The day Dalton Smith follows in Kell Brook’s footsteps
Dalton Smith now knows the exact date of his moment of destiny - the day he hopes to follow fellow Sheffielder Kell Brook into the record books by becoming a British world champion on American soil.
The unbeaten 28-year-old super-lightweight says he will fight for his first world crown on January 10, 2026, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, where he is due to face WBC super-lightweight powerhouse Subriel Matias.
This comes just over 11 years after Brook captured the IBF welterweight title by defeating Shawn Porter in Carson, California, on August 16, 2014.
The Barclays Center has become one of boxing’s marquee venues. It has staged some of the sport’s most notable contests of the past decade, including Danny Garcia v Zab Judah, Paulie Malignaggi v Adrien Broner, Keith Thurman v Danny Garcia, and heavyweight showdowns featuring Deontay Wilder.
The Brooklyn arena has also hosted major events in the NBA, NHL, and live music, but it is boxing that has given it a global reputation.
Smith’s title opportunity will come eight months and 22 days, after his most recent outing, when he scored a wide unanimous-decision win over Canada’s Mathieu Germain at Sheffield Arena on April 19.
That victory extended his unbeaten run and confirmed his readiness for a world championship shot.
Sheffield’s record on American soil carries plenty of prestige.
Naseem Hamed famously defended his WBO featherweight title against Kevin Kelley at Madison Square Garden in December 1997, and Brook captured the IBF welterweight crown in Carson, California, in 2014.
Now Dalton heads to Brooklyn, aiming to follow in their footsteps and add his own name to the list of Sheffield fighters making history in the United States.
The two New York venues are just four miles apart, highlighting how close together these iconic stages of transatlantic boxing glory really are.
A sprinkling of British boxers have made their breakthroughs in America, from early pioneers like Bob Fitzsimmons and Ted “Kid” Lewis to modern champions such as Josh Taylor, who unified the super-lightweight division in Las Vegas in 2021.
Lennox Lewis won his first professional world title (WBC heavyweight) in the US, defeating Tony Tucker in Vegas in 1992.
For Sheffield’s fight fraternity, all eyes will be on Brooklyn this January, as Handsworth's Smith looks to bring another world title 3,400 miles home to the Steel City gym.