The landscape of British boxing could be set for one of its most sensational domestic blockbusters if former world champion Tony Bellew’s post-fight vision comes to fruition. Following a dramatic night of championship action, Bellew has called for an all-British showdown between newly crowned WBC super-lightweight world titleholder Dalton Smith and Conor Benn—a fight that the pundit insists would captivate the entire nation, cross over into mainstream pop culture, and deliver life-changing financial rewards for both fighters.
The proposal comes in the wake of a pivotal weekend for Sheffield’s Dalton Smith, who solidified his standing on the world stage by defending his WBC super-lightweight crown against former world champion Alberto Puello. In a grueling contest defined by tactical nuance and paper-thin margins, Smith earned a victory by the barest of margins on the judges’ scorecards. The hard-fought win marked a monumental milestone for the Sheffield fighter, fulfilling his lifelong dream of holding and retaining one of the sport’s most prestigious world title belts.
However, rather than focusing solely on traditional division unifications in the immediate aftermath of his victory, Smith’s achievements have opened the door to much larger commercial possibilities. Speaking during the post-fight broadcast on DAZN, Tony Bellew offered a captivating alternative for Smith’s next move, suggesting that the newly crowned champion should set his sights on a high-stakes cross-weight domestic clash against Conor Benn.
Bellew, known for his straight-talking analysis, argued that a fight between Smith and Benn possesses a unique cultural resonance that far transcends standard championship bouts. According to the former cruiserweight world champion, a meeting between the two British stars would capture the imagination of the public in a way that very few fights can, catapulting Smith from a respected boxing champion into a household name across the United Kingdom.
Addressing the DAZN audience, Bellew laid out his conviction regarding the magnitude of the potential event, emphasizing that the sheer scale of the rivalry would render traditional weight constraints secondary. Bellew declared that it does not matter what weight a fight with Dalton Smith is fought at, asserting that if Smith fights Conor Benn, it takes over the whole country. He expanded on the mainstream crossover potential of the matchup, stating that if Dalton Smith fights Conor Benn, the country goes wild, describing it as the exact fight that explodes him to the grandmother and to the young little kids, calling it the ultimate fight that any fighter would want.
The commentary highlights a fundamental truth within modern prize fighting: the distinction between holding a world title belt and achieving mainstream superstardom. While Smith’s victory over Puello cemented his status at 140 pounds, Bellew believes that facing a marquee name like Benn would elevate Smith into a completely different realm of public recognition and financial security.
Bellew’s endorsement of the matchup relies heavily on his understanding of both fighters’ motivations at this specific juncture in their careers. For Benn, financial incentive and high-profile fights have long been the driving forces of his career choices. For Smith, having achieved his ultimate childhood ambition by securing the WBC world title, the priority naturally shifts toward legacy-defining events and maximum financial compensation.
Elaborating on the mindset of both men, Bellew explained that Benn consistently fights wherever the money is located. He noted that now that Smith has achieved his lifelong dream and captured the WBC belt, that is precisely what Smith wants as well. Bellew stressed that Smith now wants the money fights and the legacy fights because his primary dream has already been fulfilled. While acknowledging Smith’s competitive desire to unify the super-lightweight division, Bellew pointed out the harsh business realities of the sport, stating that while Smith is undoubtedly good enough to unify, if someone offers a choice between unifying for one million or fighting Benn for five million, any fighter in that position would choose the latter.
Despite the immense appeal of Bellew’s proposition, significant logistical and physical hurdles exist, most notably regarding weight. A potential bout between Smith and Benn would require bridging a substantial weight gap. Smith currently operates at the 140-pound super-lightweight limit, where he holds his WBC title. Conversely, Benn’s recent career trajectory has seen him venture into significantly heavier weight classes, creating a potential differential of at least 20 pounds.
Benn’s recent path in the ring has been marked by bold choices and tactical shifts. In 2025, the Londoner competed twice up at the middleweight limit of 160 pounds. However, last month, Benn made a dramatic and highly publicized drop down to the 147-pound welterweight division in pursuit of Ryan Garcia’s WBC welterweight world title.
That drastic drop down in weight ultimately proved costly on fight night. Facing Garcia—widely known as "King Ry"—Benn struggled to replicate his explosive strength at the lower weight and was halted by the champion inside just two rounds. The dramatic loss put an abrupt end to Benn’s world title ambitions at welterweight and raised immediate questions about his future weight class and return timeline.
In the wake of that brief and punishing venture down to 147 pounds, Benn is widely expected to abandon the welterweight experiment and make his return to the ring at middleweight, where he previously felt more comfortable. If Benn returns at 160 pounds as anticipated, a matchup against Smith would represent a minimum 20-pound size difference between their primary operating weights. Yet, as Bellew reiterated during his analysis, the sheer commercial magnitude and public demand for a high-profile British showdown often override rigid division boundaries, forcing fighters and promoters to negotiate catchweight agreements or make physical compromises for a fight of such scale.
While Bellew envisions a blockbuster domestic encounter with Benn, Smith himself voiced a very different target during his immediate post-fight interview in the ring. Fresh off his victory over Puello, the Sheffield champion turned his attention toward the elite of the 140-pound division, issuing a direct callout to pound-for-pound star Shakur Stevenson.
Stevenson, a fellow world champion at super-lightweight and recognized as one of the most gifted technical boxers in the sport today, is currently assessing his future options following his recent release from Zuffa Boxing. With Stevenson actively searching for his next opponent and possessing undisputed elite credentials, a potential fight between Smith and Stevenson would represent a major sporting clash aimed at proving ultimate supremacy within the super-lightweight division.
The contrast between Smith’s immediate post-fight callout of Stevenson and Bellew’s enthusiastic advocacy for a Conor Benn clash underlines the strategic crossroads now facing the Sheffield champion. On one path lies a fight against Stevenson—a high-risk, world-class matchup aimed at supreme sporting credibility and division unification, though likely accompanied by a standard champion’s purse. On the other path lies the proposition outlined by Bellew: a lucrative, high-visibility mega-event against Benn that carries massive domestic hype, crossover cultural appeal, and a potential multi-million-pound purse.
As Conor Benn assesses his future options following his stoppage loss to Garcia, and with no definitive date set for his return to the ring, Bellew’s suggestions have injected a fascinating new debate into British boxing. Whether Smith chooses to pursue world title unifications against elite operators like Shakur Stevenson or opts for the financial magnitude of a domestic clash against Benn, the Sheffield champion now finds himself in a position of immense leverage following his title defense.
