Smith retains title with split-decision win over Puello
· Yahoo Sports
Britain's Dalton Smith defended his WBC light-welterweight world title with a split-decision victory over Alberto Puello in a triumphant homecoming in Sheffield.
The 29-year-old extended his unbeaten professional record in a high-class tactical contest at the Utilita Arena, with both fighters displaying sharp counter-punching skills.
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The result hung in the balance as the judges' scorecards were read out, with victory for either man or a draw seemingly possible.
But Smith edged it, with two judges scoring the contest 115-113 in his favour and the third awarding it 116-112 to Dominican fighter Puello.
It was Smith's first title defence after his stunning fifth-round knockout of Subriel Matias in Brooklyn in January.
The Sheffield fighter passes another stern test against two-time world champion Puello to extend his record to 20 wins.
With his mandatory challenger out of the way, Smith keeps his dream of headlining Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough Stadium alive and will target some of the biggest names in boxing, including unbeaten American Shakur Stevenson.
Smith edges high-quality contest
Sheffield has a rich boxing history, having produced world champions including Prince Naseem Hamed, Johnny Nelson and Kell Brook, and those in attendance gave their latest champion a hero's welcome.
Wearing the blue and white of his beloved Sheffield Wednesday, he made his ring walk to AC/DC's Thunderstruck.
The contest began cagily, with neither fighter willing to overcommit as both showed sharp defensive skills.
Smith had beaten the fearsome puncher Matias by standing and trading, but Puello posed a different challenge - a slick southpaw relying on movement and counter-punching.
The champion dictated the pace in the early rounds. He landed a right in the fourth, but Puello, 32, found his range with his left before Smith connected again just before the bell.
Puello - whose only career loss came against Matias last year - came alive in the sixth, landing a series of straight lefts to take the round. The challenger then slipped to the canvas, briefly raising hopes of a knockdown among the home crowd.
The atmosphere resembled a football terrace, with a drummer and trumpeter accompanying fans singing Sheffield Wednesday songs.
A superb double jab and right hook from Smith in the ninth was answered by an uppercut and hook to the body from Puello, showcasing the quality of both fighters.
With the contest - originally scheduled for June before an elbow injury forced Smith to withdraw - finely poised, both men had everything to fight for heading into the championship rounds.
Cut below his right eye, Smith traded blows with Puello, perhaps edging the exchanges through his higher work-rate.
Smith played to the crowd in the final 20 seconds, before leaping into his father's arms at the final bell.
Is Stevenson next - and could Smith headline Hillsborough?
Smith's breakthrough year has established him among the leading fighters at light-welterweight. He had already won British, Commonwealth and European honours, and a successful first world-title defence further strengthens his credentials.
The biggest challenge could come against Stevenson, the unbeaten WBO world champion and a four-weight world title-holder. The American is widely regarded as one of boxing's most gifted technicians.
Stevenson's recent departure from Zuffa Boxing could open up opportunities for negotiations, while another potential unification opponent is WBA champion Gary Antuanne Russell.
Closer to home, a meeting with unbeaten British rival Adam Azim has been discussed for several years. The pair have exchanged words throughout their rise and Smith has indicated he would welcome the contest at Hillsborough in 2027, although he believes Azim still has work to do before challenging for his world title.
The prospect of Smith defending his title in front of tens of thousands of supporters at the home of his boyhood football club would be another remarkable milestone.
Smith is not one for trash talk or the theatrics that often help fighters build their profiles, preferring to let his performances do the talking.
But the challenge now is turning world-title success into high-profile fights that could catapult him into the mainstream.