BoxRec

Not being rude but did people really think Smith won this? I thought he lost it by 4. I’ve watched it a few times now at gym and later.

SeanBrennan wrote: ↑25 Oct 2026, 14:55 Not being rude but did people really think Smith won this? I thought he lost it by 4. I’ve watched it a few times now at gym and later.

You watched it again?

Credit to you Sean.

Smith thinks big, hopes to lure Stevenson for stadium clash

Dalton Smith has targeted a dream world title clash at Hillsborough, and promoter Eddie Hearn believes Shakur Stevenson would relish the trip to Sheffield.

Smith, The Ring’s No. 1 junior welterweight, edged out mandatory challenger Alberto Puello via split decision to make a successful first defense of the WBC title he won in January.

But having packed out Sheffield’s Utilita Arena for this homecoming, the 29-year-old has set his sights on a much more significant venue.

“I want Hillsborough,” Smith said in his post-fight press conference. “I want a big fight at Hillsborough. That big carrot has been dangled all the way through this fight, but I needed to block out that noise because I had a tough fight in front of me. Now the conversations can go on.”

Hillsborough is the historic home of Sheffield Wednesday, which Smith has supported his whole life. He faced off with Puello on the pitch in front of 30,000 earlier this month and he wants to defend his world title there.

Hearn confirmed that the Wednesday owners were ringside for Smith’s victory over Puello. It has been reported that the club, which was hit with a 12-point deduction for entering administration last year, has already made contact with Sheffield City Council regarding the license required to stage the first world title fight at the 35,000-seater stadium.

Wednesday was taken over by a U.S. consortium in the summer, ending a long period of financial difficulty. They want Smith to help spearhead the new era at the club with a monumental world title defense.

“I want Hillsborough, I want Arctic Monkeys, I want a proper Sheffield night,” he said.

Smith is one of three sanctioning body world champions, with the vacant IBF belt on the line when Arthur Biyarslanov and Lindolfo Delgado meet in Saudi Arabia on October 31 under Canelo Alvarez-Christian Mbilli. It means there is no shortage of unification opportunites for the Hillsborough showpiece.

Smith and Hearn, however, want to lure Ring and WBO champion Stevenson to Sheffield. The four-division champion is a free agent after recently leaving Zuffa Boxing and there is hope that he would welcome the chance of a UK debut.

Hearn said: “Right now you have to say Dalton Smith is No. 1 and arguably the best in the division this year based on performances, but Shakur is a phenomenal talent and you have to give him the nod in terms of his lifetime achievements. “For me they are No. 1 and No. 2 in the division so that’s a natural fight. It’s a very tough but it’s certainly one that will do very well.”

When asked whether it is realistic to expect Stevenson, one of the biggest names in the sport, to travel to Smith’s backyard for a unification, Hearn added: “I don’t think he knows a lot about Sheffield. “But what I do know is that Shakur Stevenson will fight anybody and Shakur Stevenson believes he can beat anybody at 135, 140 or 147 pounds. He will want to win the belts. Look at Shakur now, who is he going to fight? [WBO No. 1 contender Raymond] Muratalla, [WBA champion] Gary Antuanne Russell, another champion? He will be well up for fighting Dalton Smith and to do it in front of 30,000 in the UK. He loves that kind of stuff.”

Dalton Smith targets Hillsborough and Arctic Monkeys dream after Alberto Puello win

Dalton Smith has urged his promoter Eddie Hearn to deliver his dream of headlining Hillsborough Stadium following his victory over Alberto Puello.

Smith successfully defended his WBC junior welterweight title with a split-decision victory over the former two-time world champion at Sheffield's Utilita Arena. Puello, a tricky southpaw, proved difficult to pin down, forcing Smith to finish strongly in the championship rounds to secure the victory by scores of 115-113 (twice) and 112-116.

“Look, it was pretty close in rounds eight, nine. I believe I got 10, 11 and 12 to win it by three rounds, but we knew it wasn't going to be easy,” Smith said following the bout.

“You can't go in there and blast Puello out. He's too experienced, a two-time world champion. He's experienced, he's been around the block. Look at the names he's beat. He's got much more experience than me.

“I just believe he got my respect early on. I believe I hurt him. I took my foot off the gas in the middle rounds. My dad was like, ‘Look, we need to push on strong to finish the fight.’ The belt's staying with us. I did what I had to do.”

Attention quickly turned to what could be next for Smith, now 20-0 (14 KOs), who made it clear that he wants to fulfil a childhood dream by fighting at Hillsborough, the home of his beloved Sheffield Wednesday, with local rock band Arctic Monkeys performing live for his ring walk.

“I want Hillsborough. I want a big fight at Hillsborough,” Smith said. “That big carrot's been dangled all the way through this fight. And I'm like, ‘Right, block out that noise. You've got a tough task in front of you.’ Eddie will start those conversations and once I've had a little break, the conversations will go on.

“I want Hillsborough, Arctic Monkeys, and have a proper Sheffield night.”

Hillsborough has a capacity of around 35,000, and Smith would likely need a marquee opponent to help fill the stadium. The question now is who could stand opposite him.

“There's plenty of names,” Smith said. “I've had no easy fights. I've fought everyone I've needed to fight, but for me, my number one goal is to sell out Hillsborough. My dream is to walk out with the Arctic Monkeys playing live, if we can make that happen, and have a big fight at Hillsborough.

“But right now, I'm going to enjoy this victory for a couple of weeks, and then we'll start those conversations.”

With his victory over Puello on Saturday, coupled with his emphatic knockout of Subriel Matias in January, Smith has put himself in the conversation for Fighter of the Year. Having grown up watching British boxing icons on television, the Sheffield fighter is now beginning to build a legacy of his own.

“I want to be a name for the people I grew up watching,” Smith said. “The legends of Ricky Hatton – God rest his soul – Joe Calzaghe – he messaged me this morning saying good luck. Even having conversations with those guys, people I've looked up to – I want to finish my career and be a household name like that for this next generation to inspire them, because that's what these guys have done.

“Like I said, I believe I'm just getting started. The atmosphere tonight was unbelievable. I just want bigger and bigger nights.”

MasterG wrote: ↑25 Oct 2026, 08:17 Grandson said loads of fighting in the arena last night. Anyone go and see much?

Honestly didn't see any, but you get so used to it that I might've blocked it out tbh

craig_minter wrote: ↑26 Oct 2026, 11:45

MasterG wrote: ↑25 Oct 2026, 08:17 Grandson said loads of fighting in the arena last night. Anyone go and see much?

Honestly didn't see any, but you get so used to it that I might've blocked it out tbh

Apparently sheff weds and Utd fans, then a few Leeds lot got involved

I didn't see the fight as it started earlier than I thought but the only people who think it was a robbery appear to be on Boxrec

Nearly everyone else says it was a close fight that could have gone either way. Just depends on how you scored the close rounds.

Absolute zero chance Shakur comes to hillsborough. And why the f shoukd he!

Tbh he would just clown Smith. Not even close.

Feel like smith just needs to go all out on making Azim fight now. He's lucky to have got past Puello, that fight just goes up in smoke if they piss about too much.

I didn't score but it was close but Puello is as awkward as they come, I think a lot of fighters would look average against him. A member of the "who needs him" club.

Puello is super awkward. Most champs end up witb a puello on their resume at some point. An awkward, low volume fighter who ppl think should have won.

He's frochs dirrel, hattons magee, calzaghes reid etc