Billy Dib Update

By Craig Watt
Photo: Team Dib

Australian featherweight Billy Dib (31-1, 19KOs) challenges Mexican Jorge Lacierva (39-7-6, 26KOs) for the vacant IBF Featherweight title at the Olympic Park Sports Centre in Sydney on the 29th July and this week completes his sparring on the Gold Coast, Queensland with some of Australia’s brightest boxing talents. He has completed 126 rounds of sparring with fighters such as WBO#3 ranked super-featherweight Will Tomlinson, WBO#6 ranked 126 pounder Joel Brunker and top super-featherweight prospect Paul Fleming who is unbeaten with a record of 10-0. The 25 year old Dib told Fightnews he is on course to deliver the IBF 126 pound title to his Australian country.

He stated, “This has been a fourteen week camp for me and to spar with some of Australia’s best fighters between 126 and 130 pounds has given me fantastic preparation. They are all looking to develop their own world title ambitions and so I had to always be on my guard. We are delighted with how the preparation has gone and by the time the 29th July comes I will be in the best physical and mental shape I have ever been in.”

“I am so determined to bring the IBF Featherweight title home to Australia and my home town of Sydney I am going the extra mile, day in, day out in my preparation.”

He added, “Jorge Lacierva is a proud Mexican and has fought with the calibre of fighter such as Celestino Caballero and I give him total respect. All Mexican fighters come to win and with over fifty fights behind him I know he is going to be a top class opponent. But in all my preparation and with Billy Hussein in my corner we have the right game plan to handle the toughest challenge of my career so far.”

Ticket sales for the fight are going well and Dib expects a home town support of nearly 3,000 when the bell rings at the prestigious Olympic Park Sports Centre which is a venue within the Sydney Olympic Park in Homebush.

He continued, “It has been a dream of mine to fight for a world title in my home city and to all my fans I am not going to disappoint them. The best prepared Billy Dib will enter the ring and he will be victorious in securing the IBF 126 pound title for all his fans. I am excited and raring to go.”

The 33 year old Mexican Lacierva is unbeaten since his lost to Caballero in 2007 and has won his last seven fights, looking impressive in his last outing versus Fernando Beltran Jr in Mexico in April when he won the IBF eliminator with a wide points victory over twelve rounds. Many predict this will be a tough fight for Dib but an exciting contest in Sydney on July 29th.

July 19th, 2011

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