By Tony Nobbs: Hometown born and raised featherweight Billy “The Kid” Dib says he is a totally focused fighter ahead of his vacant IBF featherweight title fight with Mexico’s Jorge “Baby Face” Lacierva at Sydney’s Olympic Park at Homebush on Friday night.
Dib was regarded by many as a sure fire world champion when he made his profesional debut in flamboyant style back in 2004 after a 98-15 amateur record where he captured four National titles and earned a number 8 world ranking. He was a high flying contender when he entered the ring in Atlantic City to challenge WBO belt holder Steven Leuvano in 2008 but was sent him back to reality after 36 tedious minutes.
Many wrote him off. He returned to Sydney and linked up with reknowned trainer Billy Hussein, the middle brother of world title challengers Hussein and Nedal and is become a fighter with more go and less show.
Since, 25 year old Dib (31-1, 19 ko’s), ranked # 3 IBF and # 13 IBO, has won ten of eleven including seven straight knockouts with a No Contest in round one against recent world title challenger Kenichi Yamaguchi and has impressed with no nonsense performances. He looked devestating in June last year destroying IBF Pan Pacific titleis Vachakrit Senehan (17-2-1) and followed that with a stoppage of Ceferino Dario Labards (19-1) who was a last start challenger for Steve Molitor’s IBF 122 lb strap. His opponent on Friday, 33 year old Lacierva (39-7-6, 26 ko’s), IBF # 2 (#1 vacant) and IBO # 10, who has been in town since last Thursday, figures to provide more resistance than Dib’s faced recently, having been stopped just once before in a seventeen year career against some of the best in the world, holding international titles over five divisions. He’s fought Mark Johnson (IBF 115 lb) in 1999 and Celestino Cablallero (WBA 122 lb) in ’07 in previous tries at a major alphabet belt. The 5’4 (66” reach) Mexican is 7-0 since the Caballero fight.
“I’m expecting nothing bar the best (from Lacierva) and it will be a tremendous fight for the Australian public” said the 5’7 (67.5” reach) Aussie . “He’s not your typical Mexican brawler. He likes to use his angles. His speed is good”
“I’ve had an amazing fourteen week preparation, sparring some great young talent from this country. I’ve been pushed hard working with Paul Flemming, Joel Brunker, BW Smith, Daniel Iannazzo and Will Tomlinson. I’m confident, I’ve done the work, I’m in my place, my environment. I’m around my family, my friends, Billy Hussein is wih me every day. I’m happy and a happy fighter is a dangerous fighter”.
While the loss to Luevano was dissapointing, Dib has taken the positives from it. “I got complacent. I wouldn’t say it made me a better fighter. It made me a foucused fighter. It was tough how hard I worked for that fight, I can’t take anything for granted, it made me more switched on to boxing. I realised hat boxing is a business and what is required at the top level. ”
Dib’s past eleven opponents have a combined record of 202-81-16 while Lacierva’s last seven victioms are 149-64-5.
Joining Hussein, who has worked with many of the elite fighters to come out of Australia over the past decade, has given Dib a new “professionalism” to his prep. “When Billy came on board he told me what he expects us to acheive and we set out a plan which has lead to this fight. I’ve added a strength and conditioning coach and a nutritionalist. Everything I do now is one hundred percent”.
“Training “Billy The Kid” has been an easy job right from the start. Each fight he’s got better. This is a great opportunity, to fight for a world title in his home city, in front of his family and fans. His preparation has been excellent, he’s eased up and is very relaxed. He’s at home, the Jorge has had to come here, it’s a different environment, time difference, diferent pace, different weather, it’s a lot colder here than it is over there. He’s been here eight days (by fight time). Is that enough? But we haven’t looked past this fight as he’s an experience fighter who’s fought on the road throughout his career and we haven’t overlooked anything in getting ready”.
Long time cutman and friend Brian Wilmont, who co-trained ex WBC light heavyweight champion Jeff Harding in the late ‘80s – early ‘90s, believes the best is to come from Dib. “Moving with Billy Hussein has been a long process to change from the elusive, always on the move, make them miss make them pay style, which is of course a great strength and will play a part in this fight to being a fighter who can dig in and mix it up a little bit when he needs to. The Mexican is a bit of a KO artist so we wont want to get caught early but fighting in close is where he’s improved the most. In saying that I certainly don’t think the improvement has finished. He’s going to get better “.
Dib rates his eight round points win over Roger Mtagwa on the Cotto-Mosley undercard in 2007 as his best victory to date. “That was a fight where I was on and gives me the confidence I’ll be a world champion. He was a tough opponent who was brought in to test me. I dominated him and won every round. He went on to fight for two world titles and gave Juan Manuel Lopez his toughest fight to that time.”
Since the fight against the Tanzanian, he rates his one sided technical decision verdict over WBC Youth 126 champ Davey Browne (15-0-1) as his best post Leuvano.
“But I believe the best is to come”.
If successful, Dib will join Sydney based Tasmanian Daniel Geale as Australian IBF world champions.
Referee for the fight will be Jack Reiss with judges from Australia, Mexico and Thailand. Supervisor Ray Wheatley from Australia.