Cheer up Dalton Smith - you're a special fighter
Former world champion Kell Brook has a morale-boosting message for Dalton Smith - 'You remind me of a younger me!'
Smith is having to cope with the disappointment of missing out on a European title bid at Sheffield Arena on September 28.
The show was cancelled after Smith sustained an injury.
Brook, one of the younger man's boxing heroes, has monitored his progress over recent years.
And Kell says that while anything can happen in the rarefied atmosphere of world-class boxing, Smith can go on to achieve great things.
Asked to sum up a fit Dalton's pros and cons, the former IBF welterweight title holder said: "There are not many cons, to be honest.
"He is a very special fighter, there is not much that I can pull him on at this stage.
"He just needs to gain more and more experience and have his team putting him in the right fights at the right time.
"If that happens, he can go all the way."
Smith can: "Fight, he can punch, he can box, he has got it all," said Brook.
"There is still a question mark until he ups his opponents, and they get better people in there with him.
"I can see a lot of me in him, when it gets tough the question will be can he deal with that? Time will tell.
"He is in a hard division, (super light) but he's young and is ambitious and has got it all at his feet.
"I think he can go all the way; but we need to see him in those big fights, no one knows until he is tested properly - that's not happened yet but he will get there," said Brook.
Year on year, Dalton will be getting stronger and developing a mindset that whatever the hype is going on outside the ring, he deserves to win major titles, added Kell.
"Then he will get the confidence that comes with success."
Brook is also keeping an eye on another Sheffield fighter, Shakiel Thompson.
He defends his IBF European and WBO Global Middleweights in his home city on September 27.
"He is another good fighter; I have sparred with him many times.
"He is tough and strong. I think he needs to bring more to his arsenal, sometimes he'd keep doing the same things."
Meanwhile, Sheffield-trained Stevi Levy tops the bill, against Chesterfield's Amy Greatorex, at Skate Central on September 14.
It will be her first appearance since losing the British and Commonwealth Super Bantamweight title fight with Tysie Gallagher in May.
Doncaster's 15-fight unbeaten welterweight Lewis Booth is in another eight-rounder, against Richard Helm.