Dalton Smith opens up about life-changing advice from Canelo Alvarez ahead of fight with Alberto Puello

EXCLUSIVE: Dalton Smith received some incredible words of wisdom from Canelo Alvarez.

The Brit, who’s proven himself to be one of the greatest fighters the UK has to offer, puts his WBC super lightweight world championship on the line this Saturday against Alberto Puello at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield.

Canelo Alvarez told Dalton Smith that he has to work harder than ever

On January 10, 2026, Dalton Smith walked out into enemy territory when he challenged Subriel Matias for the 140lbs throne at Madison Square Garden in New York, USA.

But despite being the underdog, the Yorkshireman produced a remarkable performance, stopping the talented boxer in the fifth round to make his dream a reality.

Later that month, Smith met Canelo Alvarez at the Ring Magazine Awards, with the legendary Mexican telling him that, despite having climbed the mountain, he must now work harder than ever because his biggest nights are still ahead of him.

In an exclusive interview with Sporf, the Englishman reminisced: “It was good to meet one of my boxing idols. He’s a great guy. I was at the awards evening meeting all the people, and Canelo recognised me, which was a bit of a pinch-me moment. He said, ‘It’s hard to become champion, but now you’ve got to stay champion’. Meeting one of my heroes from growing up, and to get some advice from him and rub shoulders with him was great.”

Dalton Smith predicts victory against Alberto Puello

Heeding Canelo’s words of wisdom, Smith intends to produce an exceptional display at the weekend in one of his toughest tests to date.

The 29-year-old exclaimed: “The belt is staying in Sheffield. I’ve prepared well, and it’s going to be a great battle. Alberto is a fantastic fighter, a 2x world champion; he’s coming to try and win a third, but I’m going to make sure that doesn’t happen. He’s coming to my hometown, so he’ll have to be well-prepared.”

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