Former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew believes Dalton Smith has everything needed to become British boxing's next superstar. He describes Smith as one of the best fighters in the country, pound-for-pound, and says he may be an even better boxer than Bellew himself was.
Bellew argues that being a brilliant fighter is not the same as becoming a household name. He recalls how his own profile exploded after beating David Haye, as the British public took to the underdog story. Smith, he says, needs a similar rival, and Adam Azim could be that man. Bellew would love to see the pair fight at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough Stadium, calling it a monster fight.
First, however, Smith faces Alberto Puello on Saturday in a WBC light-welterweight title defence. Bellew warns that Puello is being overlooked, and calls it the toughest fight of Smith's career. He praises Smith's timing, technical skill and relationship with his father and trainer, Grant Smith, who has encouraged him to learn from other coaches. Bellew's main concern is Smith's work rate, and he advises him not to start slowly or go looking for the knockout.
Bellew says that if Smith stops Puello, he will be clearly the best fighter in the division, and even a points win would be a brilliant achievement. He hopes Smith will avoid jumping through weight divisions chasing big names afterwards.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing