Rival delivers stark message to Sheffield's world champion
Smith defends his WBC World super-lightweight title at Sheffield Arena, on October 24.
Dalton Smith's world title opponent Alberto Puello says he is coming to Sheffield to "humiliate" him.
Smith defends his WBC World super-lightweight title at Sheffield Arena, on October 24.
And at a launch press conference in the city today, Puello, from the Dominican Republic, made no bones about his objective.
"It will be hugely satisfying to come here to his home and to rip the belt away from him," he said.
"It will be really satisfying for me and a humiliation for him.”
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It was a surprise statement given earlier vibes from the former world champion.
He'd said he had been "very excited to be here, to come to this country and to be able to put on a great show."
He said of Handsworth's Smith “There’s very few things I can say about weaknesses, I don’t see many weaknesses in him."
But he had an interesting take on Smith's KO of Subriel Matias, the victory that saw him crowned WBC champ.
“I think like everybody I was very surprised that Dalton Smith could go and knock out Subriel Matias. I don’t want to take anything away from Dalton Smith as a fighter, but I think it was a big surprise that he was able to knock him out," said Puello.
Smith will take it all in his stride.
The unflustered Steel City Gym man said: "Just to be sat here right now as a world champion feels special. I remember doing this the first time we headlined for the British title.
"I’ve done everything I said I was going to do; go through all the belts and bring a world title back to Sheffield and have a big homecoming. This is what I’ve got now.
"It’s a tough test in front of me but that’s what brings the best out of me. Sheffield, October 24th it’s going to be loud.
"The atmosphere is going to be noisy. It’s going to be a special moment for me."
Referring to Puello's left hand power, Smith said: "He’s a two-time world champion for a reason. But like I said, I’ve always liked that style – southpaws.
"It’ll be completely different from my last fight. I’m expecting a high-level boxing fight in this one.
"Alberto is someone we have studied for the last 18 months, before the Matias fight when he was world champion.
"He’s been on our radar for quite a while. We’ve studied him quite a bit so I’m very familiar with his style, what he does well and what he doesn’t do well. That’s for me on October 24 to put that into action."
Frank Smith, Matchroom Boxing CEO, told the conference: "It has been an unbelievable journey.
"Dalton Smith has done it from the start.
"He’s taken every test and gone after every belt, and even when it came to winning the belt he went to his opponent’s backyard – a fighter nobody wanted to fight in Subriel Matias.
"He took the belt away in spectacular fashion. The way he finished that fight at the Barclays Centre, (New York) obviously an amazing crowd, came over from Sheffield, but really in Subriel’s hometown it felt like, being over there.
"What a win and what a journey he’s been on.
"Time and time again he’s taken every test that’s stood in front of him. "Steve Bunce (pundit) was just saying to me that it would have been nice to get a nice easy over the hill name for the first defence, but he’s testing himself in his first fight back against Puello who is the WBC mandatory.
"It’s a proper fight and he’s not looking beyond this. I truly believe after this unifications are there, the big night at Hillsborough is there and I can’t wait for what’s ahead.”
The undercard will feature Doncaster's Maxi Hughes, Joe Hayden and Ed Hardy and Sheffield prospect Chris Mulunda.