'Have the Arctic Monkeys playing live' - Sheffield hero Dalton Smith's Hillsborough dream closer than ever
A deep dive into Dalton Smith’s giant leap towards a fight at the home of his beloved Sheffield Wednesday
Storm Boelo battered Sheffield with wind and rain - but the limelight was stolen by ‘Thunder’.
The Steel City’s conveyor belt of boxing talent is an impressive one and Dalton ‘Thunder’ Smith is its latest star product. When he clawed the WBC light-welterweight title from Subriel Matias in January, he etched his name alongside the likes of Naseem Hamed and Kell Brook in Sheffield’s history books.
That night in New York intensified talk of a potential fight at Hillsborough Stadium, the home of his beloved Sheffield Wednesday.
As the 29-year-old defended his crown with a gritty resolve back on home turf at the Utilita Arena, defeating Alberto Puello, that grand old ground in S6 felt closer than ever before.
Hillsborough dream inches closer
“The number one goal is to sell out Hillsborough,” said Smith. “My dream is walk out, have the Arctic Monkeys playing live, if we can make that happen, and have a big fight at Hillsborough.
“I want Hillsborough. The big carrot’s been dangled all the way through [the build-up to] this fight. I’m like ‘right, block out the noise, you’ve got a tough task in front of you’. Once I’ve had a break, those conversations will go on.
“Right now, I’m going to enjoy for a couple of weeks, this victory, and then we can start those conversations.”
Alberto Puello test
Puello is a famously awkward customer, possessing an imposing and rangy frame. Prior to his clash with Smith, the Dominican southpaw’s defeat to Matias in July 2025 was the only blemish on his record.
The 32-year-old managed to fill the arena with nerves, seriously threatening to unravel the fairytale.
He looked to keep Smith at a manageable distance, one from which he could use his reach to chip away at the Yorkshireman’s defence.
The partisan crowd bayed for blood, desperate to see an all-out war, but what unfolded was more of a chess match. It was truly a battle of distance, with Puello wanting some and Smith keen for there to be as little as possible.
Two judges scored the fight 115-113 in favour of Smith - the other went with 116-112 in favour of Puello. The latter scoreline raised eyebrows but the bout was undeniably a close one.
“Whoever I’m out in the ring with, I’m confident I’ll beat them,” said Smith. “But the 140lbs division is stacked and there’s some big names.
“I’ve just beat two legit two-time world champions. Both of them, two of the best fighters in the game. I’ve gone in there and beat them. Whoever I’m in the ring with, I’m confident I’m coming out with a victory, 100 per cent.”
Potential opponents
Sheffield Wednesday’s owners were in attendance as Smith retained, with talks over the potential fulfilment of that Hillsborough dream already underway.
Before the sweat on the canvas had even had a chance to dry, potential opponent names were being bandied around.
Adam Azim has repeatedly been mooted as a possibility yet there are arguments it is too early for the 24-year-old. As the dust settled at the Utilita Arena, it was Shakur Stevenson’s name cropping up most frequently.
“There’s plenty of names,” said Smith. “I’ve had no easy fights, I’ve fought everyone I’ve needed to.”
Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn is the man who can make Smith’s dream a reality.
Stevenson would arguably represent another significant step-up, but Smith is yet to fail to rise to the next level.
Hearn, meanwhile, could be forgiven for finding the prospect of doing business with Stevenson a tempting one. The 29-year-old American has just left Hearn’s verbal sparring partners Zuffa Boxing without having thrown a punch under their banner.
“Dalton Smith has had the best year in terms of performances against ranked fighters of any British fighter and any world champion in Britain,” said Hearn. “To go, in January, to beat Subriel Matias, and to come here tonight and beat Alberto Puello…
“For me, Dalton’s in a great position. He’s a legacy guy. He’s a guy that wants to capture belts.
“The owners of Sheffield Wednesday were here today. They want to stage a Dalton Smith fight next year. For me, that’s a unification fight. But at the same time, who’s that going to be?
“Is that going to be Gary Russell? Is that going to be maybe Pitbull (Isaac Cruz) if he gets elevated? Is that going to be Shakur Stevenson? Right now, you have to say Dalton Smith is number one, arguably the best in the division this year.”
Luring out Alex Turner and co may prove tricky, but the most relevant parties appear to be on the same page regarding Hillsborough.
Seven years on from his transition from the amateur game into the professional world, Smith is a leading light in British boxing and few would begrudge him the chance to walk out at his boyhood football club’s iconic home.
For now, his future is in the hands of Hearn and the Wednesday hierarchy.