Dalton Smith retains WBC title with split verdict over Puello
The Sheffield fighter stayed unbeaten in 20 fights after a split-decision win over Alberto Puello in his first defence of the WBC light-welterweight title.
Dalton Smith retained his WBC light-welterweight title with a split-decision victory over Alberto Puello on Saturday night, according to Sky Sports Boxing.
The 29-year-old extended his unbeaten professional record to 20 wins in a tactical, high-class contest at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield, as reported by Yahoo Sports.
The judges' verdict went down to the wire. Two scored the fight 115-113 in Smith's favour, while the third had it 116-112 for the Dominican challenger.
It was Smith's first defence of the belt since his fifth-round stoppage of Subriel Matias in Brooklyn in January, a result that made him world champion.
Puello, 32, had been bidding to become a three-time world champion after previously losing his WBC belt to Matias on points, and had lost only once in his first 26 professional fights, according to BBC Boxing. Saturday's defeat was his second in 27.
Ahead of the fight, BBC Boxing gathered predictions from figures across the sport, with several tipping Smith to edge a close decision against the southpaw despite the contrasting styles on show - Puello's slick counter-punching against Smith's rugged, schooled approach.
That is largely how it played out, with both men displaying sharp counter-punching across a contest that could plausibly have gone either way, or even been scored a draw, before the scorecards were read.
Smith made clear afterwards that relinquishing the title had never been under consideration. "Did you ever think I was going to vacate this belt and go a different route? Not a chance," he said. "I know how hard I've worked for this and I wanted to bring it back home for every single person in here."
The win keeps alive Smith's ambition of headlining at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough Stadium, with his mandatory obligation now discharged and bigger names coming into view.
Unbeaten American Shakur Stevenson was mentioned as a potential target. "I have a lot of respect for Shakur - he's one hell of a fighter," Smith said. "But this takes me back to the Ricky Hatton and Mayweather days. We can build something good."
Promoter Eddie Hearn framed the win in terms of Smith's standing in the sport. "Dalton Smith is a legacy guy. I know that money plays a big part in boxing, and we want to make sure that this guy lives a wonderful life," Hearn said. "First and foremost this guy is a real fighter, who wants belts, legacy, and to make his city proud."
Sheffield has produced a line of world champions before Smith, including Prince Naseem Hamed, Johnny Nelson and Kell Brook, and the crowd at the Utilita Arena gave their latest title-holder what Yahoo Sports described as a hero's welcome.
Smith now holds two notable scalps from his past two outings - the knockout of Matias in January and this split-decision win over Puello - as he looks to push into the sport's upper pound-for-pound reckoning with a home stadium show still the stated long-term aim.