Dalton "Thunder" Smith vs Alberto "The Wasp" Puello fight preview, betting odds, prediction

Smith vs Puello fight preview, betting odds, prediction

Dalton "Thunder" Smith defends his WBC World Super Lightweight Championship for the first time on Saturday 24 October, at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena – live worldwide on DAZN.

Fight Preview

By James Blears

Dalton ‘’Thunder’’ Smith defends the WBC super-lightweight crown on Saturday 24th October at the Ulilita Arena, in his home city of Sheffield, grinding to be razor sharp against two-times World Champion Alberto ‘’The Wasp’’ Puello, from the Dominican Republic.

Sheffield is famed as the Steel City- the origin of a million penknives. It`s also branched out from mass production, for all manner of industries, to high value specialized manufacturing. And some steel seems to have seeped into the veins of Dalton, who grew up admiring super-lightweight champions Terry Marsh, Ricky Hatton, Ricky Burns, Amir Khan and Josh Taylor. And then of course there were the local Yorkshire heroes Prince Naseem Hamed, Johnny Nelson, Clinton Woods and Kell Brook. Dalton aged twenty-nine, 19-0, 14 KO`s is undefeated. He`s a puncher and a finisher. His lightning fists, produce resounding thunder. Alberto aged thirty-two, who`s a southpaw, doesn`t possess the same natural God Given power. His record is 25-1. So, it`s a 73.68 percent ratio, against a 44 percent tally, for these two fighters.  Dalton is a finisher, while Alberto leans more towards smart strategy.

Dalton who is eager to impress his home town fans, must temper, curb and control his molten enthusiasm, during this emotional and emotive mandatory defence. Alberto is experienced and it`s not his first time at the rodeo. He has developed a sound defence, can also box on the back foot, parry, smother and counter.  He`s already been champion of the world twice. Because whereas, smite, smote and smitten are part and parcel of Smith`s hammering delivery, Puello although wiry, is as tough as tensile steel, and it will be difficult to make him buckle. Malleability is a property meaning a physical adaptability, which allows a metal to be hammered, pressed or rolled into a new shape, without breaking, flaking, cracking or fracturing.  It`s tough, it can bend but won`t break.

Dalton is resolute and very ambitious, but he`s shown patience and served an apprenticeship. On the way here, he won the English, British, Commonwealth, European and WBC Silver titles. The big best for him, came against the wily, experience and deft southpaw Jose ‘’Chon’’ Zepeda, who was enticed and drawn to Sheffield Arena, to contest the vacant WBC Silver Belt. Seeking out fire in the furnace, via a lucrative opportunity, Chon tried to be a magnet, following Dalton around the ring, pressurising him, trying to stretch and then tempt him into making mistakes. Initially for the first couple of rounds, it was a pugilistic chess match, back and forth.   But in the fourth, Dalton moved diagonally and checked this progress, by landing a rook of a right cross, that wobbled the grand master. In the fifth, a peach of a right uppercut, set up a follow up of a right to the belly button as Dalton`s hand seemed to sink wrist deep into the firm, drum-like midriff.  A slightly delayed reaction, as the pain sensors registered full- alert with Jose`s brain and down he went writhing in considerable stabbing pain. The discomfort was acute. He was never going to beat the count. Dalton had hit the big time.

Then, Dalton wasted no time, with a KO of Walid Ouizza in round one in his first defence. He then defeated much tougher Mattieu Germain by UD.  Matt visited the canvass in the second, eleventh and twelfth. This was a night to remember at the Park Community Arena, Sheffield.  Then…on to the WBC Champion Subriel Matias, at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn. Subriel had won the title off Alberto via a desperately close SD, after a give and take and took slugfest. Subriel landed 198 punches, which was four more than Alberto. It proved to be a gruelling and punishing ring war, during which Subriel was in constant hot pursuit. While Alberto was often countering, milling on the retreat, fighting off the ropes Jersey Joe Walcott style.  Hand to hand combat, delivered at toe- to toe range which meant close encounters of the first, second and third kind.  It turned out to be a battle of willpower, as well as muscle and sinew. The draining fight, which can shorten boxing careers.

Fast forward to Dalton who`d come across the Big Pond to do more than crunch the numbers in the Big Apple. Heavy handed, his hand speed was dazzling in the opening round as he assiduously and briskly worked behind his spearing left jab. Initially outmanoeuvered, Subriel started to fight back. By the third, it was becoming fierce with both ready, willing and able to pierce the defences of the other. Dalton`s nose was bleeding from some choice hooks but he was scenting the fray and fighting flat out. The vibes were such, that they kept fighting after the bell rand to end the fourth. In all the din, it could hardly be judged a sin.

It was turning into a thriller, but in round five one thunderous punch turned the tide into a tidal wave. A laser short right wobbled and then staggered Subriel, there was nowhere to go and a duplicate decked him, but hard. With incredible bravery, the sort that brings tears to hardened fan`s eyes he staggered up to beat the count. But he was all at sea and in no position to defend himself. Referee Ricky Gonzalez had seen enough, stepped in, spread his arms and saved the groggy and by now ex-champion. Pandemonium from the Smithery, which had  wrought alchemy.  Dalton sank to the canvass. He was hugged in a vice-like grip by Dad and Coach Grant. All of the blood, sweat and tears had mixed, blended and bonded to produce Green and Gold.

His mandatory defence as to be in June, against Alberto, waiting in the wings, but an injury to his left elbow in training, meant minor and timely surgery. He`s back to full fitness, raring and ready. Dalton`s big ambition is to fight wondrously skilled WBO Champion Shakur Stevenson. But for now, the full focus and wrapped, undivided attention is on Alberto.  Dalton says: ‘’I want to build legacy and it starts by defending against the Division`s best challengers. You`ve got to fight the best. There`s no hiding at the top. Becoming world champion was something I dreamed about, but winning the belt was never the end game. I want to build legacy. I`m still not at my peak. There`s more to come and more to achieve. But the immediate focus is Puello.’’

Perhaps a trifle tongue in cheek Alberto is more specific, picking and choosing some piquant pre-fight verbal barbs, waspishly saying: ‘’It will be very satisfying to come to his home town and tear the belt from him. With the size of Dalton`s head I can hardly miss?’’ Yet his sheer nerve, audacity and effrontery, isn`t just bluster. It`s backed up and reinforced by quality, experience, teak toughness plus considerable boxing skills. He turned pro in 2015, four years earlier than Dalton. He fought previously undefeated Jonathan Alonso for the WBA Interim Title and won by UD.

The negotiations for a fight to challenge undisputed Champion Josh Taylor fell through and then the bout with Batyr Akhmedov for the vacant WBA Title, which Alberto won by SD. But then disaster struck. An out of performance test by VADA revealed the drug Clomiphene. Alberto truthfully explained that this had been prescribed by a doctor to help him and his Wife Lizandy conceive a child and so they did, with the birth of their Daughter Albeliz on August 1st 2023. The WBA was humanely lenient, suspending Alberto for just six months, not imposing a fine, but for him, the title was gone.

Undaunted and undeterred, Alberto fought Gary Antuanne Russell for the WBC Interim title and won by SD. Devin Haney was named champion in recess and Alberto was declared the Absolute WBC Champion. He won his first defence by SD against Sandor Martin, but then narrowly lost to Subriel Matias.

Dalton possesses KO power while Alberto stings like a wasp, rather than a bee. If Alberto survives the inevitable initial onslaught, side-stepping the avalanche heading his way, he must box intelligently, punch picking/selecting and go for Dalton`s body to try and dissipate and dissolve the constitutional resolve. That is the acid test to corrode bile.  He himself has a keen edge, having fought and TKO`d and overmatched Miguel Angel Bolano in round three, as recently as July, in Santa Domingo.  Is that enough to provide him with a Sunday punch to add to his repertoire? As he`ll need to blunt the Yorkshireman in Sheffield, especially as Dalton is absolutely determined to put him to the sword.

To win on the cards, Alberto would need to change the hand from clubs to hearts. Only that combination would produce diamonds. Vital, as a good Smith always has an anvil handy, following the example of Bob ‘Ruby Robert’’ Fitzsimmons, the first boxer to win world titles in three different weight divisions.

Betting Odds

21/20 Smith by decision
13/5 Puello by decision
4/1 Smith by KO TKO or DQ
15/2 Puello by KO TKO or DQ
16/1 Draw

Prediction

Dalton Smith is a man in his prime right now. He stepped up several levels in his last fight, despite being 18-0 and British, Commonwealth and European champion. To go from Mathieu Germain to Subriel Matias was a leap up, in my view, and he absolutely rose to the occasion with a stunning KO against a heavy-hitter with a 95% KO ratio. He refused to bullied and when they stood toe-to-toe, man-to-man, it was "Thunder" that triumphed.

Albert Puello is a two-time world super-lightweight champion for a reason, he's tricky and mobile and will be a tough man to pin down.

I expect this to go a lot of rounds, possibly all the way to the final bell where Smith will get the nod. If there's going to be a stoppage, then I'd also back Smith to score it, almost certainly in the second half of the contest.