DIB BATTLES LUEVANO FOR WBO FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 11 Oct 2008
Billy Dib.
Australia?s Billy Dib who is coming off a highly controversial decision over South Africa?s Zolani Marali in which he won the IBO super featherweight title last July 30 at the Entertainment Center in Newcastle, New South Wales fights southpaw Steven Luevano for the WBO featherweight crown on October 18.
Dib was dropped in round three but earned the nod of all three judges prompting Marali?s handlers to lodge a protest with the IBO.
In fact boxing writer Tony Krebs of Boxing News 24.com said it was ?perhaps the worst decision I?ve ever witnessed? stating that in his view Dib ?appeared to win only three of the rounds, and in two of them, it very well could have gone to Marali.?
The title fight at the Boardwalk in Atlantic City will be on the undercard of the light heavyweight battle between the ageing Bernard ?The Executioner? Hopkins and the exciting Kelly Pavlik the WBC/WBO middleweight champion.
The 23 year old ?Billy the Kid? Dib is undefeated with a record of 21-0, 11 knockouts while Luevano who is 27 has a record of 35-1-1 with 15 knockouts.
Dib says his clash with Luevano will be a strategic battle and is likely to turn into ?a battle of the jabs.? Dib said Luevano ?has a great jab and so have I and whoever is going to make it work the best is going to win.?
The young Australian said he had watched Luevano?s last five or six fights and claims ?I know everything about him.?
While Dib admits it?s a step up in class he says he won?t be over-awed.
Luevano is coming off a draw in his last title defense against Mario Santiago at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel and Casino last June 28. Luevano won the title with an 11th round knockout over Nicky Cook in the United Kingdom on July 14 last year.
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