WBC World Super Lightweight Champion Dalton Smith was honored on Sunday, June 7, 2026, as the inaugural recipient of the WBC Ricky Hatton Legacy Belt at the AO Arena in Manchester.
The Sheffield fighter, known to fans as “Thunder,” received the specially commissioned award during “Evening4Ricky,” a gala event organized to celebrate the career of the legendary Ricky Hatton and to raise awareness for mental health. The ceremony took place in front of thousands of supporters in Manchester, featuring a cast of boxing legends and celebrities.
The World Boxing Council (WBC) created the Legacy Belt to recognize British boxers who best represent the fighting spirit, honesty, and warrior mentality that defined the “Hitman’s” career. Dalton Smith was selected for the honor following his breakthrough world title victory earlier this year.
On January 10, 2026, he secured the WBC World Super Lightweight championship by stopping Subriel Matias in the sixth round at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, an achievement cited as a premier away-day victory for a British fighter.
The presentation involved a high-profile passing of the torch as Campbell Hatton, son of the former two-weight world champion, and Mexican boxing icon Marco Antonio Barrera handed over the gold-and-green prize. Smith attended the gala alongside his father and Steel City Gym trainer, Grant Smith.
This recognition follows a career trajectory that saw Smith enter the Matias fight with an 18-0 record before improving his professional standing to 19-0 with 14 knockouts following that world title win.
Dalton Smith honors childhood hero Ricky Hatton in Manchester
For Smith, the accolade carries personal weight that mirrors the bond between Hatton and the British public. He has frequently referenced how he modeled his career path after the “Hitman,” particularly regarding the connection between a fighter and their local supporters. “Growing up, Ricky Hatton was my hero,” Smith told attendees during the celebration.
He noted that Hatton’s fighting style and public conduct were the reasons he fell in love with boxing.
The Sheffield native expressed that receiving the award in Manchester, Hatton’s home city, added a layer of significance to the evening. “To receive the inaugural Ricky Hatton WBC Legacy Belt, in Manchester and at the AO Arena of all places, honestly means a huge amount to me,” Smith said.
He credited Hatton with inspiring a generation of North English fighters and stated he was incredibly proud to be recognized in the legend’s name.
The event comes as Smith establishes himself at the pinnacle of the 140-pound division. While he celebrates this legacy award, the broader boxing world remains fixated on potential administrative shifts and future matchups. For instance, Robeisy Ramirez calls out Mauricio Sulaiman regarding different organizational decisions, reminding fans that the WBC is constantly balancing its legacy projects with current competitive mandates.
Recognizing the warrior mentality and mental health awareness
The “Evening4Ricky” gala served a dual purpose, functioning as a fundraiser for mental health causes as well as a retrospective of Hatton’s career. By commissioning this belt for annual distribution, the WBC aims to formalize the standard of the “British warrior.” Smith’s selection was grounded in his performance in New York, where he displayed the relentless spirit several observers compared to Hatton’s own prime years.
The focus on mental health at the event reflects a growing trend in the sport to address athlete welfare beyond the physical toll of the ring. Professional boxing continues to have difficult conversations regarding the long-term impact on its participants. For example, com/oleksandr-usyk-brain-health-dubois-wardley-usyk-brain-health-dubois-wa/”>Oleksandr Usyk raised brain health concerns recently, emphasizing that the “warrior mentality” celebrated in legacy awards must be balanced with modern safety and support systems.
Smith’s rise to this award has been marked by clinical performances under the Matchroom Boxing banner. Before his victory in Brooklyn, he made headlines with a fifth-round knockout of Jose Zepeda in March 2024 at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield.
That win for the BBBOC British Super Lightweight championship served as a catalyst for his move to the world stage, proving he could handle experienced international opposition before taking the WBC title from Matias.
Future prospects for the WBC World Super Lightweight Champion
With the Legacy Belt added to his collection, Smith now faces the pressure of defending his status as a premier British champion. As a world titleholder, he is a primary target for other UK fighters looking for domestic clashes that can headline major arenas.
The super lightweight landscape is currently one of the deepest in the sport, with domestic rivals frequently angling for a shot at the green and gold belt.
The scene at 140 pounds is rife with contenders positioning themselves for a shot at Smith’s throne. While Smith’s victory over Matias solidified his rank, other fighters are making vocal demands for high-profile opportunities. Notably, Jack Catterall calls out Rolando Romero in hopes of securing his own piece of the division’s hardware, highlighting the many moving parts in the weight class.
The evening in Manchester ended with a final tribute to the “Hitman,” but the underlying message focused on the future. Smith left the AO Arena carrying a belt that bridges the gap between Hatton’s era and the present day.
For “Thunder” Smith, the task now is to maintain that connection with the public while defending his world championship against an increasingly hungry field of international and domestic contenders.
