Overview
- Smith floored Matias with a succession of right hands in Round 5, and the referee halted the fight after a standing count.
- The Sheffield native moved to 19-0 and handed Matias, now 23-3, the first stoppage defeat of his professional career.
- The matchup headlined a pay-per-view card at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, marking Smith’s first world title win in the United States.
- New York officials and the WBC let the bout proceed after November VADA tests showed ostarine at a low concentration that was deemed consistent with supplement contamination.
- Promoter Eddie Hearn signaled a potential Sheffield homecoming next, as unification options loom with champions including Gary Russell and Richardson Hitchins and the Teofimo Lopez–Shakur Stevenson winner later this month.