Former WBC junior welterweight champion Alberto Puello will stay active later this month while waiting for his expected shot at regaining the title against Dalton Smith.
Puello (24-1, 10 KOs) will face Luis Gallegos (20-1, 17 KOs) in a 10-round junior welterweight bout on July 18 at the Coliseo de Boxeo Carlos Teo Cruz in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The fight comes after Smith’s planned June 6 title defense against Puello was postponed when the British champion suffered an elbow injury during training camp.
Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has said he expects Smith and Puello to meet in October once Smith has recovered, making the July 18 bout an opportunity for Puello to remain sharp ahead of his mandatory title challenge.
The 31-year-old will also be making his first appearance in the Dominican Republic in five years. Since July 2021, Puello has fought exclusively in the United States while working his way back into world title contention.
Puello captured the vacant WBA junior welterweight title in August 2022 with a split decision over Batyr Akhmedov before being stripped the following year after testing positive for the banned substance clomiphene ahead of a scheduled defense against Rolando Romero.
He returned to rebuild his career, earning a split decision over Gary Antuanne Russell to claim the WBC interim title before being elevated to full champion. Puello then edged Sandor Martin by split decision in March, but lost the belt four months later when Subriel Matias handed him the first defeat of his professional career by majority decision.
Gallegos turned professional in Mexico in 2016 and won his first 20 bouts before suffering a third-round knockout loss to Jesus Antonio Rubio in September 2024. The 29-year-old has not fought since and enters the matchup as a sizeable underdog against the former world champion.
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Last Updated on 2026/07/04 at 8:43 PM
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