Dalton Smith keeps his WBC title with a split decision over Alberto Puello

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Dalton Smith is still a world champion, but it was close. Boxing News 24 reports that Smith retained his WBC super lightweight title with a split decision over former champion Alberto Puello at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield on Saturday night

Two judges scored it 115-113 for Smith, while the third had it for Puello. Smith moves to 20-0, while Puello drops to 25-2

It was a tight fight throughout. The writer's unofficial card was level after six rounds, with Puello taking the fifth and sixth. Smith edged the seventh and eighth as swelling appeared under Puello's left eye, but Puello had the better of the ninth and tenth before Smith took the eleventh. In the last round, a Puello left opened a small cut on Smith's right cheek, and Smith began celebrating in the final 30 seconds

The undercard had some notable results. Giorgio Visioli stayed unbeaten with a majority decision over Maxi Hughes, Shannon Ryan stopped Emma Dolan in 40 seconds of their rematch, and teenage heavyweight Leo Atang dropped Jonathan Vergara three times for a first round stoppage

Puello was always going to be an awkward test, and so it proved. Smith got the win in front of his home crowd, but a split decision against a tricky southpaw shows he still has things to work on. A rematch would not be unreasonable

Did Smith deserve the decision? And should Puello get a rematch?

Alberto Puello Falls Short Against Dalton Smithwww.boxingnews24.com