Just when it appeared he was fighting the wrong fight, Dalton Smith flipped the script and the junior welterweight division with one perfectly timed eruption. The unbeaten British contender scored a stunning fifth-round knockout of feared puncher Subriel Matias to capture the WBC junior welterweight title in a thrilling showdown at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Fighting out of Sheffield, England, Dalton Smith (19-0, 14 KOs) appeared to be tempting fate early by standing his ground and trading punches with one of the most dangerous pressure fighters at 140 pounds. After an opening round spent boxing on the outside, Smith was gradually pulled into a toe-to-toe battle — exactly the type of fight Matias thrives in.