Adam Azim Had Dalton Smith Losing to Alberto Puello by a Round

Dalton Smith kept his WBC super-lightweight title on Saturday, edging mandatory challenger Alberto Puello on a split decision. Adam Azim, his most obvious domestic rival and the man ranked #8 in the division, didn't see it that way. Speaking to RS Boxing TV, the 15-0 (12 KO) Slough fighter said Puello won by a round and that the champion was lucky to keep his belt.

Azim called it an okay night rather than a career-best from Smith (19-0, 14 KO), arguing the Sheffield man simply wasn't busy enough across the twelve. His read: Smith got the job done, but on a different night that could have flipped. That's a pointed take given a fight between the two is one of the cleaner all-British matchups available at 140.

How the Fight Actually Went

For the first five rounds, Smith looked to be cruising. His right-hand counters were landing clean and he seemed in full control against a man coming off his own split-decision loss to Subriel Matías. Then Puello (25-1, 11 KO) started nicking rounds on sheer volume, closing the gap just enough to make the scorecards a coin flip.

The judges sided with Smith. Azim sided with the challenger. It's worth remembering where the champ started the year: almost nobody tipped him to dethrone Matías in January, and he did it emphatically, stopping the Puerto Rican in the fifth on away soil. Beating a dangerous puncher at his own game bought Smith a lot of credit. A grinding split call against a mandatory spends some of it.

Why Azim Cares

This isn't just a neutral observer scoring rounds. Azim and Smith are on a collision course, and the contender knows a close, unconvincing title defence only sweetens the sell. He said the fight stays a massive one for both of them regardless of how Saturday looked.

First, Azim needs to get moving. He hasn't fought since stopping Steve Claggett in the third back in May, and promoter BOXXER has yet to pin down his return date. Get him active, line up Smith, and you've got a domestic grudge match with a world title and plenty of needle already baked in.