Hearn sees a different Dalton Smith after Matias

Early on, Smith tied up Matias repeatedly, disrupting the rhythm and cutting short rallies before they could develop. He would land, step in and stall. Again and again. It was the same approach that had troubled Matias before, and once again, Matias struggled to adapt. Once free, Matias landed hard and clean, snapping Smith’s head and reminding everyone why he built his reputation. These moments were real. They were also brief.

Hearn praised Smith for deciding that distance boxing wouldn’t work and choosing to trade instead. This explanation doesn’t quite fit what happened. Smith traded in spots, but he never stayed long. The plan was simple and effective. Hit. Socket. Reset. Repeat.

“Nobody did that to Matias,” Hearn said afterwards, celebrating both the knockdown and the finish. This part is right. Matias was never arrested and Smith took something from him that night. The leap Hearn subsequently made was more ambitious.

“You talk about Darren Barker versus Daniel Geale, Kell Brook versus Shawn Porter, honestly it beats everything – it’s the biggest away win I’ve ever witnessed,” said Hear. “Dalton is a hero. You have to box with Matias, you saw it from Liam Paro, but Matias was there tonight, he was red hot and he didn’t allow Dalton to box.

“So Dalton decided to fight Matias at his own game, which is the worst idea anyone could have – he was never hurt, he was never down – and he beat him, demeaned, in New York to become Britain’s latest world champion. The kid is a hero and there is a new superstar in the sport of boxing and his name is Dalton Smith.

Calling Smith a superstar based on a controlled but uneven title fight reflects the promoter’s confidence in doing his job. Smith showed he could execute a tough plan under pressure. He also showed that his margin against elite fighters under pressure tightens when the clinch isn’t there to slow things down.

Hearn’s enthusiasm is understandable. His fighter won a world title in hostile conditions.

“We knew Dalton was a star, but to do this on the world stage in New York and in this style. People were talking about this fight and that fight, Adam Azim and others, Dalton Smith came out and accepted the bogeyman, met him head-on in New York and stopped Subriel Matias from becoming world champion – put some respect on his name.”

The performance itself felt more like a pointed response to a specific opponent, and Smith’s next assignment will say more than any post-fight praise.