English hopeful celebrates spectacular TKO victory in Brooklyn and is crowned world light-welterweight champion.
Sheffield’s Dalton Smith is the new WBC World Super Lightweight Champion. The undefeated Englishman beat reigning champion Subriel Matias last night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, with a TKO in round five and delivered a demonstration of power in his US debut.
Smith (19-0, 14 knockouts) started the fight highly focused and controlled the first round with a straight jab that kept Matias’ head snapping back. Precise rights to the head and body clearly secured the 28-year-old the opener. In round two, Smith’s right hand became even more effective as Puerto Rican Matias (23-3, 22 knockouts) tried to drag the fight into an open exchange. Smith stood up to the duel, scoring with clean body shots and landing a clever uppercut on the inside shortly before the end of the round.
Matias came out of the corner aggressively in the third and hit Smith with combinations early on. But the Brit showed a fighter’s heart, countered with a cracking right hand and held his ground. Although Matias had a slight advantage at the end of the round, Smith himself landed two hard rights to the bell.
A real toe-to-toe fight developed from round four onwards. Matias landed heavy uppercuts, but Smith’s series of punches were clearer and cleaner. The Englishman looked physically stronger and repeatedly pushed the champion to the ropes. Round five was also a back-and-forth affair until Smith struck in the final third of the round: a precise left hook followed by a straight right to the chin shook Matias badly. With a powerful right punch to the temple, Smith sent the champion to his back on the floor.
Matias got back to his feet at the count of eight, but the referee stopped the fight 44 seconds before the end of the round. Smith celebrated the biggest victory of his career and can now call himself WBC super lightweight champion – a statement victory on the big stage.