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In a cruel and unforgiving sport, Dalton Smith provides a welcome dose of joy

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3 months ago

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The wave of traveling fans made their presence well known as they crowded into McMahon’s Irish Pub in Brooklyn, which probably left neighbors wondering what the hell was going on.

Well, the modern world champion was in town.

Dalton Smith was still in dreamland.

In the hours after Subriel Matias’ sensational, instantly iconic knockout in Brooklyn on January 10, Smith’s dad and trainer, Grant, could be heard reminding anyone who would listen: “My son is the world champion!”

Smith jumped behind the bar, poured a pint of Guinness and enjoyed it, even though he wasn’t a substantial drinker, while those in attendance toasted the newest world champion.

Earlier in the day, Smith’s face was plastered on a billboard in Times Square, and the father-son duo were visibly moved as Eddie Hearn presented them with their modern belt in the heart of Up-to-date York.

What a tumultuous 24 hours.

The scene of Grant falling to the floor with his son in his arms, overcome with emotion and the magnitude of their achievement, was enough to almost make you feel heated about this often frosty, obscure sport.

“What he and I have achieved is huge [Grant] deserves recognition,” Smith told ESPN.

This is what boxing does best.

Just when you feel like you’ve had enough, Dalton Smith comes along, wins the world title and reminds you what it’s all about.

It wasn’t just about what he had done: the boy from Sheffield in northern England had climbed the often treacherous, toxic and unforgiving boxing ladder to the top with his father, leaving home to beat a guy who had failed a drug test in November but was cleared to fight anyway.

That alone would be pretty special.

But this is the way he did it.

Competing with a perilous punch, beating Matias at his own game, pocketing him and finishing in round 5.

“I felt like I was fading a little bit, so I just kept going. Whether it was the right tactic or not, I felt comfortable there and I did my job in great style, so no complaints,” Smith said.

“As crazy as it sounds, even though I was going through war and tears, I enjoyed it. I thought, ‘I’m fighting a real fight here,’ and I enjoyed every moment.”

“I think I would have gone through hell that night to get that win because it meant so much to me. Even though it was a tough and fun fight, I felt comfortable there.”

He still has stitches above his eye, although the swelling has subsided somewhat.

It all still hits me.

Questions about what’s next, who’s next and when inevitably arise stout and brisk for the modern champion. Maybe he even had dreams of a reunion, maybe Teofimo Lopez or Shakur Stevenson.

But fans should savor this moment as much as Smith did.

Britain’s modern pride crossed the ocean to pull off one of the best punches and grabs in history, and proved that sometimes the good guys – even in boxing – finish first.

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Boxing

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

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2 hours ago

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April 25, 2026

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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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Boxing

Canelo Camp announces Resendiz-Munguia as the winner next

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4 hours ago

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April 25, 2026

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Image: Canelo Alvarez Camp Signals Resendiz-Munguia Winner as Next Move

Eddy Reynoso may have said more than he intended when discussing Canelo Alvarez’s next move, as his comments pointed less to Christian Mbilli and more to the winner of next week’s Jaime Munguia-Armando Resendiz fight

Canelo is expected to return to Riyadh for the season in September after recovering from surgery on his left elbow. Reynoso told Ring magazine that the plan remains super middleweight and named several possible opponents, including Mbilli. However, the strongest language in the interview was the conversation about the May 2 fight between Munguia and Resendiz for the WBA title.


“This time it’s Munguia against Resendiz in a pan-Mexico fight on a pan-Mexico card,” Reynoso told Ring Magazine, discussing Cinco de Mayo weekend. “This is going to be an amazing fight and we are prepared to win. This fight is going to be so good that it will steal the show. They have the ingredients to distract from the main event.”

This was unique because Reynoso trains Munguia and has a direct stake in the outcome, but it also sounded like early preparation for what comes next. If Munguia wins, a rematch with Canelo will be an straightforward sell to the Mexican crowd and an straightforward one to build to. If Resendiz wins, he will arrive with the belt and fresh momentum.

After his recent victory over Lester Martinez, Reynoso mentioned Mbilli as a “massive challenge,” but the tone was different. This sounded like one option on the list as the Munguia-Resendiz fight gained full popularity.

Canelo’s team has also ruled out other routes. Reynoso said the David Benavidez fight is now over and suggested there is little chance of seeing it again. Staying at 168 pounds also reduces the likelihood of a rematch with Dmitry Bivol.

This leaves less room than it initially seemed. When camps start praising one fight with such a hard month ahead of time, it’s usually worth paying attention to.

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Categories Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia

Last updated: 25/04/2026 at 13:22

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Victor Ortiz was knocked out by Floyd Mayweather, but names an opponent who was ‘much better’

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6 hours ago

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April 25, 2026

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Victor Ortiz got knocked out by Floyd Mayweather but names the opponent who was ‘much better’

Floyd Mayweather’s last knockout victory over a legal opponent came in 2011 against Victor Ortiz, but despite the stoppage loss, the fighter known as “Vicious” claims he once fought a much better opponent.

It was a highly controversial moment when Mayweather knocked out Ortiz for the WBC welterweight title more than a decade ago, and the fourth round of their fight turned out to be full of drama.

Ortiz threw combinations on the ropes against Mayweather, but then got reckless and led with his head, prompting the referee to deduct a point.

With Ortiz paying no attention to the resumption of the fight, Mayweather fired a tough shot that knocked down and then knocked out his opponent, proving the elderly adage to always protect yourself.

Mayweather is undoubtedly the biggest name Ortiz has ever adopted, but while the boxing legend can be considered one of the best of all time, Ortiz told TalkSport that Andre Berto was better.

“He (Mayweather) is not the best opponent I’ve faced. Without a doubt, not. The best opponent I’ve faced was Andre Berto; he was much better. Andre Berto is a top-shelf pound-for-pound king. He knocked me down, I knocked him down, he got up, he knocked me down again.”

“This man showed everything: quality, heart, skill. Whatever, he’s got it. Someone like Floyd has what? Counter, running? That same year, I bought him some sprint shots at a press conference. My brother also bought him a box of tampons.

“But Andre Berto is special. I have the utmost respect for him. He has power in both hands; he is the total package. Someone with Floyd can’t compete with that.”

Ortiz defeated Berto to win the WBC welterweight title in a fight before facing Mayweather, which would be the first defeat of Berto’s professional career.

Berto’s final record was 32 wins and 6 losses, and during their meeting in September 2015, he suffered a one-sided defeat to Mayweather himself.

Mayweather competed just once again after the Berto fight, when he knocked out MMA fighter Conor McGregor in August 2017, although he is scheduled to return to fight former opponent Manny Pacquiao in September provided that the current problems can be solved.

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