(August 19th) Dalton “Thunder” Smith and Alberto Puello officially launched the countdown to their highly anticipated WBC World Super-Lightweight Championship showdown on Wednesday, with the undefeated Sheffield champion and the Dominican challenger trading confidence, respect and some sharp verbal blows ahead of their October 24 meeting at the Utilita Arena Sheffield. The rescheduled 12-round world-title contest, promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing and broadcast live on DAZN, will see Smith make the first defense of the green-and-gold belt he spectacularly captured from Subriel Matías in January. Matchroom has officially confirmed the October 24 Sheffield date, while the WBC has also listed Smith-Puello as the champion’s first defense.

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For Smith, the occasion represents a long-awaited homecoming with the world championship around his waist. The Sheffield native became a world champion earlier this year when he travelled to Barclays Center in Brooklyn and stopped Matías in the fifth round, completing a remarkable journey through the English, British, Commonwealth and European championship ranks before reaching the summit at 140 pounds. At Wednesday’s press conference, Smith reflected on the significance of finally sitting in Sheffield as a world champion and defending the title in front of his hometown supporters.

“Just to be sat here right now as a world champion feels special,” Smith said. “I’ve done everything I said I was going to do. You know, go through all the belts and bring a world title back to Sheffield and have a big homecoming.” The champion acknowledged the difficulty of the challenge in front of him but insisted that demanding fights are precisely what bring out the best in him. “Sheffield, October the 24th, Sheffield’s going to be loud. The atmosphere is going to be noisy and it’s going to be a special moment for me.”

Smith’s road to the first defense has not been completely straightforward. The original June meeting with Puello was postponed after Smith suffered an injury during training camp in April, forcing him to step away from his scheduled first defense. The WBC confirmed the injury and postponement at the time, while Matchroom subsequently announced the rescheduled October 24 date. Smith said the setback was frustrating but that he has now recovered and is ready to resume the championship campaign.

Opposite Smith will be a challenger who understands exactly what it takes to compete at world-title level. Puello is a former two-time world champion who is determined to regain the WBC championship and become a three-time world champion. The Dominican southpaw enters Sheffield with extensive championship experience and views the hostile atmosphere as an opportunity rather than an obstacle.

“I’m very excited to be here, to come into this country and to be able to put on a great show,” Puello said through his translator. “More than anything, it’s to be able to take this title home once again.”

Puello also revisited his own fight with Matías, explaining that he believes the biggest lesson from their majority-decision contest was the importance of sticking to a predetermined strategy. “The only thing I think about when I look back on that fight is that you should never abandon your fight plan,” Puello said. He believes abandoning his tactics allowed Matías to draw him into the Puerto Rican’s preferred fight and ultimately influenced the result.

The challenger admitted that Smith’s destruction of Matías came as a surprise. “I think like everybody, I was very surprised that Dalton Smith could go and knock out Subriel Matías,” Puello said. Nevertheless, he stopped short of identifying obvious weaknesses in the champion. “There’s very few things I can say about weaknesses. I don’t see many weaknesses in him.” But Puello made clear that he sees enormous personal satisfaction in taking the championship away from Smith in Sheffield. “It will be hugely satisfying to come here to his home and to rip the belt away from him.”

Smith, however, believes his experience against southpaws and his extensive preparation for Puello will make the difference. The champion expects a completely different fight from his physical battle with Matías, anticipating a contest in which technical boxing and tactical adjustments will be central.

“Puello is a great champion… two-time world champion for a reason,” Smith said. “I’m expecting a high-level boxing fight in this one.” He then revealed just how long Puello has been on his radar. “Alberto is someone we probably studied for the last 18 months. You know, before the Matias fight when he was champion. So, he’s been on our radar for quite a while.” Smith added that he and his team are already very familiar with Puello’s strengths, weaknesses and overall style.

Smith also rejected the suggestion that his first defense will be an easier assignment than his title-winning performance against Matías. Instead, he believes the fights simply present different problems. “Completely two different styles,” Smith said. “On paper you look Matias is a much harder fight, you know, physical fight. I think this will be, you know, you’ll see a lot more boxing skill in this one.” The champion added that southpaw opponents are a style he has traditionally enjoyed facing, particularly dating back to his amateur career.

The confidence on both sides was unmistakable. Puello stressed that he is physically and mentally prepared to cause Smith his first professional defeat, while Smith insisted that the WBC championship will remain in Sheffield. “I’ve got a big target on my back. He wants to come and get he wants to do what I did to Matias. But believe me, that’s not going to happen,” Smith said. “Fighting in my hometown with the support behind me as a world champion… gives me that extra fire.”

When Puello suggested that taking the belt from Smith would be a humiliation for the champion, Smith responded with perhaps the clearest statement of his determination. “You’ll have to kill me in a ring to take it away from me,” he said.

For Smith, the bigger picture remains Hillsborough, the home of his beloved Sheffield Wednesday. The champion repeatedly stressed, however, that he will not overlook Puello while thinking about what might come next. “It’s always fuel every time I fight… to achieve something new, to make history in Sheffield, but you don’t overlook any fight. One fight at a time,” Smith said. “Once that hand’s raised on October the 24th, we’ll see what’s next. But everybody knows Hillsborough is the cherry on the top for me.”

Puello is equally motivated by the historical significance of victory. “I’m hugely motivated to go and win that, given that it would make history in the Dominican Republic,” he said, emphasizing his desire to reclaim the WBC belt and deliver a memorable performance for the fans.

When asked how he sees himself winning, Smith kept his answer simple. “I’m going to punch him more times than he punches me,” the champion said. “The scorecards, whether it’s inside the distance or just points, my hand will be raised.” Puello declined to reveal his detailed tactical plan, but his closing remark ensured that the press conference ended with another shot at the champion. “I don’t think I’ll be able to miss with the size of Dalton Smith’s head,” Puello joked. Smith immediately responded: “You can’t hit what you can’t see.” He then promised that Puello would receive a shock on October 24.

The chief supporting attraction will see Sheffield prospect Giorgio Visioli take the biggest step of his young professional career when he meets veteran Yorkshireman Maxi Hughes. Visioli enters the contest unbeaten and views Hughes as precisely the type of opponent required to establish that he is ready to move beyond domestic level. The 23-year-old explained that he accepted the Hughes assignment because it represented the toughest and most rewarding option available to him.

“I think it’ll bring the best out of me,” Visioli said. “Max has been in with… boxers for three world-title eliminators… so I think it’ll bring the best out of me, bring my counter-punching and stuff.” Visioli said he was offered other opponents but was the first to accept Hughes, describing the veteran as one of the hardest challenges available. “This is past British level and I’m looking forward to showing my levels on that night.”

Matchroom’s Frank Smith believes the Hughes fight represents an important crossroads in Visioli’s development. “He was offered easier fights… but he wanted to take a proper test,” Smith said. He acknowledged that Hughes represents a significant step up but said Matchroom, Visioli’s team and the fighter himself believe he is ready for the challenge. A victory, Smith suggested, would position Visioli for major fights in 2027.

Hughes, meanwhile, dismissed any suggestion that his best days are behind him. The experienced former world-title challenger said that boxing remains his passion and that he intends to decide for himself when his career is finished. “I still believe I’ve got what it takes,” Hughes said. “I’ve still got that desire. That’s why I’m sat here now.” He also identified experience as a major potential advantage against the younger Visioli and insisted that he remains current and capable of producing a big performance.

Hughes believes the key to the fight will be his accumulated experience, while Visioli has no intention of underestimating the veteran. The younger man said he and his team are preparing as though Hughes remains at his best and will not draw conclusions from the veteran’s recent results. Both fighters refused to offer a definitive prediction, preferring to settle the argument inside the ring on October 24.

Also returning to action is teenage heavyweight prospect Leo Atang, who arrives in Sheffield with an 8-0 professional record and considerable momentum after gaining valuable experience in the United States. Atang described the American trip as an important learning experience, particularly fighting in different conditions and continuing to develop outside his comfort zone.

Atang’s rapid development has impressed Matchroom. Frank Smith noted that the young heavyweight has fought eight times in 12 months despite spending two of those months dealing with injuries, highlighting the remarkable activity level for a fighter still only 19. Atang's ambition remains straightforward: continue improving, step up the level of opposition and pursue knockouts. “We want knockouts,” Atang said. “We’re going to step up the levels again this year… and just improve.”

The October 24 bill therefore combines a world championship homecoming with a significant test for one of Sheffield’s brightest young prospects and a fascinating youth-versus-experience clash between Visioli and Hughes. Matchroom has confirmed the event for the Utilita Arena Sheffield as part of its 2026 UK schedule, with the action available live on DAZN.

The currently announced full card headlined by the Dalton Smith vs. Alberto Puello, 12-round WBC World Super-Lightweight Championship includes Giorgio Visioli vs. Maxi Hughes is scheduled for 10 rounds for the vacant WBC International Silver Lightweight Championship. Shannon Ryan vs. Emma Dolan is scheduled for 10 rounds with the British, Commonwealth and IBF Inter-Continental Super-Flyweight championships at stake. The remainder of the announced programme features Edward Hardy vs. Ibrahim Nadim over 10 rounds at super-featherweight, Aqib Fiaz vs. Jordan Flynn over 10 rounds at super-featherweight, Joe Hayden vs. Will Harrison over eight rounds at welterweight, Leo Atang vs. TBA over six rounds at heavyweight, and Chris Mulunda vs. TBA at middleweight.

The undercard remains subject to final confirmation and change as opponents are expected to be announced soon.

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About Matchroom Boxing

After the success of snooker in the 1980s, Matchroom Sport moved into boxing with two small hall shows followed by Frank Bruno v Joe Bugner at Tottenham Hotspur’s ground – the biggest boxing event of 1987. That launched the company into the boxing big-time, a position it has maintained ever since.

Through the 1990s Matchroom Sport’s boxing roster featured many of the biggest names in the sport including Lennox Lewis, Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank, Steve Collins and Naseem Hamed, all in world title fights and it continues to work with some of the biggest names in UK boxing including Audley Harrison, the 2000 Olympic Super-Heavyweight gold medalist.

Over the years, Matchroom Sport has built up long-standing relationships with broadcasters around the world and with the advent of the Prizefighter phenomenon, the company’s boxing division has never been in a stronger position.

From fantastic six round scraps between the sport’s journeymen, up to multi-million-dollar World Championship contests featuring the above fighters, the Pro Box series has it all. Each show is packed with the very best in boxing action in a series that encompasses almost 25 years of Matchroom Sport’s commitment to bringing the highest quality to the global television market.