Billy Dib becomes IBF Featherweight Champion

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/dib-becomes-featherweight-world-champion-20110730-1i4st.html

Billy Dib has joined Australian legends Jeff Fenech and Johnny Famechon as a featherweight world boxing champion, taking out the vacant IBF title with a unanimous 12 round points win over Mexico's Jorge Lacierva on Friday.

Back at the venue where he had his first professional fight and three of his first four paid contests, Dib produced a savvy and streetwise performance, with just the odd flash of the brash showmanship that marked his early bouts.

Dib finished ahead on the cards 119-109, 118-109 and 115-112.

Watched by a crowd including former world champions Kostya Tszyu and and ex-NSW premier Bob Carr, Dib won the battle of contrasting styles.

His nifty footwork and head and body movement made things difficult for Lacierva to sustain pressure or land significant blows in the early stages.

The 25-year-old Australian used his reach advantage and faster hands well, scoring with the left jab when putting some space between himself and his opponent.

Lacierva tried to muscle Dib on the inside, but though he landed the odd blow, the smaller Mexican's crouching, lunging style gleaned few dividends.

American referee Jack Reiss had to break the fighters on numerous occasions and took some time after the bell for the third round to separate the protagonists.

Dib spoke earlier in the week about the possibility of Lacierva employing illegal tactics and his prediction rang true as Reiss penalised the Mexican a point in the fourth for hitting after the break.

Reiss gave Lacierva some time to rest in the ninth from a low blow, while the Mexican suffered a cut near his left eye in the same round following a head clash.

In the main preliminary fight, Sydneysider Zac Awad won the vacant IBF Pan Pacific super middleweight title with a 12 round split points decision over fellow Sydneysider Junior Talipeau in a classic phone box brawl.

Earlier on, classy Sydney based Queensland bred southpaw Paul Fleming took his professional record to 11-0, with a second round TKO of journeyman Quinton Donohue.

Mentioning Billy Dib in the same sentence with Jeff Fenech is blasphemy.

I still couldnt believe they put him in one of the Fight Night games

TWO of the fight night games. They didn't put Barrera in the latest, but he's in. IBF is just as shameful as the rest of the alphabet bunch.

EA probably still have own Dib's image rights.

NJBeatdown86 wrote:TWO of the fight night games. They didn't put Barrera in the latest, but he's in. IBF is just as shameful as the rest of the alphabet bunch.

Damn, he must have the Aussie Al Haymon behind him

gomez1012 wrote:

NJBeatdown86 wrote:TWO of the fight night games. They didn't put Barrera in the latest, but he's in. IBF is just as shameful as the rest of the alphabet bunch.

Damn, he must have the Aussie Al Haymon behind him

Sakio Bika's wife threatened to take off her paper bag.

NJBeatdown86 wrote:TWO of the fight night games. They didn't put Barrera in the latest, but he's in. IBF is just as shameful as the rest of the alphabet bunch.

Dib is not even in the top ten. He's 16th on Boxrec. So unkrank beating 10th ranked opponent get's you a trinket these days

The fight wasn't even shown live in Australia. Billy Dib's brother is my brother's school principal. Billy Dib is a nice guy but he is far from world class. I hate having to keep explaining to the uneducated here in Australia that he is a title holder now not a world champion.

freakzilla wrote:The fight wasn't even shown live in Australia. Billy Dib's brother is my brother's school principal. Billy Dib is a nice guy but he is far from world class. I hate having to keep explaining to the uneducated here in Australia that he is a title holder now not a world champion.

No, no, no, no, no......he is the IBF WORLD CHAMPION.....WORLD CHAMPION!!!! Oh damn, I'm gonna be sick.

dib actually fought last night,not pretended he was a poor man's pbf.even in the last round with a UD certain he still was on the attack.hopefully it's a sign of things to come.the highlight of the night though was paul fleming,he scored a 2nd round tko after earlier this month winning in his us debut by 1st round ko.he is & not saying he's in his class yet,a fighter from the jeff fenech mould.he is an all out,energiser bunny & yes i've seen more than his last couple of fights