Dalton Smith, Josh Warrington and Josh Padley make it a trio of Yorkshire victories in Sheffield

A shot at Alberto Puello’s WBC super-lightweight crown looms for ‘Thunder’, who retained the WBC silver super-lightweight title in his hometown of Sheffield.

The 28-year-old was utterly dominant from start to finish, engaging in a cat-and-mouse chase with an evasive Mathieu Germain and winning by unanimous decision.

Warrington, meanwhile, scored a comfortable points victory over Asad Asif Khan in a scrappy super-featherweight affair at the Canon Medical Arena.

It marked his first win since March 2022, with the ‘Leeds Warrior’ hoping for a second wind after flirting with the idea of retirement on the back of three consecutive losses.

Doncaster’s Josh Padley also celebrated a victory, flooring Marko Cvetanovic twice in the fifth round to end his first bout as a Matchroom-signed fighter with a TKO win and scoop the WBA international lightweight title.

Expectancy was in the air ahead of the three bouts involving Yorkshiremen. Upsets are never written off completely, but there was a firm belief all three would come through their challenges on a stage smaller than they are accustomed to.

Smith’s headline bout was billed as a precursor to a world title shot, a narrative Germain had taken umbrage with in an otherwise low-key and drama-free build-up.

The first round was cagey as both fighters got to grips with their distances. Smith was the one settling quicker, releasing some swift jabs into the midriff and even shrugging off a bizarre leg-grab from his opponent.

Germain quickly became evasive, suggesting there was more than just some discomfort in the blows he was absorbing.

Smith looked remarkably unflustered and picked his moments well, rocking Smith with a perfectly-executed swing in the second. He then had his opposite number on the canvas with a second vicious shot. When the bell brought the round to an end, it was merciful for Germain.

A victory in the early rounds very much appeared to be in Smith’s sights, with ‘Thunder’ unrelenting in his front-footed, aggressive approach.

Germain did fire back with a neat flurry in the third, but Smith’s chin held up.

A heavy body shot fired in the opposite direction soon had Germain retreating, as Smith quickly extinguished fears of a slow-down.

There was some respite for Germain in the fourth and fifth rounds, with pressure from Smith somewhat less sustained.

It still seemed only a matter of time before Germain fell victim to Smith’s superior power and reach, and pressure on the underdog started to ramp up.

Blows started to rain down on a continually evasive Germain, who had little in his arsenal when it came to offence.

Slick combinations repeatedly unsettled Germain, who the energy looked to be draining from.

A furious flurry sent Germain tumbling out of the ring in the eighth, with his defences weakening.

Control remained Smith’s, with each round that passed undoubtedly being awarded to him. However, putting the fight to bed proved difficult despite the affair’s one-sided nature.

As Germain fought to simply hear the final bell, ‘Thunder’ was challenged with ensuring the fight did not go the distance.

Germain went back to the canvas in the 11th round, to the delight of a crowd worn down by the Canadian’s circling of the ring and unwillingness to engage.

Frustration was etched on Smith’s face and as the clock ticked, ‘Thunder’ was beckoning his opponent to face up to him.

A third knock-down, in the final round, was judged to have been a result of a below-the-belt blow and led to a point being docked from Smith.

The pause in proceedings did not stem Smith’s flow and he ended up with a flourish, putting Germain down once again, but it was not enough to avoid going to the scorecards.

The seasoned Warrington is further down the food chain than he once was, but took the first step in climbing the ladder again with a unanimous decision victory over Khan.

Sandwiched between the traditional blasts of ‘Marching on Together’ and ‘I Predict A Riot’ in Warrington’s entrance was Chuwumbawumba’s ‘Tubthumping’, referencing his experiences of being ‘knocked down’ and his desire to ‘get up again’.

He flew out of the traps, unleashing an early flurry into Khan’s midriff and showing off the speed and explosive power that has allowed him such a decorated career.

He dished out more punishment in the early stages of the second, with the bout continuing to be fought at close quarters. There were signs of life from Khan as the round progressed, but they were fleeting.

Both fighters had hands flying in the third, although few landed with the desired impact.

The momentum Warrington started with had undeniably been lost by the fourth round and there was a nervous energy starting to seep through the air.

Warrington worked Khan with greater control and aggression in the fifth and it started to look as if he was settling back into the bout.

The ‘Leeds Warrior’ continued to move through the gears and sent Khan to the canvas with a devastating right hook in the sixth. Khan’s movements became increasingly lethargic, while Warrington’s tempo increased.

Two gumshield losses for Khan threatened to slow the momentum but Warrington remained on the offensive, seeking a second knockdown of the bout.

Khan showed grit to battle himself back in the bout in the seventh, with Warrington’s flow slipping from him once again.

Warrington never lost control of the fight but Khan was effective in slowing it down, managing to frustrate the Leeds man without actually making any impact of his own for the remainder of his fight.

It was scrappy and not the blockbuster entertainment Warrington has served up in the past - but the scorecards made it a winning return for the 34-year-old.

The night of Yorkshire wins had been kicked off by Armthorpe’s own Padley, who burst into life in the fifth round to become the first to defeat Cvetanovic.

Padley ducked some early wild swings before starting to lay some groundwork himself, first conservatively and then with intent as he let his hands go.

A shot to the face early in the second round did not faze Padley, who regained his composure and lured Cvetanovic into some speculative swings.

Cvetanovic, with his imposing stature, continually tried to wind up a haymaker but Padley’s ring IQ limited the space the Serbian had to do so.

Padley took another shot early in the fourth round and again managed to reset, although the need to inflict some damage of his own became stronger.

The damage he was looking for came early in the fifth, as Padley wore Cvetanovic down and had him leaning on the bottom ropes in the corner.

Cvetanovic beat the count but was back on the canvas barely a minute later, crumbling under the pressure of the onslaught. The referee waved off the affair, giving Padley his first victory under the Matchroom umbrella.

Fight fans were also treated to a glimpse of Yorkshire’s future before the main card kicked off, as York heavyweight sensation Leo Atang was introduced as Matchroom’s latest signing.

A five-time amateur national champion, Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn has already set a lofty target for the 18-year-old.

He said: “He is the guy, in my opinion, to follow in the footsteps of Anthony Joshua.”