Boxing
Hearn sees a different Dalton Smith after Matias
From the start, Smith repeatedly tied up Matias, disrupting the rhythm and stopping rallies briefly before they could build up play. He landed, stepped in and clinched. Again and again. This was the same approach that had previously troubled Matias, and once again Matias had difficulty adapting. Once he was free, Matias landed difficult and immaculate, cracking Smith’s head and reminding everyone why he built his reputation. These moments were real. They were also brief.
Hearn praised Smith for deciding that distance boxing wouldn’t work and opting for a trade instead. This explanation does not entirely correspond to what happened. Smith traded places, but never stayed long. The plan was elementary and effective. Hit. To hold. Set. To repeat.
“Nobody did that to Matias,” Hearn said later, enjoying both the knockdown and the finish. This part is fair. Matias was never able to stop him, and that night Smith took something from him. Hearn’s leap brings with it greater ambitions.
“You’re talking about Darren Barker against Daniel Geale, Kell Brook against Shawn Porter, honestly it beats everything – it’s the biggest away win I’ve ever seen,” he said Hearn. “Dalton is a hero. You have to box with Matias, you saw it with Liam Paro, but Matias was on the show tonight, he was red sizzling and he wouldn’t let Dalton box.
“So Dalton decided to fight Matias on his home turf, which is the worst idea you could have – he was never hurt, he was never depressed – and he beat him, knocked him down in Recent York to become Britain’s newest world champion. The kid is a hero and there’s a fresh superstar in boxing, and his name is Dalton Smith.
Calling Smith a superstar based on one controlled but lopsided title fight reflects the promoter’s confidence that he will get the job done. Smith has shown that he can execute a hard plan under pressure. He also showed that his advantage over elite pressure players increases when there is no clinch to snail-paced the game down.
Hearn’s enthusiasm is understandable. His athlete won the world title in hostile conditions.
“We knew Dalton was a star, but to do it on a world stage in Recent York and in that style. People were talking about this fight and that fight, Adam Azim and all that. Dalton Smith went out and accepted the bogeyman, met him in Recent York and stopped Subriel Matias from becoming world champion – show some respect to his name.”
The performance itself looked more like a precise response to a specific opponent, and Smith’s next assignment will speak volumes more than any post-fight praise.
Katie Taylor’s farewell fight is now official.
On Thursday, Matchroom Boxing announced that Taylor will return to Dublin’s Croke Park on September 5 to defend her WBO, WBA, IBF and Ring Magazine titles against undefeated French challenger Flora Pili. The vacant WBC title is also at stake, giving Taylor a chance to become a three-time undisputed champion.
The event will be broadcast live worldwide on DAZN and is expected to attract over 80,000 fans to Ireland’s national stadium.
“It seems like the perfect way to end – to become Undisputed Champion once again on our national stadium that holds such a special place in Irish hearts. I’m grateful that this is happening and I can’t thank the people of this country enough for the support I’ve received over the years.
“People have traveled all over the world following my career and I hope I can return the favor with a confident performance on September 5. I have no illusions that Flora will pose a very arduous challenge; she is undefeated as a professional and has a good amateur pedigree, so I have the utmost respect for her.
“I have been blessed to have achieved more in this sport than I could have ever dreamed of, but fighting in Croke Park is truly the icing on the cake. I hope this event inspires a whole recent generation to take up sport and follow their passions.”
Taylor enters the fight with a 25-1 record. The event, which will take place on September 5, will be the first professional boxing event held in Croke Park since Muhammad Ali fought Alvin Lewis there in 1972.
Pili brings an undefeated record of 12-0 to the fight and will be looking for the biggest victory of his career. Tickets go on sale June 12 via Ticketmaster, with pre-sales starting earlier this week.
If successful, Taylor will retire as a three-time undisputed champion.
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Last update: 2026/06/05 at 11:27
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