Dalton Smith will return to his hometown of Sheffield for a first defence of his WBC super-lightweight world championship.
Dalton Smith (19-0, 14ko’s) is one of British Boxing’s greatest success stories in recent times.
The man from Sheffield captured the WBC super-lightweight world championship in January.
In spectacular fashion, Smith stopped Subriel Matias (23-3, 22ko’s) in the fifth round to capture the green and gold.
Nicknamed as ‘thunder’, Smith did what very few do these days, and earnt his shot the traditional way.
The Sheffield Wednesday fanatic rose through the professional ranks, capturing English, British and European titles on his way to world level.
After that famous day at the Barclays Center in New York, it’s time for the champion to defend his crown on home soil.
Mike Coppinger of the Ring Magazine has revealed that ‘Dalton Smith is set to defend his WBC junior welterweight title against Alberto Puello on June 6th in Sheffield, UK’.
Alberto Puello (24-1, 10ko’s) is a mandatory defence, but is likely to cause some problems for the champion.
Dominican Republic born, Puello’s only blemish on an impressive record came at the hands of Subriel Matias in 2025.
In a razor tight majority decision, Matias captured the title.
The southpaw now has an opportunity to become a two time world champion.
This fight is undoubtedly a major boost to the Matchroom Boxing UK schedule.
Sheffield was previously a hub for world championship boxing with Kell Brook, and now it’s the blue side of Sheffield’s turn.
Whilst Hillsborough is the ultimate goal for Dalton Smith, Sheffield Wednesday being in administration makes this unlikely for 2026.
A return to the Utilita Arena will undoubtedly spark a raucous atmosphere in June.
Dalton Smith is set to make the first defense of his WBC junior welterweight title against former champion Alberto Puello on June 6th in his hometown of Sheffield, England, @MikeCoppinger revealed on @InsideRingShow. pic.twitter.com/Hv3hoyftaW
— InsideRingShow (@InsideRingShow) March 23, 2026
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