Dalton Smith is looking to prove that he is a level above Canada’s Mathieu Germain this Saturday in his home city of Sheffield, England.

Smith, 17-0 (13 KOs), is the mandatory challenger for the WBC junior welterweight title that was recently won by Alberto Puello with a split decision victory over Sandor Martin on the undercard of Gervonta Davis-Lamont Roach Jnr last month. Puello is allowed one voluntary defense of his title before he will be ordered to face Smith. 

With a title shot all but secured, then, nobody would have blamed Smith for sitting and waiting for the WBC to order the fight between him and Puello, rather than risking his position in a ‘keep-busy’ fight. That is something that Smith has opted against and he instead will put his mandatory position in jeopardy.

“I mean, I could have [waited], but I just wanted to stay active, I wanted to keep that momentum going,” Smith told BoxingScene. “So, we said, ‘Look, if we can get the arena’ – we couldn’t get the Sheffield arena, but got the smaller one – I want to stay active and, yeah, like I say, it's going to put me in good stead. I want to stay active, put a good performance in and then chase that WBC title.”

Germain, 26-2-1 (11 KOs), is no gimme with a world title fight on the horizon. The Canadian, ranked 14th by the IBF, holds a win over Steve Clagget – who gave Teofimo Lopez Jnr a tough night last year – and is on an eight-fight win streak since losing to Yves Ulysse Jnr in 2020.

“It's a fight – he's coming to knock my head off, so that's a big enough threat there,” he said. “But, I just feel like I'm coming into the better years of my career now. I feel like in the next couple of years, I'm going to come into my prime. I just feel like I'm going to be able to show my level. I'm going to put on a great performance and I think it's going to be a stamp to say, ‘Look, this is why I'm number one mandatory for the WBC.’”

Smith is yet to be truly pushed as a professional, breezing his way to British and European titles as well as making light work of three-time world title challenger Jose Zepeda, although he was past his peak.

“I boxed Zepeda, who's boxed at a higher level,” Smith said. “Dangerous, beat some big names – I came through that. Sam Maxwell [whom Smith stopped in 2023], big puncher. I just feel like whoever you put in front of me, I'll be able to up my level. I'll be able to up my game. I’ve fought with illnesses, and still come through. So whoever you put in front of me, I'll prove why I'm better because I'm a level above them.”

Should Smith be victorious on Saturday it will almost certainly be Puello next.

“The best Dalton Smith turns up, I believe I can beat any [Puello],” he said. “But, yeah, obviously, me turning up, me being the best version of me, I'll be a world champion most definitely.”