This was the reading that most people entered. Matias overwhelms opponents until they fold. Smith was supposed to be another name added to that pattern.
Instead, Smith adjusted without backing down.
By the third round, Smith began to size up Matias on the way in. He stopped throwing to trade and started throwing to land. The right hand found place. The exchanges became shorter. Matias still scored, but he ran in cleaner shots and took damage in places he usually controls.
The shift was subtle until it wasn’t.
In the fifth round, Smith landed a sharp right hand that dropped Matias. The champion stood up, but his balance was gone. A second right followed. This time Matias stayed. The battle ended there, suddenly and decisively.
It was a clear knockout. No argument. No congestion. One fighter resolved the other and finished him off.
Smith’s win crowned him the new WBC super lightweight champion and pushed British boxing to four male world title holders at the same time. It also ended Matias’ run as one of the division’s most feared pressure fighters, despite his status as a heavy favorite and recent title success.
There was context surrounding Matias before the fight, including lingering talk of a cleared testing issue, but it did not determine this outcome. The punches did.
Smith has proven that he can absorb pressure, adjust under fire and finish a fight against a champion that hasn’t been stopped. This is not a hype. This is evidence.
This was not a happy night. It was a real takeover.
