Dalton Smith has been backed by Sunny Edwards to prove himself “one of the best fighters in the world”.
On Saturday at the Nottingham Arena in England, Smith and Walid Ouizza of France contest the vacant European junior-welterweight title, and do so at a time when Smith has spoken of pursuing Jack Catterall – Britain’s leading fighter at 140lbs.
Edwards has observed the 27-year-old Smith’s development since childhood, and until the final fight of Edwards’ fine career trained alongside him at Dalton’s father Grant’s Sheffield-based gym.
If it cannot be overlooked that they have long been close, Edwards’ honesty and educated eye for the subtleties of their profession meant that he was already in demand as a commentator before his retirement in 2024. While he remained active Edwards also shared the ring with, among others, the revered Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, who, as he anticipates for Smith, is widely recognised as among the very best fighters in the world.
“Dalton Smith – he’s a tremendous talent,” Edwards, once a world champion at flyweight, told BoxingScene. “He always has been.
“I mean, the moment I met Dalton, at age 11, 12, everyone was laughing at him from the gym because he’s got a mad sort of zig-zag, round-the-head spiral haircut line shaved in. I remember my first response was, ‘He must be able to fight if he looks like that’. He boxed two kids from our gym, in succession, and battered the pair of them, to be honest, and from that I knew exactly who Dalton was.
“Through England [amateurs] I was travelling with Dalton on the occasions that I got there – he always wanted the best fighters every single round of the tournament he was in – and then getting on [Team] GB he was one of the earliest; the younger ones of those squads at that time. And yeah, had great success going around the world.
“He’s always been a fighter that I’ve really, really rated. When he’s switched on, which he is, and when his mind’s really focused on the ring, he’s one of the best fighters in the world, I think. Not only can he box, not only can he be calculated – he can set traps. He’s fast, and when he hits people he knocks them out as well. He’s one of those fighters who in my opinion can do it all.
“He can move just like me – when Dalton really wants to get on the back pedal, he can stay out of the way of every shot. He’s a very good fighter. Dalton’s been someone since I first met him aged 11, 12 years old, one of the best fighters around. Other people are really just starting to realise that now.”
Edwards was then asked if he envisions Smith, six years younger than Ouizza, earning parity with Ricky Hatton, Amir Khan and Josh Taylor – among Britain’s finest ever fighters, and world champions at 140lbs.
“As long as he gets the opportunities, and maybe gets the support at the times that others are,” he responded. “Maybe in between camps he needs to stop disappearing into the jungle for three months to live like a wild man and [instead] get into the pub and get the 10, 20, 50 thousands behind him, you know what I mean?
“No, he’s a legend, Dalton, and he probably will go down [as one]. He’s won a belt at every level he’s been at so far. He won the ABAs from schoolboy, junior, senior; travelled the world in all the internationals and done everything at every level. If not him, who?
“I know Grant rates him and thinks he’s a good fighter. He’ll have to be on point, but I think at this level everyone’s going to be good. A fighter like Dalton now isn’t really going to get put in with a pushover; a walkover. It ain’t gonna happen.”
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