One for the Road; Dalton Smith reflects on WBC title glory, Subriel Matias mind games and conquering America

Dalton Smith cannot say much about the in-flight meal options for his journey to New York City. But he definitely can after coming home last week.

"I enjoyed it more on the way back because I could eat something!" he chuckles, purple bruises slowly faded around his cheekbones. "I'm all good!"

The Sheffield-born fighter is more than good. When he left British airspace in early January, he was just another contender, dreaming of the big time.

Now, back on home soil, he is the latest world champion to hail from these shores, joining a rich lineage of South Yorkshire fighters who hit the jackpot.

He is not the first to conquer America. Prince Naseem Hamed made it his playground. Kell Brook's win over Shawn Porter remains one of the greats.

But Smith's five-round triumph against Subriel Matias in New York City over a week ago was the kind of star-making turn that he has long promised.

Written off by his opponent and the local press, he went toe-to-toe with the WBC light-welterweight champion and came away with his rival's belt.

"It's slowly yet to sink in," he admits. "It's a weekend that I will remember forever [but] I think I need a week's worth of sleep, and then I'll be alright.

"I think it made it feel that much bigger, going to the States, fighting over there. Every British fighter's dream is to go to America and have a big fight.

"I've ticked that off and brought a world title home too. It's massive. Kell Brook did that, guys who inspired me. To be part of that club is special for me."

A family legacy forged anew

Smith's Manhattan daydream indeed echoes the success of his fellow Steel City fighters, but it means more on a personal level for a family man too.

There was no fight genealogy in the ring when, in his younger years, he embarked on his boxing journey with his father Grant as his main trainer at hand.

A self-employed kitchen fitter who traded gas hobs and pans for gloves and pads, their shared deliverance half the world away was all the sweeter for them.

"We got into boxing together with no background, and we learnt the craft together," Smith reflects, lips quirked with warmth and exhaustion in his recollections.

The star has been open about how the pair's relationship has been changed by their pursuit, how they cannot see themselves purely as father and son anymore.

Now, there's a glassiness to his face that lingers for a beat. "We've been on this journey. Becoming world champion, it was a proud moment for me and my dad."

Matchroom/Mohsin Hussain

Grant is not the only Smith on his mind, with words of appreciation for Matchroom promoter Frank, alongside Eddie Hearn after they helped steer him to the top.

"They're on the journey as well," he adds. "I've been with Matchroom from the start, with my debut, and I've won a world title with them. That's loyalty, right there.

"I've shown it to them, and they've shown it to me. Loyalty is hard to get in boxing, so once you have it you need to keep hold of it. May it long continue with them."

A storm weathered for success

Having returned an unbeaten professional record with a smart rise through the ranks, it seemed that a title shot was a formality for Smith as he started 2025.

Instead, the star found himself forced to bide his time after he was named WBC mandatory challenger, with various delays preventing him from getting in the ring.

Firstly, original plans to face Matias in the final quarter of the year were frustrated by a decision to move the fight into the start of 2026, irking Hearn and company.

"I generally have ten to twelve weeks in camp, but the fight got rescheduled two or three times," Smith recalls. "It was very stop-start. It was a long camp for that fight."

Then, Matias returned an adverse finding for ostarine in a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association test in November, with a similar result from the B-sample taken too.

The Ring

However, a decision by the New York State Athletic Commission deemed the concentration below the threshold to pull the bout, and allowed it to proceed as planned.

Smith also missed his original flight to New York, and ultimately secured his own digs out of his own pocket, concerned over tactics from Matias and rival promoters.

The hard-hitting Puerto Rican spent plenty of time trash-talking in the build-up too, though his opponent seldom rose to the bait, and focused on his own work instead.

"I stayed professional, cancelled out all the noise and cracked on with my own work," he explains on his preparations for the title fight. "You don't fix it if it's not broken.

"I just smiled through it all. You could have thrown anything at me. I smiled through the negativity of it all. I always knew I'd come out on top. I believed in myself."

A homecoming and hopes for the future

Smith has emerged from the other side of the maelstrom with his reputation burnished, his position reinforced. A breather is in order as he comes back down to earth.

But talk has long swirled of his ambitions to bring big fights back to his hometown - and he pulls no punches when asked what he wants to accomplish next in his reign.

Matthew Pover/Matchroom Boxing

"A big fight at Hillsborough," he grins. "The home of my beloved football club Sheffield Wednesday. I'm a world champion now, and there's been talks about that for a while.

"We're in touching distance of securing a big fight there. It's my duty to give something back to the club. We're not in the best of times right now. It would be unbelievable."

Plenty of names have been floated, ranging from domestic rival Adam Azim to the winner of Shakur Stevenson and Teofimo Lopez's WBO title bout later this month.

Alberto Puello meanwhile has been named by the WBC as the mandatory challenger for the crown, throwing a further spanner into the works for the sport's powerbrokers.

Smith is not getting ahead of himself however, admitting that he will leave the decision to his promoters, adding: "I want whatever makes the most sense [in terms of opponent].

"I know I'll be having some down time in the next few weeks, but my team will be working on that behind closed doors. Whatever they say is best whatever I do."

Beyond his own ambitions, the star hopes to see another British fighter rise to the top of the tree in his footsteps, as the country looks to cement another golden period.

"I think there's plenty of fighters out there [who could be world champion]," he muses. "A lot of talent. The UK will always produce world champions because of the talent

"[Also,] the development we bring through. There's too many to name. At one time, I think we had fourteen world champions, so hopefully we can build up next to that."

Time is up and Smith prepares to move on. But one last question - just what number of bouts does he want in 2026, after being forced to kick his heels in 2025 at points?

He answers with a wide grin and a chuckle. "As many as I can! I want to be active and have a long reign as world champion. The most active I can be, that's what I want."

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