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Dalton Smith stuns Subriel Matias KO in the fifth round to win the title

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Just when it looked like Dalton Smith had used the wrong strategy against the heavily armed Subriel Matias, staying in the pocket and punching, the British fighter scored a stunning fifth-round knockout to become the WBC junior welterweight champion in a thrilling fight at the Barclays Center in Recent York.

Fighting in Sheffield, UK, Smith (19-0, 14 KO) was drawn into an ill-advised head-to-head fight with Matias after the first round. While Matias welcomed the close combat, Smith persevered and weathered the storm. Just when it seemed Matias was breaking him down, Smith unleashed a pair of right hands in the fifth round that made him a world champion. The first one shook Matias badly, the second one knocked him down tough. Matias fought back and eventually got back to his feet, but was seriously injured when the referee stopped the fight with less than a minute left in the round.

“For the first time in my career, I was the underdog and the first time I faced a monster,” Smith said. “I canceled all the noise. Tonight was my night.”

Smith made his US debut in a fight with Matias, which almost didn’t happen. In November, before the fight, Matias tested positive for a banned substance in the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association test. However, following an investigation in December, the WBC found him not guilty of violating its drug policy. This would ultimately benefit Smith, who pulled off an upset in a fight full of fireworks from the opening bell. Matias (23-3, 22 KO) moved forward and tried to put pressure on Smith with his hefty hands and high punching power. Smith initially tried to stay on the outside and in the box, but was pulled in in Round 3.

The fight seemed to go in Matias’ favor, as he rocked Smith with uppercuts and punch combinations. But Smith refused to leave and responded with combinations. Matias’ bravado prevented him from retreating and finally caught up with him in round 5 when Smith stepped back and fired a tough right hand that caught Matias in the chin. Matias, who had not been knocked out before the fight, swung at Smith and was met with a second right hand that sent him to the canvas. And that was all Smith needed to become world champion.

“He beat Matias at his own game,” said Smith’s promoter Eddie Hearn. “Matias has never been down or injured before, and now Dalton Smith has declared himself the modern superstar of the 140-pound division. The future is unbelievable.”

Matias won the WBC junior welterweight title by majority vote over Alberto Puello in July and has long been considered the terror of the division. But Smith sent a message that he wouldn’t let one of the toughest fighters in the division stop him from achieving his goal in Brooklyn. And now he will welcome all challengers to his world title.

“Take up the challenge,” Smith said. “I’m one of the best, if not the best in the division. I’m ready to mix with everyone.”

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Canelo warned his path back to undisputed status would be blocked: ‘I’m standing in his way’

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Canelo warned his route back to undisputed will be blocked: “I’m in his way”

Canelo Alvarez could face some grave resistance if he tries to become a three-time undisputed 168-pound champion.

The 35-year-old hasn’t fought since last September, when he lost his four major super middleweight titles in a unanimous decision loss to Terence Crawford.

However, judging by his results, the Mexican is still able to compete at the world level, just not with such a great generation as Crawford.

But still, Canelo is ready to secure a world title shot in his next outingwhich is scheduled to take place on September 12 in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.

Among the names mentioned as potential opponents is Christian Mbilli, who was elevated from “interim” to full WBC champion shortly after Crawford’s retirement.

Earlier, the Frenchman achieved a fascinating 10-round draw with Lester Martinez, who was on the Canelo-Crawford card.

As for the other 168-pound champions, there’s also Jose Armando Resendiz and Osleys Iglesias, with Hamzah Sheeraz seeking to capture the vacant WBO world title on May 23.

Standing in his way is Al Begic, whom the 26-year-old must defeat on the card in the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven match before setting his sights on a fight with Canelo.

Ultimately, however, Sheeraz actually sees himself fighting the four-division world champion Ring Magazine that he can apply the WBO belt as a bargaining chip.

“I have to admit it would be nice to get Canelo. And of course it would be a lot more lucrative if I won the world title earlier.

“I’m sure his plan is to try and become undisputed [champion] again, God willing, I will become world champion on May 23. I will stand in the way of him becoming undisputed [champion].

“Maybe we will finally fight for all the belts. I feel like this fight can definitely blossom in the future.”

For an undisputed clash between Canelo and Sheeraz to take place, the pair must win their next fights well and together dethrone the remaining champions in their division.

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Mauricio Sulaiman claims that Crawford knew in advance that he would have to pay $300,000. dollars fee for WBC

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Image: Mauricio Sulaiman Says Crawford Knew $300K WBC Fee Early

Mauricio Sulaiman says Terence Crawford was aware of the WBC’s reported $300,000 penalty charge long before his undisputed fight against Canelo Alvarez last September, providing a different version of the recent dispute over the champion’s title costs

The WBC president addressed the issue during a recent interview after Crawford publicly questioned why the organization would not honor terms that he believed had been accepted by other sanctioning bodies. Sulaiman said the amount had already been communicated in advance and was not a surprise once the fight was finalized.


“He knew well in advance what the WBC estimated for this particular fight and it was supposedly 300,000. That was the upper limit,” Ring Champs said of Crawford before his fight with Canelo.

Sulaiman added that this amount is lower than the percentage the organization says it can collect under its regulations. He said the WBC capped the fee rather than applying the full rate.

The dispute became a topic of discussion after Crawford publicly responded to previous comments related to the sanctions process. Sulaiman avoided escalating the exchange, saying he did not want to personally criticize Crawford.

“I’m not going to talk bad about Crawford,” Sulaiman said.

He also said that fighters and promoters receive contracts and terms before title fights are approved, describing the process as standard practice and not something created for a single event.

“There are contracts. When you as a promoter give in and get sanctioned, there are rules,” Sulaiman said.

When a player earns tens of millions, the standard 3% suddenly becomes sedate money, and that’s when the backlash usually begins.

The comments highlight a long-standing problem in boxing, where sanction fees are often accepted during negotiations but become controversial when vast funds are involved. Huge fights usually reveal how much power the belts still carry.

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Categories Terence Crawford

Last updated: 25/04/2026 at 18:31

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Errol Spence Jr.’s opponent and return date have finally been confirmed

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Errol Spence Jr’s comeback opponent and date finally confirmed

Errol Spence Jr will make his long-awaited return this summer as he faces the former world champion away.

The 36-year-old has not fought since losing his three welterweight world titles in July 2023. when he suffered a nine-round defeat to Terence Crawford during the battle at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Before their meeting, many suspected Spence was the top dog at 147 pounds, even after a life-threatening car accident in 2019.

He eventually recovered from the traumatic incident with back-to-back victories over Danny Garcia and Yordenis Ugas, but suffered an undisputed defeat against Crawford.

As a result, Spence is set to make his long-overdue move to 154 pounds before his next appearance, with Report from the boxing scene that he will face former super welterweight champion Tim Tszyu on July 25 in Australia.

It was also recently reported that Tszyu had named Jeff Fenech as head coach after he fired his training team for the second time in three fights.

This followed the Australian’s unanimous decision victory over Denis Nurja in Wollongong, Australia earlier this month, which followed an equally dominant triumph over Anthony Velazquez in December at the TikTok Entertainment Center in Sydney.

Meanwhile, the 31-year-old lost in the seventh round to Sebastian Fundora in July 2025 during his last meeting at world level.

Tszyu previously lost a split decision in their first meeting before finding himself facing a three-round demolition task against Bakhram Murtazaliev in 2024.

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