Alberto Puello says he is 'a level above' Dalton Smith before Sheffield WBC title fight

Puello says he has faced better opponents than the champion, and does not believe his defeat to Subriel Matias was a clear decision. Smith says he has never avoided a fight.

Alberto Puello says he is "a level above" Dalton Smith because of the opponents he has faced, as he prepares to challenge Smith for the WBC super-lightweight title in Sheffield on Saturday.

Speaking through an interpreter at the Smith vs Puello press conference in Sheffield, the Dominican was asked about his claim that he is a level above the champion. He would not give away his plans for the fight, but explained the remark.

"I say that I'm a level above him because I believe I've faced opponents in my career that are superior to the opponents that he's faced," Puello said. "Obviously, that's in spite of the fact that he beat one of my previous opponents who beat me, but I don't believe that was a clear decision."

That opponent is Subriel Matias, who took the WBC title from Puello. Smith then stopped Matias in Brooklyn in January to become champion. Puello said the defeat was "a very difficult result to accept" and that he comes to Sheffield "better prepared than we were for the fight last time against Subriel Matias".

Smith, making the first defence of the title in his home city, said: "There's no easy fight. This is world boxing. I've never avoided a fight. I've always fought who I've needed to fight in front of me, and I've always come out victorious." He called the Matias win "old news now" and said his team had studied Puello "for probably well over a year now".

"I like fighting southpaw," Smith said. He had watched Puello against Matias from ringside: "It was a very close fight. But that's why I go into this fight very confident."

Smith vs Puello is in Sheffield on Saturday 24 October, live on DAZN (UK start times).

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