Smith, The Ring’s No. 1 junior welterweight, edged out mandatory challenger Alberto Puello via split decision to make a successful first defense of the WBC title he won in January.

But having packed out Sheffield’s Utilita Arena for this homecoming, the 29-year-old has set his sights on a much more significant venue.

“I want Hillsborough,” Smith said in his post-fight press conference. “I want a big fight at Hillsborough. That big carrot has been dangled all the way through this fight, but I needed to block out that noise because I had a tough fight in front of me. Now the conversations can go on.”

Hillsborough is the historic home of Sheffield Wednesday, which Smith has supported his whole life. He faced off with Puello on the pitch in front of 30,000 earlier this month and he wants to defend his world title there.

Hearn confirmed that the Wednesday owners were ringside for Smith’s victory over Puello. It has been reported that the club, which was hit with a 12-point deduction for entering administration last year, has already made contact with Sheffield City Council regarding the license required to stage the first world title fight at the 35,000-seater stadium.

Wednesday was taken over by a U.S. consortium in the summer, ending a long period of financial difficulty. They want Smith to help spearhead the new era at the club with a monumental world title defense.

“I want Hillsborough, I want Arctic Monkeys, I want a proper Sheffield night,” he said.

Smith is one of three sanctioning body world champions, with the vacant IBF belt on the line when Arthur Biyarslanov and Lindolfo Delgado meet in Saudi Arabia on October 31 under Canelo Alvarez-Christian Mbilli. It means there is no shortage of unification opportunites for the Hillsborough showpiece.

Smith and Hearn, however, want to lure Ring and WBO champion Stevenson to Sheffield. The four-division champion is a free agent after recently leaving Zuffa Boxing and there is hope that he would welcome the chance of a UK debut.

Hearn said: “Right now you have to say Dalton Smith is No. 1 and arguably the best in the division this year based on performances, but Shakur is a phenomenal talent and you have to give him the nod in terms of his lifetime achievements. “For me they are No. 1 and No. 2 in the division so that’s a natural fight. It’s a very tough but it’s certainly one that will do very well.”

When asked whether it is realistic to expect Stevenson, one of the biggest names in the sport, to travel to Smith’s backyard for a unification, Hearn added: “I don’t think he knows a lot about Sheffield. “But what I do know is that Shakur Stevenson will fight anybody and Shakur Stevenson believes he can beat anybody at 135, 140 or 147 pounds. He will want to win the belts. Look at Shakur now, who is he going to fight? [WBO No. 1 contender Raymond] Muratalla, [WBA champion] Gary Antuanne Russell, another champion? He will be well up for fighting Dalton Smith and to do it in front of 30,000 in the UK. He loves that kind of stuff.”