Newly-crowned world champion Dalton Smith has assumed a stage above Adam Azim and would “smash him to bits” within the ring, in line with promoter Frank Smith.
The 28-year-old from Sheffield maintained his unbeaten profession with an emphatic fifth‑spherical knockout of Subriel Matias in Brooklyn to seize the WBC gentle‑welterweight title.
The assertion victory on international soil has fuelled discuss of a blockbuster all‑British showdown with IBO tremendous‑light-weight champion Azim, however Smith’s promoter believes such discuss is untimely and bordering on disrespectful.
Referencing Azim’s resolution to relinquish the European tremendous‑light-weight title in April 2024, which quashed a compulsory defence towards Smith, Frank Smith informed Sky Sports activities: “You look back to when that fight was ordered, Dalton was ready for it, he was game. It was Adam Azim’s side who pulled out, not Dalton.
“I feel now it is fallacious to say Adam Azim on Dalton Smith’s stage. That is nothing towards Adam Azim, I like him loads, I feel he is an excellent boxer, however he hasn’t finished what Dalton Smith has finished.
“Dalton has done it the traditional route. He’s won the English, the British, the Commonwealth, the European, all of those belts and worked his way into a mandatory position, gone in there against the bogeyman of the division that no one wanted to fight and won a world title on away soil.”
Smith – who suffered a reduce above his left eye in the course of the combat – may now combat at dwelling in Sheffield
Requested whether or not a combat with Azim would curiosity Smith, Frank Smith added: “It comes all the way down to what Dalton Smith desires. He’s the world champion who has gone and finished it the exhausting method. He is finished every little thing requested of him.
“It can’t be, ‘Oh, Adam Azim wants to fight now.’ I’m sure he does! He didn’t want to fight when it got ordered, and when everyone in his team’s ass went about the fight, no one wanted to fight him then.
“We promote Dalton Smith, he is our focus. Our job is to ship the very best fights for him – the largest alternatives.
“If the Adam Azeem fight is a huge fight in a year’s time, is that a fight to look at? For sure. But it’s on Dalton Smith’s terms. Adam Azeem is not really relevant when it comes down to that.
“If Adam Azeem goes and wins a world title, it is an enormous unification combat. And once more, that is not in any method speaking him down. I feel he is an excellent fighter. I feel he is received an enormous future. However he is simply not on Dalton’s stage proper now.”
As for how his fighter would fare, he added: “Dalton Smith smashes Adam Azim to bits. No query. All day.”
Smith is unbeaten as a professional together with his report now standing at 19-0
When it comes to a timeline for Dalton Smith’s subsequent steps, Frank Smith expressed curiosity in securing a possible unification combat towards the winner of Shakur Stevenson versus Teófimo Lopez, along with seeing to obligatory challengers to his WBC belt.
He additionally revealed that wheels have been in movement for a Sheffield summer season homecoming for Dalton Smith at Hillsborough, the house of Sheffield Wednesday.
“You’ve got Shakur against Tiafemo taking place January 31. A unification against the winner of that is a massive fight,” he added.
“There’s obviously the piece of the WBC mandatory at some point against Albert Puello. Hopefully, we’ll get another fight before that. We want the biggest fights possible and he’s in that position to be involved in those big fights.
“I feel summertime is most lifelike. I have been talking to the Hillsborough group round one thing there, whether or not that is subsequent or down the road, let’s examine.
“July at Hillsborough would be perfect. I think that’s the kind of timeframe that works perfectly. He’s going to want a bit of a break out of camp because it’s been a long time coming, but as soon as the opportunity comes up, he’ll be ready to go.”
