Exclusive:'Delusional' - Sheffield's Dalton Smith fires back at Adam Azim amid Hillsborough talk
Dalton Smith has disputed an Adam Azim claim - and discussed his new clear focus on Hillsborough
As Dalton Smith’s stature grows, so to does the size of the target on his back.
The 29-year-old retained his WBC light-welterweight title last weekend, edging past the awkward Alberto Puello via split decision at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield.
It was an almighty leap towards Smith’s ultimate career goal - a headline bout at the home of his beloved Sheffield Wednesday.
Hillsborough talk has intensified since his first title defence, with the names of potential opponents circulating at a dizzying pace.
Dalton Smith fires back at Adam Azim
Adam Azim has been mooted as a potential Smith adversary for a considerable period - and has been happy to stoke the fire.
“We all know I’m the bigger name than Dalton,” he told Corner Talk earlier this week. “If you walk down the street, no one really knows Dalton.
“He’s quite a big name in his city but not in the whole country.”
Facing snipes comes with the territory of being a world champion, but Smith embraces his position as the man at the top of the light-welterweight mountain.
“I’ve seen it,” ‘Thunder’ told The Yorkshire Post. “It’s delusional, that’s what I’ll have to say.
“They like to get their clout every time I’m fighting, get attention for themselves. I think they need to focus on themselves a little bit.
“I think with the success and the big wins, the target gets bigger, but that's what we want.”
Hillsborough on the horizon
Smith has spent years being asked about Hillsborough, but can now discuss the prospect freely without having to caveat that the immediate focus is on his next bout. It now seems his next bout could be at Wednesday’s historic home.
“The carrot has been dangled,” said Smith. “Obviously, I had a big task in front of me.
“You can't put the pressure on yourself. I always take one fight at a time, I had to get Puello out of the way before I could then put my focus on Hillsborough.
“Of course, it's a lot easier [to talk about] now. I've got that challenge out of the way, the first defence, big homecoming. For me, I want Hillsborough.
“Winning the title, it was five rounds, action packed, non-stop, entertaining. This was a completely different fight, completely different styles. We expected that.
“We knew it was going to be awkward. You look at Puello, every fight, he's in it. He knows how to make it ugly. We had to be very disciplined, stick to the gameplan. We knew we could be confident and come through with a victory. Everything's falling into place right now.”