UNBEATEN super-lightweight contender Dalton Smith has been presented with a direct route towards his first world title shot.
The 28-year-old comes off a first-round demolition job against Walid Ouizza, claiming the vacant European title after halting his limited opponent in double quick fashion.
Before that, the Brit entered a far more appealing matchup against seasoned veteran Jose Zepeda, landing a sickening fifth-round body shot to emerge from his acid test victorious.
As a result of his destructive performance, Smith, 17-0 (13 KOs) has since occupied second place in the WBC rankings, putting him in a strong position to challenge for the green and gold strap.
Sure enough, his golden opportunity is now seemingly just around the corner, with WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman appointing him as the sanctioning body’s mandatory challenger at 140lbs.
In the email, which was revealed on Eddie Hearn’s Instagram post yesterday, Sulaiman stated that the winner of Alberto Puello vs Sandor Martin will be allowed to make one voluntary defence of their title.
After that, the WBC champion – whoever it may be – is likely to be ordered to face mandatory challenger Smith.
In the meantime, though, Puello, 23-0 (10 KOs), and Martin, 42-3 (15 KOs), will square off on March 1, featuring on the undercard of Gervonta Davis vs Lamont Roach at the Barclays Center, New York.
After claiming the WBC interim title with a split decision victory over Gary Antuanne Russell, Puello has since been elevated to full champion.
Martin, meanwhile, has amassed just two wins since his controversial split decision defeat to Teofimo Lopez back in 2022.
