Dalton Smith’s Supertram on track for Hillsborough blockbuster

Is Sheffield Arena to Hillsborough the next destination on the seemingly unstoppable Dalton Smith Supertram?

And at the end of that five mile journey, will it be American superstar Shakur Stevenson waiting to punch his ticket?

Certainly Smith's dream of a Sheffield Wednesday FC-hosted title fight now appears to be within reach after his nail-biting split-decision win over Alberto Puello in the east end on Saturday night.

The Handsworth lad won it the hard way after 12 intense rounds which many observers- including the judges - seemed to find difficult to score.

One judge thought the Las Vegas-based former world champion Puello, a 32-year-old southpaw with 11 KOs on his CV, had won it convincingly by 116-112.

Two others thought Filipino colleague Rey Danseco had been watching another fight, and made it 115-113, meaning Smith had successfully defended his WBC World Super Lightweight title.

It was an emotional conclusion to 36 hard-fought minutes for Smith, his family, the Steel City gym and the Wednesday-loving Smith fans, who noisily serenaded him long into the night.

Smith, through tearful, bruised eyes, dedicated the victory to his friend Russell Marsden, who had passed away earlier this year after suffering from mental health issues.

He described getting goose pimples from the moment he walked to the ring at the Arena - it had all the power and energy of a Ricky Hatton event.

After that "unbelievable atmosphere," Smith now wants to transfer it to a sold-out Owls' stadium for his next title fight.

Like Clinton Woods and Kell Brook before him, Dalton has a clear and relatable affinity with his fan base.

And that is not lost on Eddie Hearn, the Matchroom promoter, who stated: "Next must be unification - and it must be Hillsborough.

"In 2026 Dalton has beaten two of the very best in the division.

"He has cemented himself as the number one pound-for-pound in Britain.

"He wants belts, legacy to make his city proud."

He said talks with Wednesday’s hierarchy had been extremely positive – and that Smith would love to face Stevenson, who has won world championships in four weight classes and is The Ring's No. 1-ranked fighter.

"We want to see the best face the best" said Hearn.

The bout, beamed all across the world, was a memorable one, featuring different styles.

Mandatory challenger Puello had a wide standing stance and an impressive reach, which made it hard for Smith to get in and do damage on the inside.

In round three, Puello stumbled backwards after a blow to the temple and then had to deal with a heavy body shot. The session had dad Grant looking elated.

Puello matched Smith's high work rate and the lack of cleanly hit shots from either was making it difficult to pick a likely victor.

The Dominican, with his lancing jab, was looking confident and athletic - while Smith was patient and probing.

By round 11, a cut had appeared over Dalton's eye but it seemed only to spur both boxers on.

In the final stanza, Smith was dancing in jubilation with 20 seconds remaining - unaware that Mr Danseco saw things differently.

The Sheffielder can now rest up in the knowledge that, in boxing terms, the city is his, and a quest for title unification is under way.

As chief support, Doncaster's Maxi Hughes, 36, who had described himself as a "Matchroom exterminator" because of his previous record against their fighters, took on Giorgio Visioli, 23, an exciting southpaw with a 54 per cent KO rate.

It didn't go to plan.

While he started well, giving the speedy Matchroom prospect little room to manoeuvre, he couldn't produce the offence needed to unsettle a younger and more dynamic boxer.

The Sean O'Hagan-trained fighter struggled with Visioli's speed and dogged persistence.

Former kickboxer Visioli was like a machine, never running out of steam or ideas.

Briefly, Hughes stepped up a level, throwing more shots and inflicting a cut over Visioi's left eye.

But he couldn't build on that.

One judge had the contest as a draw at 95-95, but two others gave a 96-94 verdict for the southerner.

Dave Allen-trained, Conisbrough-born Joe Hayden triumphed in another highly competitive scrap, decking Will Harrison after 20 seconds before settling for a 79-72 points win.

Doncaster farmer Ed Hardy, 24, had been scheduled to fight English super featherweight title contender Ibrahim Nadeem but a change of circumstances meant he was in with dangerous Argentinian Diego Alberto Ruiz.

He cruised to a 79-73 victory.

Steel City gym's Chris Mulunda, a 23-year-old middleweight from Rotherham, put his unbeaten record on the line against 33-year-old Harley Collison, who was outpointed by Ingle's Red Johnson last year.

He impressed during his first six rounder, winning every round, as he has done throughout his fledgling career.

• RELATED: Dalton Smith retains title in tense affair at Sheffield Arena
• RELATED: Dalton Smith reveals his mindset going into home city title challenge
• RELATED: Maxi Hughes backs Sheffield 'Belt Collector' Dalton Smith to shine
• RELATED: Sheffield Wednesday in talks over Hillsborough blockbuster for Dalton Smith