Winning a world title is one thing. Keeping it is often much harder. Mandatory challengers usually spend months studying the champion’s strengths and weaknesses, and they enter the fight with everything on the line. Puello fits that description.
Although many fans remember him for losing his title to Subriel Matias, the Dominican southpaw remains one of the most awkward fighters in the division. His movement, defensive style and left-handed stance present different problems than the pressure Smith handled when he stopped Matias to win the belt. Smith knows he isn’t overlooking the assignment.
“Becoming World Champion was something I’d dreamed about my whole life, but winning the belt was never the end goal. I want to build a legacy, and that starts with defending the title against the best challengers in the division,” said Dalton.
“Puello has been a World Champion before and earned his mandatory position, so I know exactly how tough this fight will be. I’ll be giving him the respect he deserves in training, but once that first bell goes, it’ll be about showing why I’m the WBC World Champion.”
The postponement may have worked in Puello’s favor. Instead of meeting Smith in May, the former champion received several extra months to prepare while Smith recovered. Additional preparation time rarely hurts an experienced challenger, particularly one who has already won a world title.
Smith will still deserve to be the favorite fighting in front of his hometown crowd, but homecoming fights bring their own pressure. Sheffield fans will expect another impressive performance after his title-winning knockout of Matias, while Puello arrives with nothing to lose.
If Smith defeats Puello, attention will shift to unification fights and the division’s biggest names. If he underestimates an experienced former champion, those plans could disappear before they ever get started.
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