Ringside Report: Dalton Smith Edges Past Alberto Puello
It was a tactical chess match. Both fighters were good defensively. Largely, only single shots were landed throughout a thoroughly absorbing twelve rounds on Saturday night at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield. But it was Dalton Smith who emerged victorious and retained his WBC world super-lightweight title against Alberto Puello by a hard-earned split-decision victory.
One judge had it wide to Puello 116-112, but was overruled by two scores of 115-113 for the reigning WBC 140-pound champion. From ringside, I had Smith (20-0) winning by the same margin. That scorecard in favour of the challenger was hard to justify. But I did think a draw wasn’t that outrageous.
The opening six rounds were incredibly close, but I didn’t think Puello (25-2) was doing enough to win many of them. But the pattern of the fight suddenly changed in the second half of the fight. I gave Puello three rounds on the bounce. In rounds 7-9, Puello outworked Smith for the first time in the fight. The straight left hand started to land far more frequently. The vocal partisan crowd sensing the fight could be slipping away, started to raise their voices.
I thought Smith rallied in the 10th and the 11th. Rounds which almost certainly saved his title. I gave Puello the 12th and final round. Smith finished the fight with a cut over his right eye, courtesy of a head clash. I thought Smith had won clearly enough, albeit with enough room for doubt.
It was a high-level affair, with a lot of super close rounds. Rounds that were decided by a punch or two either way. There was relief in the arena when Smith had his hand raised.
Puello is a quality operator, and it was always going to be a hard night’s work. And so it proved. In many ways, this was a better victory than the night Smith ripped the title away from Subriel Matias earlier this year in America. Smith had to be patient, and stay disciplined. I thought his distance control and timing was the difference on the night.
It wasn’t the sell-out that that was advertised, but the Sheffield faithful still came out in force to support their hero. It was fought in a cracking atmosphere. There is something to build on with Smith. That support will only keep growing, if the 29-year-old keeps winning.
Photo Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
