Super lightweight contender Dalton Smith believes Ring Magazine champion Teofimo Lopez is still the man to beat at 140lbs as he plots his assault on the world title picture.

The Sheffield star is currently preparing to face 26-2-1 Frenchman Mathieu Germain at the Park Community Arena in his home city on April 19 knowing that a victory will likely put him straight into a world title fight next.

Smith is the No.1 contender with the WBC and therefore next in line for a shot at the champion Alberto Puello, who successfully held off the challenge of Sandor Martin on March 1 in what was the first defence of his title since he was elevated to full champion last year.

But 'Thunder' Smith knows he will blow his crack at the Dominican southpaw if he drops the ball against Germain, who will start as a huge underdog in Sheffield next month.

Smith watched on as his compatriot and fellow super-lightweight Jack Catterall was stunned at home to Arnold Barboza in Manchester on April 15. Now, while Catterall joins the back of the queue again, Barboza’s reward for victory is a shot at Lopez’s WBO title at Times Square, New York in the Ring Magazine’s second Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves event, which is being carried by DAZN.

Smith told The Ring: “Everyone expected Jack to win and if he wins, he's on that card, getting paid loads and all of a sudden, Barboza's got his spot. Nobody was planning that... Boxing never goes to plan.

“That's why you just need to make sure you do everything right and this is why I can't afford no slip-ups now. A slip-up here and it’s three or four more fights to get back to that spot again.

“I'm chasing those other world titles but my full focus is on this next fight. April the 19th is my world title fight.

“He's come in and he knows he only has to win once and he could be next in line. I’ve been building this for years but if he wins once then all of a sudden he's nicked my spot. It's a good job he's not getting it then.”

When asked to assess the rest of the division, where there is currently a different champion with each of the four sanctioning bodies, Smith added: “These are exciting times at 140lbs and the New York show is showcasing that.

“There are lots of big names but for me, I think Teo has got to be the strongest one. Sometimes he’s a bit unpredictable with performances, but I think Teo on his day is probably the best out of them all.

“But I’m happy to fight any and all of them. I didn’t mind who won out of Puello or Martin either. Right now, I’m going to back myself to beat any of them, I just need the opportunity to prove that I’m right.”