- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Australia’s IBF featherweight world boxing champion Billy Dib is urging Indonesian superstar Chris John not to price him out of their mooted megafight.
Dib, who delivered on his pre-fight promise of a knockout in his first defence against Italian Alberto Servidei on Saturday night, says he intends to add John to his list of knockout victims.
Servidei, who had a 31-0-2 professional record, lasted just 2m38s of the fight at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre.
The challenger went down for the count after taking a crushing left to the body.
With Servidei swept aside Dib turned to his No.1 target, John, the WBA featherweight super champion, who has ruled that organisation for more than eight years.
Negotiations with the management of John, who is making a title defence against Ukrainian Stanyslav Merdov in Perth on November 30, started even before Dib’s victory on Saturday.
But Dib fears they could stall unless John drops his asking price.
“He is out-pricing himself, he is asking for ridiculous figures,” Dib told AAP on Sunday.
“When you are asking for ridiculous figures, that means you are scared, you are worried, you are trying to get a payout.”
Dib is due to make a mandatory defence of his title by mid-January.
However, he said he would seek an exemption from the IBF if he secured the unification fight against John.
The Sydney fighter feels a win over John, who boasts a marvellous 45-0-2 record, would enable him to put his stamp on the division.
“I want to unify the division and I want it to be definitive, I dont want to just win,” Dib said.
“To win definitive is to knock Chris John out, that would be an amazing achievement.
“I want to do special things in the sport of boxing.
“I’m here for a short time, not a long time, I want to give it the best I can and get out while I’m still on top.”
The win over Servidei represented Dib’s eighth KO in his last nine wins.
He said attacking Servidei’s body early had been part of his game plan.
“Before I left the changing room, (my trainer) Billy (Hussein) said to me don’t forget the body,” Dib said.
“I put everything I had into that (knockout punch), I just saw the opening and I capitalised on it.”
What’s your best bet? For great odds on all your favourite sports check out PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.