Boxing: Dalton Smith outlines plans to emulate Sheffield's Kell Brook after winning Lonsdale belt
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As he prepares to make the first defence of his title in Manchester tonight, and potentially take a step towards owning a coveted Lonsdale belt, Smith has outlined plans to fill the void created by the former IBF welterweight holder, who hung up his gloves after defeating Amir Khan earlier this year.
Revealing his admiration for Brook ahead of his bout with Kaisee Benjamin of Birmingham, Smith said: “My time will come when I have to pass the torch down, we’re just keeping the cycle going. It goes without saying that I looked up to Kell and what he’s achieved. That’s what I want to do. I want to bring those big nights to Sheffield.”
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Hide AdSmith has emerged as one of the most exciting young fighters on the domestic scene since turning professional three years ago, winning all of his 12 bouts so far. The last of those came in August, when he defeated local rival Sam O’Maison to claim the vacant British title at the Utilita Arena. His meeting with Benjamin, who has lost only once in 18 outings, is on the Natasha Jonas versus Marie-Eve Dicaire card.
If Smith overcomes Benjamin, who at 27 is two years his senior, Smith could face an agonising choice: Attempt to more defences to keep the belt outright, something he has dreamed of doing since childhood, or chase potentially more lucrative match-ups on the European and then world stage?
“I’ve always said I want to get to the end of my career and have the British title for keeps,” Smith admitted. “If it makes great business sense, I want to get the defences under my belt and get it for keeps.”
“Everything changes all the time,” he added. “Fights happen, the rankings change. Obviously I’m at British level at the minute. I can go international routes or I can go the traditional routes. We’ve always said I want to do the traditional routes because that’s what I’ve seen people doing when I was young and coming through.”