening.

The 29-year-old champion from Sheffield is currently preparing for his October 24 title defense against Albert Puello, but he is sure that the fight with Azim will be made eventually.

“As long as we both win and keep winning, of course, and, like I said, he's got to go and prove himself,” Smith told The Ring. “I’ve got bigger, I’ve got harder fights in front of me, and that’s Alberto Puello. For me, he’s a better fighter than Adam Azim, but he’s doing his thing and if it makes sense at the right time, then of course it’ll be a fight that happens.”

The 12-round bout between Smith and the Dominican Republic’s Puello (25-1, 11 KOs) will headline a card DAZN will stream worldwide from Utilita Arena in Sheffield.

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VISIOLI BELIEVES WIN OVER HUGHES WOULD LIFT HIM TO NEXT LEVEL

Giorgio Visioli thinks that beating Maxi Hughes will move him beyond British level and set him up for a major 2027.

The 23-year-old lightweight burst onto the scene with a series of razor-sharp, spectacular knockouts and was immediately earmarked as one of Britain’s brightest hopes.

The last few months have been less glamorous but absolutely crucial to Visioli’s development. Since December, he has had 20 useful rounds under his belt against tough, determined opposition. But as solid as his decision wins over Joe Howarth and Levi Giles were, they lacked a little of the stardust and pizzazz that caused many to tout him as a future world champion.

It was heavily rumored that Visioli (11-0, 6 KOs) would challenge British and Commonwealth lightweight champion Louie O’Doherty, but when that fight failed to materialize, the talented southpaw was left with a decision to make.

Faced with the choice of staying busy and waiting for a chance to present itself or forcing the issue, Visioli chose the later.

On October 24, he will fight the experienced, accomplished Hughes (29-9-2, 6 KOs) at Sheffield’s Utility Arena. The fight will act as chief support to Dalton Smith’s WBC junior lightweight title defense against Alberto Puello.

“It was excitement,” he told The Ring when asked how he felt when Hughes’ name was mentioned. “I was offered three opponents, and the other two – obviously, I'm not disrespecting them – but it's just that I couldn't get up for them.

“I always give 100% in training, but Maxi was offered first out of all of them and I went, 'Yeah, 100%.' The others were like an option if I didn't want Maxi, but I just went straight to Maxi. No hesitation, just went.

"This one, if I win it, pushes me kind of past British level, because I think he's past that level. So I'm very pleased with it, and I think it's a big reward if I get the job done properly.”

Hughes has lost his last two fights, but the results fail to tell the full story.

In December, his preparations for a fight with Bakhodur Usmanov were wrecked when his trainer, Sean O’Hagan, was taken seriously ill just hours before the fight. Hughes boxed but lost a close majority decision.

In March, he made an ill-advised, late notice move to junior welterweight and was stopped after five rounds against a much bigger Pierce O’Leary.

Given a good camp and a fair amount of time to make 135 pounds, things have been completely different for him.

The last time a younger lightweight tried to take Hughes’ name, Archie Sharp found it all but impossible to put together any kind of offense and drifted to a wide defeat in May 2025.

Before that, Hughes produced 10 of the most impressive rounds of his career, totally outboxing the big-punching Gary Cully.

Hughes is 36 years old and in his 16th year as a professional, but he hasn’t been in a long series of draining wars and is far too proud to allow an excellent career to peter out.

“His last two fights, I wouldn't take much from that because, you know, he had two weeks notice, went up a weight, so on and so on,” Visioli said. “Me and Mark Tibbs, my coach, we look at the fights before that fight, because he had a full camp.

"OK, they're two years ago, but Maxi's still in there. He’s got all the tricks. He knows everything, and if he’s 36, I don't think he's past it at all.”

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SMITH PREDICTS 'UNBELIEVABLE PERFORMANCE' AGAINST PUELLO

Dalton Smith is prepared to show every dimension of his game when he defends his WBC junior welterweight title against Alberto Puello at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena on October 24.

Smith (19-0, 14 KOs) is ranked at No. 1 in The Ring's 140-pound ratings while Puello (25-1, 11 KOs) sits third.

In January, the 29-year-old from Sheffield clinched world honors by beating the aggressive Subriel Matias in a violent shootout. Previously though, he has shown the ability to be a composed, efficient punch picker and patient but ruthless counterpuncher.

32-year-old Puello is a two-time junior welterweight titleholder and Smith knows he will need to prepare more than one route to victory to get past the experienced southpaw from the Dominican Republic.

“Look, you've got to do what you've got to do to win a fight,” Smith told The Ring.

“I don't know how he's going to approach the fight. Whether he'll be on the back or front foot, we'll prepare for all angles but one thing I've shown is that I can fight or be a clinical boxer if I need to be. It's going to be an unbelievable performance for me."

From Terry Marsh to Ricky Hatton and Ricky Burns to Amir Khan, the junior welterweight division has been a happy hunting ground for British fighters over the years. Smith's eventual goal is to follow in the footsteps of Scotland’s Josh Taylor, becoming the undisputed king at 140 pounds.

The brilliant Shakur Stevenson is Ring and WBO champion while Gary Antuanne Russell holds the WBA belt. The IBF crown is currently vacant.

Smith is fully focused on beating Puello but remains confident he has what it takes to collect the remaining belts, proving himself as the world's best junior welterweight.

“Of course, one fight at a time but the sky's the limit. To become undisputed and do what Josh Taylor did, it would be an unbelievable achievement,” he said.

“I can win one world title so there's no reason why I can't win them all.”

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In 3 weeks!

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Fight Week!!

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This is a proper fight. Tough night for Smith

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all you need to know

Dalton Smith makes the first defence of his WBC light-welterweight world title against former champion Alberto Puello in Sheffield on Saturday, 24 October.

The unbeaten Smith, 29, returns to his home city nine months after producing the biggest victory of his career by stopping Subriel Matias in New York to become world champion.

It is a homecoming which has been a long time coming.

Smith was originally due to face mandatory challenger Puello at the Utilita Arena in June, only for an injury suffered in training to force the fight to be postponed.

Dominican Puello, 32, is a former WBA and WBC champion whose only professional defeat came against Matias.

Can Smith cap his breakthrough year with another statement win? Or can Puello regain the title he lost in 2025?

All you need to know about the fight night is below.

Live text commentary will begin at 21:00 BST on Saturday, 24 October on the BBC Sport website and app.

Radio commentary from London will begin at 22:00 on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Stacey Copeland will present the live coverage, joined by lead commentator Ronald McIntosh, with Steve Bunce and former super-middleweight world champion Richie Woodhall providing co-commentary.

What time are the ringwalks for Smith v Puello?

Smith and Puello are expected to make their ringwalks at about 22:00 BST, although the exact time will depend on the length of the undercard.

The main broadcast is scheduled to begin at about 19:00, with doors at the Utilita Arena opening at 16:00.


Card

Dalton Smith v Alberto Puello - WBC light-welterweight title

Giorgio Visioli v Maxi Hughes - vacant WBC International Silver lightweight title

Shannon Ryan v Emma Dolan - British, Commonwealth and IBF Inter-Continental super-flyweight titles

Edward Hardy v Ibrahim Nadim - super-featherweight

Aqib Fiaz v Jordan Flynn - super-featherweight

Joe Hayden v Will Harrison - welterweight

Leo Atang v TBA - heavyweight

Connor Mitchell v TBA - super-featherweight

Chris Mulunda v Harley Collison - middleweight

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Dalton Smith targets Shakur Stevenson after Puello

The Ring and WBO junior welterweight champion Shakur Stevenson is seeking willing, able and viable dance partners to schedule his next fight.

If Stevenson's calls remain unanswered, WBC champion Dalton Smith (19-0, 14 KOs) would be more than happy to pick up the phone. But first, The Ring's No. 1 contender at 140 pounds must get past Alberto Puello (25-1, 11 KOs) during his first title defense on October 24 at Utilita Arena Sheffield in England on DAZN.

"Respect to Shakur. I've known him for years. He's one hell of a fighter, but I'm in those rankings for a reason, and I've never shied away from an opponent," Smith said on the "Boxing World" YouTube channel. "The 140 division will always be stacked. It's a popular weight over the generations. I feel like there's a lot I want to do at 140.

"I'm boxing to be a part of the biggest fights possible. Of course the Shakur fight would be up there as one of the biggest. I'd love to be a part of that. But of course, I have to get through Puello first."

Smith is a -185 betting favorite to beat Puello, according to DraftKings, while Puello, a former two-time junior welterweight titleholder, is a +145 underdog.

"I don't overlook what's in front of me, but once I get the job done against Puello, I want to be chasing the biggest fights possible," Smith said. "But as of now, it's all steam ahead for Puello."

Smith blasted former two-time 140-pound titleholder Subriel Matias last time out in January inside of five rounds for the crown. The occasion marked Smith's United States debut.

"You've got to go to the States to stamp your name on the wider boxing world and get known," Smith said. "I made a name in the UK now, and I'd be willing to go over to the States for the biggest fights.

"I know it is my duty to make a stamp in the 140 division. I've done that now. I just want to take it one fight at a time and see how far we get. I want to win more world titles. I want to be in the biggest fights possible. I want to headline at my beloved football club in Sheffield by next year. I'm slowly ticking off these boxes and dreams."

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Doting father Puello ready to exploit Smith's weaknesses

Alberto Puello has happily spent the majority of this year playing the loving, doting father.

The former 140-pound champion gets back to work when he challenges Dalton Smith for the WBC junior welterweight title at Sheffield's Utilita Arena on Saturday night.

In July 2025, Puello (25-1, 11 KOs) dropped a 12-round majority decision to Subriel Matias in their WBC 140-pound title fight.
On January 10, Matias lost the belt to Smith (19-0, 14 KOs) when he was stopped in the fifth round of a shootout.

Having maintained top spot in the WBC rankings after the controversial Matias defeat, Puello was installed as Smith’s mandatory challenger. The pair agreed to meet in the Sheffield man's hometown in June.

The fight was postponed when Smith picked up an elbow injury in training.

Rather than being disheartened or angered by the postponement, the Dominican made the most of the delay and took the opportunity to concentrate on the more important things in life.

“Everything happens for a reason, I was very disappointed with the fight postponement but it was something that happened in my favor,” Puello told The Ring.

“I was able to be at the birth of my daughter, and that was something precious. It was a moment that I wouldn't have changed for anything. The postponement of the fight was presented and I took advantage.

“So I wouldn't change anything for that. I think it worked out well.”

At elite world championship level where margins are so slight, a fighter’s attitude and mindset can be just as important as their jab or footwork.

Puello is a two-time world champion at 140 pounds and has been fighting professionally for over a decade.

He knows exactly what he needs to perform his best. Had he been away training or stuck in a Sheffield hotel as his wife prepared to give birth, the 32-year-old's attention would have inevitably strayed from the task at hand.

Rather than waiting for a FaceTime call to meet his daughter through a phone screen, Puello got to know his new arrival. His focus has switched solely onto Smith since, in what he acknowledges is a tough task.

“Well, no fight is easy as long as you have a man in front of you who wants the same thing you do. A man who wants victory,” Puello said.

“I've studied him well enough and I don't see any weaknesses in him but the ones I do see are the ones he's got. I'm going to know how to take advantage of it.”

After losing such a close decision to Matias, Puello could be excused for traveling to England with paranoia about fair judging. He's confident he has the skill and discipline to mitigate any chance of controversy.

Unwilling to reveal all the weaknesses identified in Smith's style, he did share the belief he won't have much trouble finding the target.

At one point in Smith’s career, some questioned whether a propensity to cut badly around his eyes would prevent him from fulfilling his clear potential.

Thankfully, those issues have eased but Smith does still have plenty of scar tissue and did pick up a cut during the violent five-round fight with Matias.

“The way I do it is to win clearly and never deviate from that plan that I have, that fight I've developed in the gym,” he said.
“With the big head he has, I'm not going to miss a blow. It's going to be very easy to mark him up.”

[MightyWarrior]

It’s great when very occasionally, a new British world champion has to make a tough first defence; usually it’s a gimme - but this one mandated I assume, so credit to the WBC for once

[keithmoonhangover]

Atang on and fellow York boxer Will Harrison takes on Joe Hayden.

Our lass says Leo's "Eyebrows are too prefect to be a boxer." You can't argue with logic like that mickey.