Dalton Smith raised the bar in his rivalry with Adam Azim by producing a sensational world title triumph on American soil on Saturday night time.
A sparse crowd inside Brooklyn’s Barclays Middle witnessed one of many best away-day performances ever delivered by a British fighter, as Smith tore up his unique recreation plan and outgunned fearsome puncher Subriel Matias to say the WBC super-lightweight title.
Early on, the Brit appeared intent on boxing the Puerto Rican champion, utilizing motion and timing to select his moments with the precise hand. That method modified dramatically within the second spherical when Matias closed the gap and supplied a reminder of the facility that had fuelled a 96 per cent knockout ratio throughout his 22 wins.
What adopted was a fierce, close-quarters battle, with each males buying and selling closely within the pocket. Within the fifth spherical, nevertheless, it was Smith’s energy that proved decisive. A crushing shot despatched Matias to the canvas and referee Ricky Gonzalez waved the competition off seconds later, crowning the Sheffield fighter world champion in emphatic vogue.
The victory makes Smith (19-0, 14 KOs) Britain’s latest male world champion, becoming a member of Fabio Wardley, Lewis Crocker, Jazza Dickens and Nick Ball on the high desk.
One man nonetheless chasing a belt is Smith’s long-standing rival Azim. The extremely rated 23-year-old returns on January 31 towards world-ranked Argentinian Gustavo Lemos, who was desperately unfortunate to not get the choice towards IBF champion Richardson Hitchins in 2024.
Azim quickly put aside his rivalry with Smith to acknowledge the dimensions of the achievement. Posting on X a couple of hours after the combat, he wrote:
“Congratulations to Dalton Smith. That was one heck of a efficiency. All of the 140 belts are coming to the UK.”
Ought to Azim (14-0, 11 KOs) get previous Lemos, requires a long-awaited home showdown will solely intensify. For Smith, nevertheless, consideration could first flip to enterprise obligations, with obligatory challenger Alberto Puello ready within the wings — and proof that life as a world champion doesn’t at all times permit for a quiet first defence.
