Dalton Smith will make the first defence of his WBC light-welterweight title on home soil when he faces former champion Alberto Puello in Sheffield on Saturday.

Unbeaten Smith, 29, returns to the ring for the first time since becoming world champion with a stunning knockout of Subriel Matias in New York in January.

Dominican Republic fighter Puello, 32, is aiming to become a three-time world champion, having lost his WBC belt to Matias on points last year.

Smith will have the backing of his home crowd at the Utilita Arena. Can he keep his dream of fighting at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough stadium alive with another win?

Or will the tricky and experienced southpaw Puello, who has lost just once in 26 professional fights, ruin the homecoming?

BBC Sport spoke to figures from across the boxing world to get their predictions on who will come out on top.

Rocky Marciano against Mike Tyson would match relentless pressure against explosive speed. Both heavyweight champions could end a fight with one punch, but the deciding factor might be whether Marciano could survive Tyson’s early attacks and force him into a longer fight.

The comparison should involve both men at their best. Tyson’s late-career defeats tell us little about how the fighter who demolished Michael Spinks would have handled Marciano.

Tyson would have the advantages in hand speed and weight. Although similar in height, he generally fought substantially heavier than Marciano. His quick combinations to the body and head would present an immediate threat to a fighter who needed to get close to do his best work.

Marciano retired at 49-0 with 43 knockouts and six successful heavyweight title defenses. His unbeaten record did not mean he avoided trouble. Jersey Joe Walcott dropped him in the opening round and led on the scorecards before Marciano knocked him out in the 13th.

Against Ezzard Charles in their rematch, Marciano fought through a severe nose injury to secure an eighth-round knockout. Those victories demonstrated his ability to remain dangerous when a fight was going against him.

Tyson’s first championship reign showed how quickly he could take control. He stopped Trevor Berbick in two rounds to win the WBC title and later knocked out Pinklon Thomas, Tyrell Biggs, Larry Holmes, Tony Tubbs and Spinks. James “Bonecrusher” Smith and Tony Tucker took him the distance, with Tyson winning both fights on points.

Against Marciano, Tyson’s uppercuts would be particularly dangerous. Rocky often advanced from a low crouch, bringing him into range of short punches as he worked his way inside. Tyson could also attack the body before bringing his hooks upstairs.

Marciano’s answer would be to keep punching and deny Tyson comfortable breaks. He attacked the chest, shoulders, and arms when an opponent’s head was protected. Those punches could contribute to wearing Tyson down, although they would leave Marciano close enough to be countered.

Tyson’s peek-a-boo style was more than a stationary high guard. At his best, he used head movement and quick changes of angle to create openings. Marciano would have to deal with that movement before he could establish his own attack.

A longer fight would give Marciano more opportunities. His conditioning and sustained output were major strengths, particularly over 15 rounds. If he could survive the early combinations and continue forcing Tyson to work, his chances would improve.

That does not make an early Tyson knockout inevitable or a late Marciano victory automatic. Marciano could be dropped, while Tyson could win over the distance, as his victories over Smith and Tucker demonstrated.

Tyson would have the stronger chance of an early stoppage because of his speed, combinations, and greater size. Marciano’s best route would be to withstand that opening assault and turn the contest into a prolonged, punishing fight.

Would Tyson’s speed settle it early, or could Marciano survive and wear him down?

In what will be his first title defense, the WBC super-lightweight world champion Dalton Smith will defend his title against the number one-ranked contender Alberto Puello.

Smith plans on having a successful homecoming while Puello wants to play the role of spoiler, as he looks to become a two-time world champion. The action is set to take place at Utilita Arena in Sheffield, England, live on DAZN.

The most notable victory on Alberto Puello’s record occurred in June 2024 when he outboxed Gary Antuanne Russell and won the vacant WBC Interim title. A short time later, Puello was elevated from Interim to full world champion.

Puello had one successful title defense, and then he lost his title to Subriel Matias. Now the Dominican boxer Alberto “La Avispa” Puello (25-1,11KOs) is ready to reclaim his WBC belt.
Back in January 2026, the British boxer Dalton Smith experienced his crowning moment.

During the course of four rounds, Smith stood inside the pocket and went toe-to-toe with Subriel Matias.

With 55 seconds left to go in the 5th round, Smith landed a hard overhand right that wobbled Matias. Seconds later, Smith connected with another overhand right that sent Matias down to the canvas.

A dazed Matias was able to stand up, but after witnessing him stumble, the referee stepped in and put a halt to the contest. With the victory, Smith won his first world title.

Now Dalton “Thunder” Smith (19-0, 14 KOs) plans to entertain his home fans while successfully defending his WBC belt. He faces a difficult task as the challenger is a very proficient opponent.

The southpaw Alberto Puello is a skilled technical counterpuncher who has a solid jab, he routinely utilizes lateral movement, he has good ring generalship, and a sharp straight left hand.

Dalton Smith is an aggressive boxer-puncher who has a high boxing IQ, good footwork, is an expert at controlling distance, is accurate, has good timing, and punching power.

Alberto Puello believes he’s well prepared for this fight, and on Saturday night he’s going to take back what belongs to him. Dalton Smith also feels he’s ready, and he’s going into this title bout in a particular mindset.

“I have prepared for this like I’m the challenger, and on Saturday night I will prove to the boxing world why I am No.1. I am cool, calm, collected, and I will do it again on Saturday,” Smith stated.