Australian boxer Billy Dib defended his IBF featherweight belt in style on Saturday night, dismantling his Italian opponent in the first round and setting up a potential bout with WBA champion Chris John.
Dib has been one of Australia’s most talented fighters for years. Much better known in the US than at home, thanks to his early association with Golden Boy Promotions, the 26-year old has previously held the IBO super featherweight title.
Dib was a young boxing prodigy – he won his first 20 professional fights and was lauded by the likes of Shane Mosley and Oscar De La Hoya.
But he hit a snag when he lost against WBO featherweight champion Steven Luevano back in 2008, and was dropped by Golden Boy.
But boxing loves a comeback story, and Dib has fought his way back to prominence over the past few years.
He won another world title after beating Jorge Lacierva in July, and has extended his professional record to 33 wins from 34 fights. He seems to have matured as a fighter and his first defence was on the weekend where he took out Italian Alberto Servidei with considerable ease.
Dib talked up the fight in the days leading up to it, and he certainly lived up to his words.
Servidei did not look like he wanted to be there in a pretty limp display, which was strange considered the fight was broadcast in his homeland and he headed into the bout with an undefeated record.
Servidei threw all of around four wild haymakers with no answer to Dib’s attack, and went down shaking his head to his corner after a sharp left from Dib.
It was soft, and hard to explain – the Italian just didn’t appear to come to fight. He was hand-picked by Dib, and was possibly considering enjoying a holiday without too much more damage from ‘The Kid’
Dib made mince meat out of the Italian and now looks to be back in favour in the US.
A clash with Indonesian Chris John would be mouth-watering. John is a boxing star, the world’s longest reigning current champion and undefeated after 47 fights.
Dib, the Lebanese migrant who turned down an offer to box for Lebanon’s Olympic team in 2004 deference to Australia, could be our next great boxing great.
While most of Australia’s boxing public seems transfixed on the fluctuating fortunes of two specific fighters, Mundine and Green, there are others out there making a name for themselves.
Dib is one of them, and here’s hoping he can add John’s WBA belt to his growing stable.
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