After blasting Subriel Matias, the perceived boogeyman of the division in January, Smith (19-0, 14 KOs) will face a fighter Matias beat in Puello (25-1, 11 KOs), a former 140-pound titleholder. 

"I'm in a good position. I feel like I'm just getting started," Smith said on the "Boxing World" YouTube channel. "It's hard to win a world title, but it's even harder to keep it. I know I need to put more into my training. 

"Puello is a two-time world champion, and he's a great fighter. So I know that I need to be at my best. These sorts of fights are what bring the best out of me because I need that fear factor. I need that challenge in front of me, and it's going to be a special night on October 24." 

Smith is ranked No. 1 by The Ring at 140 pounds, while Puello is rated No. 3; Shakur Stevenson is The Ring and WBO champion in the division. 

Smith earned top contender status in the weight class after starching Matias inside five rounds in January at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, during his United States debut. 

"Beating Matias and getting crowned the world champion will probably be the best night of my life," Smith said. "I probably got one of the most feared fighters in Matias for the WBC title. I just knew the stars were aligned going into that fight. "It was meant to be. I can control my emotions really well in those hostile environments. It was great to be a part of it and getting booed going in and cheered going out."

For Puello, Smith will have a home-field advantage fighting on home soil. But he'll have to see if his injured left elbow is firing on all cylinders after the ailment forced a postponement from their originally announced June 6 date. 

Puello, meanwhile, bounced back from the majority-decision defeat to Matias in July 2025 with a fourth-round stoppage win over Miguel Angel Bolano in a stay-busy fight. If he beats Smith, Puello will regain the WBC belt he lost. 

"I just go in there and do everything I can to win," Smith said. "I've got the warrior spirit, and I've proven that. I can box the head off of people. At the top you've got to be able to adapt. You can't just be a one-trick pony. We're all human. We've got two arms and two legs. Everybody's beatable. So, on the right night, you know, it can be anybody's." 

Manouk Akopyan is The Ring’s lead writer. Follow him on X and Instagram: @ManoukAkopyan.