Billy Dib was a very good prizefighter who represented himself and country with class, claiming a world title, but it was more recently that he worked his way into our hearts in overcoming his battle with cancer.

Dib was the fifth child of seven, born to of Palestine/ Lebanese immigrants in Sydney, Australia. Life was difficult for him from the very beginning, but he showed a fighter’s heart before he even stepped foot into a boxing ring.

“I was born asthmatic. I had really bad asthma as a boy,” Dib told The Ring. “I was told by my family I was in the incubator for some time. I had some issues, and my mom couldn’t take me home right away. She eventually got the opportunity to take me home, but I did have a bit of a struggle at the start. That’s why people say, ‘He definitely had that fighter’s spirit from a young age.’

“Growing up like any other kid. It was a lot of fun times but a lot of fighting in the house. The No. 1 movie in our house was Rocky. My dad made sure we had everything we needed, we were well fed, well-dressed, well-mannered kids.”

Like many others, he was being bullied and used boxing to initially toughen up.

“I used to get picked on in school and eventually my dad was like, ‘I need to put you in some after school sports,'” he recalled. “I found boxing by accident. I was playing Rugby League and the trainer pulled out some pads and noticed the talent in me and he mentioned I should go to the boxing gym and from there it was the start of something special. I walked into the gym, and it was like my destiny right in front of my eyes.

“I boxed as a 12-year-old but boxed illegally. In Australia there’s a rule you can only box when you’re 14, but I changed my birth certificate, I was fighting kids who were older, then I got caught out and had to sit out for about a year.”

On his return he quickly found his stride and went on to win multiple state titles, three national titles and later represented Australia at the World Junior Championships in Cuba and World Cadet Championships in Hungary in 2002. The following year he fought at the World Championships in Thailand.

Dib had aspirations of fighting at the 2004 Athens Olympics but had a motor bike accident which meant he couldn’t take part in the qualifiers. However, he was offered the chance to represent his ancestral home of Lebanon.

“I wanted to, but my father was like, ‘Lebanon never did anything for us, so we’re not representing them. Australia gave you everything. If you want to go to the next Olympic games, you better sit tight. You’ve got another four years to wait. It’s either that or turn professional,” he said.

Unsure of what to do, Dib sought out someone who has inspired him and helped him focus the mind.

“Naseem Hamed was my childhood hero and played such a big part in my development as a young boy, through watching videos of him,” he said. “So, when I got the opportunities to finally met him at the age of 17. It came about through two mutual friends. I eventually got a phone call from Naz, which was amazing, and a week after I was off to the UK to meet him. Naz became a sort of mentor.”

With that in mind, Dib decided, after going 98-15, that it was time to make the switch to the professional ranks in August 2004.

“I made my pro debut on the undercard of Paul Briggs-Stipe Drews, I was promoted by D rush Promotions, a new promoter, it was an extravaganza,” he said. “I remember my purse, it was $3,000 Australian dollars, plus two tables, I had to sell, and I got a percentage, so that was about $500 a table, so that’s $4,000 and I made about $3,000 sponsorship, so I made about $7,000. I was a very well-known kid. I was only 18 and was like, ‘Wow, I’m rich.’ I never went backwards from that purse.”

After winning his first 13 fights almost exclusively at home, Dib began working with Golden Boy in the fall of 2006. He appeared in America on the undercard of mega events such as Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto-Shane Mosley.

He fought a few times at home, including against once-beaten South African Zolani Marali in Newcastle, Australia, in July 2008.

“On that night, Marali and I both turned up, it was a war of attrition, and it was going to come down to who wanted it the most,” said Dib, who had to climb off the canvas in the third round, en route to edging home by hard-fought 12-round unanimous decision. “I wanted it so bad because I had been telling everyone I was willing to die in the ring, I put it all on the line. It was a fight where something was left in the ring.”

That win earnt him a shot at skilled American Steve Luevano, on the undercard of Kelly Pavlik-Bernard Hopkins in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in October 2008.

“That was a very boring fight,” said Dib, who dropped a 12-round unanimous decision. “I took it on short notice, five weeks, I was 10 kilos overweight. I had never fought at featherweight, I was a junior lightweight, so this was my first-time making featherweight and at the time I had no idea how to make weight. I was basically starving myself to make weight.

“I lost a really close fight. It was such a lacklustre, boring fight. It was disengaging fight. I never went to the place I went to in the Marali fight.”

Determined to keep going Dib restructured his life and started to train under Billy Hussein. The new union saw Dib get back in line with 10 consecutive wins.

“I was ranked No. 1 in the world and on the verge of fighting for the IBF title,” he said. “It was supposed to be [against] Mikey Garcia [after Yuriorkis Gamboa was stripped], but he opted to go in a different direction and I ended up fighting Jorge Lacierva, a very tough Mexican fighter. I schooled him. It was amazing to win [the world title] on my home turf, in front of all my fans. It would be one of my standout performances of my career.

“I expected myself to become world champion, so it wasn’t a big song and dance. My celebration was hanging out with my family at home.”

He followed up with two successful defenses in Australia taking out European champion Alberto Servidei (KO 1) and forced Nacho Beristain disciple Eduardo Escobedo to retire after six rounds.

Dib had by now joined forces with music icon 50 Cent and boxing superstar Mayweather. Unfortunately, the pair had a very public spat that meant the Australian fought a non-title fight and was sidelined.

“They had the breakdown and was locked into a contract with SMS, who couldn’t secure him a fight,” he said. “So, I was out for nearly a year and then was supposed to be fighting Luis Franco, he pulled out, Mauricio Munoz, he pulled out, finally they brought [Evgeny] Gradovich.

“I wasn’t in a good place, I was frustrated. I was angry with 50 Cent. [Gradovich] just edged me [by 12-round split decision] in the first fight.”

After barely getting past Mike Oliver (MD 10), Dib met Gradovich for a second time on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao-Brandon Rios in Macao in November 2013.

“I was a broken man when I fought him in the rematch. I wasn’t the same,” admitted Dib, who was stopped in nine rounds. “He grew and I declined. The whole 50 Cent thing, I was never the same.”

After several months he returned and worked his way back up with three wins and was rewarded with a shot at WBC junior lightweight titlist Takashi Miura in May 2015. What was already a difficult task was near impossible by fight time.

“A lot of people don’t know I went into that fight with a broken rib and metacarpal in my left hand,” he said. “I was doing everything in my power to stay away from letting him hit me in the rib. I think he caught on to that and he hit me with an overhand left [in Round 3]. I was knocked out but as I was going down, he hit me twice and woke me back up.”

His wife tragically passed away from cancer in 2015.

When he returned to boxing, he got back to winning ways, determined to earn another world title shot. After several wins his team were able to bring IBF junior featherweight titlist Tevin Farmer to Australia in August 2018.

“I wanted people to see, no matter what you go through in your life, and I had been through a lot to that point, but I stayed steadfast and consistent and that’s my brand,” said Dib, who lost a 12-round unanimous decision. “The victory in the Tevin Farmer fight was not winning the fight because I lost, but there was a victory in that because I proved to everybody no matter what you go through in life there’s a way you can get back to the top because I did.”

Dib resurfaced and was due to appear in the Middle East before a late change saw him moved up the card.

“That was an amazing opportunity to fight on Amir Khan’s undercard in Saudi Arabia, to be the first people to fight there,” said Dib. “Somehow, some way his opponent injured himself and I ended up fighting Amir Khan at welterweight, which is a lifetime away from the featherweight division, but it was a life changing moment. The Amir Khan the weight difference was ridiculous.”

It proved too much, and he was stopped in four rounds. Dib didn’t want to bow out like that he won three-fights in Australia and was looking for something more significant and was in talks to face George Kambosos Jr. However, a chance sparring session became life-changing.

“A regular day, I was sparring my good friend Billel Dib and then I was hit with a bodyshot in sparring and had a stomach ache and wasn’t feeling correct,” he recalled. “I finished the spar and went to hospital. I knew something wasn’t right.”

Initially the doctors couldn’t find anything and sent Dib home. The following day he returned in absolute agony. Tests showed he had colon cancer.

After having the tumor removed from his colon, Dib expected to feel better. It was then revealed to him that he also had non-Hodgkin Burkitt lymphoma.

“I had a quote on a white board the wall in the hospital that my brother wrote, ‘Get up you son of bitch because Laith loves you,”‘ he said. “That was a quote we got from the Rocky movie, so every time I was feeling down and out, I would always think about my son and think I can’t leave this kid.

“That was the most difficult journey of my life. I had come to terms that I might die and I accepted that. I had made peace with God about that but I had asked God for one thing, ‘If you decide to take me, I have no issue with that but please look after my son and wife.’

“There would be days where cancer was kicking my arse, it was winning a lot of the rounds 10-8, knockdown after knockdown but I would get my phone out and put it on the bedside and I’d turn it to video and I’d talk to my son.”

For nearly six months Dib undertook treatment that took it’s toll on him emotionally and physically. He lost his hair, endured blinding headaches and felt constant pain. It took him to the very precise.

Thankfully, in March 2023, Dib was cancer free.

“Boxing saves a lot of lives, but boxing really did save my life,” he said. “If it hadn’t been for that moment I may have found out too late.”

Dib (48-6, 27 KOs) remains involved in boxing by managing two fighters and has done some commentary work. He boxed an exhibition at the WBC convention in 2024.

Dib, now 39, is remarried, the couple have a son and live in Syndey. Post-boxing he has developed a brand called Billyve, a clothing range.

He graciously took time to speak to The Ring about the best he fought in 10 key categories.

BEST JAB

Steve Luevano: “When I talk about the best jab, I would say Steven Luevano had an amazing jab. He was a southpaw, and it was a bit more difficult.”

BEST DEFENSE

Tevin Farmer: “You couldn’t hit him with a handful of rice. He was impossible to hit.”

BEST FOOTWORK

Farmer: “Tevin Farmer had great footwork. He knew his distance, he knew how to get around, he really blossomed for a while.”

BEST HANDSPEED

Amir Khan: “Definitely Amir Khan by mile. Even though he didn’t hit me with a lot of flush shots, it was like a shotgun.”

SMARTEST

Farmer: “With regards ring IQ, two fighters who were southpaws, Steven Luevano and Tevin Farmer. They knew their distance, when to fire, when not to fire. It sort of fell into a boring tactical battle. I tried to keep attacking because I didn’t want anyone to think they were boring fights. In hindsight, I should have boxed them. I would say Tevin.”

STRONGEST

Zolani Marali: “I’m not going to say Amir Khan because it was an unfair fight. I would say physically strong would definitely be Zolani Marali. He was tall, southpaw and very physical, he would rag doll you. Gradovich was strong, he was a bull terrier, no matter what you hit him with he kept coming.”

BEST CHIN

Evgeny Gradovich: “He had a good chin because I hit that guy with bombs because he was right there in front of you, but he took ’em and walked through them.”

BEST PUNCHER

Takashi Miura: “Oh man, when he hit me with an overhand left, I was knocked out but as I was going down, he hit me twice and woke me back up. That’s how hard he hit me, I hit the floor, and I looked up and thought, ‘Oh no, I’m on the floor.’ I didn’t even see it coming.”

BEST BOXING SKILLS

Eduardo Escobedo: “Eduardo Escobedo had fantastic skills. He had the Nacho Beristain style, great defense, hands up nice and high, very technically sound.”

BEST OVERALL

Khan: “He was a silver medalist at the Olympics and a two-time champion. In his prime, Amir was amazing. Yes, he was susceptible to being hurt but his speed was A-plus, and his heart was definitely A-plus as shown in his fight with Marcos Maidana.”

Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at elraincoat@live.co.uk and you can follow him on X @AnsonWainwr1ght