Sheffield's Dalton Smith produced a stunning upset on Saturday night, stopping Subriel Matias in the fifth round to claim the IBF super-lightweight world title at the Barclays Center in New York. The 28-year-old, who has been trained by his father Grant since the age of six, abandoned the game plan and traded blows with the heavy-handed Puerto Rican, who had 22 knockouts to his name.
Matias had been cleared to defend his title despite failing a drug test in the build-up. However, Smith rocked him with two right hands before a third dumped the champion on the canvas, prompting the referee to wave off the contest. Promoter Eddie Hearn hailed the victory as the greatest away win he had ever witnessed.
Smith, a Sheffield Wednesday fan, celebrated by drinking pints of Guinness in the Big Apple. 'This has been a lifelong dream of hard work and sacrifice,' he said. 'I heard some people say I'm not tough. I gave my dad a bit of a heart attack as that wasn't the game plan, but I took all his best shots.' The win takes Britain's tally of male world champions to five.
