Billy Dib vs. Evgeny Gradovich

This is the FNF main event tomorrow.

It's for the red-and-gold 126lb belt - with a tradition boasting names like Dinamita Marquez, Prince Naz, Jorge Paez, Robert Guerrero & Yuriorkis Gamboa. It is Dib's 3rd defense.



Some might be familiar with Billy "The Kid" Dib. For those who aren't, he's a cocky Lebanese-Australian who's a friend & protege of IBF lineage predecessor Naseem Hamed. He is currently promoted and managed by rapper Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson as one of the initial signings of his TMT stable. He would've been a 2004 Olympian but was sidelined by a motorcycle accident and encouraged by Naz to hurry up and go pro instead of waiting for next time. His ensuing professional record over the last nine years has largely been padded at home, and contains more blemishes than bright spots.

The blemishes include: a highly controversial decision over Zolani Marali in which Dib was floored and the scorecards put under investigation with a rematch ordered but never materializing; a clear and one-sided loss to WBO champ Steven Luevano (whose heart was no longer in the sport by then, and who really wasn't a strong titlist anyway); a humiliating and disgraceful situation where he should have been disqualified against Kenichi Yamagushi for a late deliberate full-power hit on a downed opponent - after getting floored early himself - but somehow escaped with an indefensible KO1 that was later amended to a NC; and his scooping of the vacant IBF featherweight title with a forgettable negative performance against shot Jorge Lacierva that gives Dirrell vs. Stevens a "run" for its money (and which Dib's management actually got banned from Youtube by threatening lawsuits!!)

The bright spots include an 8-round UD over the ever game Rogers Mtagwa; his somewhat gutsy first title defense against Eduardo Escobedo; and his second via quick two-minute TKO against then-unbeaten 36 year old Italian fraud Alberto Servidei, whose zero was even more padded than was Dib's own when he lost to Luevano.

Literally everything else is pablum.

He isn't really exceptional or unexceptional in any one area. Very ordinary for a world champion. Decent all-around boxer, with moderate pop and passable defense that alternates between conventional and vaguely slick/awkward. His standout in-ring traits are probably his above-average handspeed, very reliable chin (he's been rocked and smacked off balance a few times, even by relatively light hitters, but always recovers well), consistency working the body from start to finish, and his penchant for dirtiness. His forte is low blows (the blatant, painful, Mares kind), but he'll gladly sprinkle in rabbit punches, excessive holding, and all manner of other nasty deed to get the W.



Now many are probably asking...

Well...

Gradovich has frequently garnered unofficial FOTN honors from the fans, appearing on numerous undercards (Pavlik vs. Jaco, Donaire vs. Nishioka, Beltran vs. Kim) and stealing the show ever since ending his promotional woes by joining Top Rank last February. A large part of this is due to his face-first defense - or lack thereof - but he seems tough enough to get away with it.



Dib is coming off a layoff preceded by a 10-round non-title tuneup UD over Juan Antonio Rodriguez last July in which he reportedly looked poor, and suffered a few cuts.

Gradovich is coming off a TKO7 of Willie Villanueva on the non-televised undercard of ESPN2 FNF in December.

 

Billy Dib

Against Servidei:
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Against Luevano:
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Against Rodriguez:
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Sparring an undisclosed fellow Aussie: (possibly lightweight Benny "The Jet" Warburton? :think)
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Evgeny Gradovich

Against Beranza:
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Against 6-0-1 (3) Jesse Carradine:
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...the brutal ending against Leal:
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Here he is sparring with top super featherweight contender Argenis Mendez, who is about to challenge IBF champ Juan Carlos Salgado in a rematch of their 2011 classic war:
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Tough call. I frequently pick against Dib and get egg on my face (notably against Lacierva and Escobedo) but I think something really might be different this time. I don't think Gradovich has the right stuff to be top 5 at feather - which I don't even think Dib currently is, despite holding a belt - but he might have the style to finally wrest the hardware out of Dib's clutches.

Please avail yourself of the footage in here and let me know what you think.

:think I'm calling it 50-50, with Dib's experience and win-at-all-costs attitude balanced out against Gradovich's apparent stylistic advantage.

 

Yeah, Servidei was a complete pushover. :-( No pride in his 0. You're right, though, Dib looked in fine form while it lasted. That was shaping up to be one of his better nights at the office.

 

I think I read that 50 is going to accompany his fighter out to the ring busting some live rhymes. :!:

I'd like to see Joe & Teddy get down. :hammertime

 

Both of these guys make a strategic habit of investing digs to the body, so expect some periods of high-octane crowd pleasing trench warfare - especially early on. Ultimately I think body punching will prove a wash (unless one or the other lands something incredibly sharp or flush on a liver, spleen, or other sensitive organ) and then we'll see the real complexion of the match take shape: Gradovich headhunting on the offensive with bombs, Dib using lateral movement and counter punching.

 

This is the second consecutive week in which a world title is to be contested on FNF, following Lamont Peterson vs. Kendall Holt- I think maybe that's unprecedented? :huh

ESPN is off to a bull year, after (IMO) a couple of overall bears. :good

 

I feel for you man...you fans down under are put through he'll.

Dib vs. Yamaguchi was the biggest black eye on Aussie boxing in some time...until the Green vs. Briggs farce... (and later SBW vs. Botha)

At least you have Geale (and until recently had Katsidis) to do you all proud.