Aussie boxing legend Billy Dib restrained as Liam Wilson hotel stoush emerges

Former world champ Billy Dib needed to be restrained as brother Youssef fell victim to an illegal act as details of a secret hotel run-in came to light.

Australian super featherweight star Liam Wilson has potentially punched his way into a world title blockbuster after a crazy day that started with a hotel stoush against Billy Dib and, at one point, saw him gyrating over the former champ’s younger brother after a savage low blow.

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Six years of bad blood between Wilson and the fighting Dib family exploded in Brisbane on Saturday night when the Queenslander not only twice dropped Youssef Dib, but got cut across the nose, cut and bloodied his rival, was cut and bloodied himself, threw punches, shouted obscenities, and was deducted a point in the ninth for a brutal low shot.

Only moments earlier, Dib had opened the round by shouting at his rival “do you respect me now?”

Yet after Wilson drowned his rival with a nasty punch below the belt, he then stood and briefly thrust over his downed rival as, over in the corner, Billy Dib shouted and grabbed at the ring ropes in protest.

Dib — working his brother’s corner — had to be restrained as emotions boiled over.

Eventually, Wilson would take the South Bank Piazza slobberknocker by majority decision – winning on all three scorecards, 95-92, 96-91, 96-91 – yet not without plenty of heart from the younger Dib brother, who was dropped by left hands in the first and second rounds.

Wonderfully, the pair also appeared to squash the longtime beef in the ring afterwards.

Yet only seven months after knocking the younger Dib cold with his signature ‘Left Hook from Hell’, the fighter dubbed Mr Damage had to win much tougher this time in what was a bloody and, at times, incredibly spiteful rematch.

Liam Wilson won the fight.

Several times throughout the fight, the pair shouted at each other, and pressed their foreheads together at the end of rounds, while Wilson also appeared to shout into Dib’s corner after both knockdowns.

Prior to the fight taking place, Main Event’s Ben Damon also revealed in commentary that, after a week of jawing by both men, Wilson had also been involved in an event day altercation with members of the Dib family at the fighter hotel.

Soon after during an interview, Billy Dib confirmed he and the two-time world title challenger had almost traded blows saying of Wilson: “He saw me in the morning and first thing he asked me, and I don’t want to be derogatory on TV, but he asked me what the ‘f’ my problem was.

“I said ‘hey, you’re not fighting me. Why do you keep talking about me? I’m not the one you’re fighting. You’re fighting my brother’.

“I said ‘but if you want to fight right now, we can. But there won’t be no fight tonight because I’ll knock you out’.

“Then somebody just pushed him away.”

Billy Dib had to be restrained. Photo: No Limit Boxing.

By the end of the fight on Saturday night, Wilson and Billy Dib were again seen in animated discussions, albeit after the Caboolture product and ‘Uwee’ Dib had appeared to end their beef on the microphone.

Ranked No.4 among WBO super featherweights, Wilson has long been chasing a rematch of his own against division king Emanuel Navarrete – who the Queenslander was famously robbed of victory against, due to that infamous long count, in 2023.

Reports also emerged in fight week suggesting Wilson’s promoters No Limit are talks with WBC champion O’Shaquie Foster, in what would be a voluntary title defence.

Yet whatever Wilson does next, it will have been earned in the hardest of ways.

“That was a tough one,” the fighter conceded afterwards.

“He came back better prepared.

“I expected that.

“I’ve been in the same position, when you’re really against adversity and your career depends on it, kinda.

“So he came back with all his heart and might, it was an extremely tough fight.

“Hats off to him.”

Asked about Dib saying during the right if he respected him now, Wilson continued: “I didn’t hear that man, I apologise.

“But yeah.

“F*** yeah.

“He’s a tough boy.

“Tough.

“And this isn’t the end (for him).

“I consider myself the best in the country and he is right there.

“So I hope he doesn’t give it away.

“Don’t do that man.”

Asked about some of things that took place in the ring, Wilson continued: “It’s heart, emotion, our fighting pride.

“There’s no animosity.

“I could go have a coffee with him now.

“It’s fighting pride coming out in the ring.”

Soon after, he added: “Sorry for my words in the ring tonight Uwee, Billy, the team.

“It’s just my heart, my emotion …”

Wilson was then asked if he thought the fight was over in the first couple of rounds, when he dropped his rival twice?

“I really did,” Wilson continued.

“But credit to him.

“He’s a true warrior

“You never really see that in a fighter until they go through those moments.

“So from me to him, stick in the sport.

Liam Wilson goes to the body of Youssef Dib. Photo: No Limit Boxing.

“I’ve been very close to a world title and you pushed me to me limits.”

Asked about Foster, Wilson said: “There’s been some talk and that’s what I’m here for.

“Boxing is a short career and I want to make the most of it.

“I want to bring the fight here to Brisbane.”

Meanwhile, while Dib was asked about the bad blood, he also attempted to end things there in the ring saying: “Nah, nah, that’s just boxing

“Heat of the moment.

“I respect Liam Wilson and I respect his team.

“He caught me nice and early but I thought I fought my way back into it.

“But he’s a hell of fighter, man.

“Uncrowned world champion.”

ELSEWHERE ON THE FIGHT CARD

The main event capped a stellar night that also saw Melbourne super light John Mannu stop Jalen Tait in the third while Queenslander Jack Bowen earned a convincing decision win against Kazakhstan’s Abilkhaiyr Shegaliyev

While still only in February, the fight also produced an early contender for ‘Female Fight of the Year’ – with Brianna Harrison taking the Australian super featherweight title in an epic contest against Nicila Costello.

Only 10 months after giving birth, Harrison dethroned Costello in a crazy fight that, watching on in commentary, Tim Tszyu described only minutes in as “chaos” saying “this cannot go for all eight rounds”.

Yet still, it did.

Before the last, Harrison was also spurred on by her coach, who shouted at the fighter who has stood between every round, and was handed her new bub in the ring afterwards: “You’re the mum that wants it”.

Didn’t she what.

Eventually taking it on all three scorecards, 77-75, 79-73, 78-74.

Elsewhere on the undercard, Brisbane-based cruiserweight Floyd Masson found himself in a chaotic, phone booth war with wonderfully-named Nigerian, Austine ‘The Magnificent Dancer’ Nnamdi.

Despite arriving in Australia only a day before the bout due to Visa issues, Nnamdi gave an outstanding performance – which included dancing at the end of the sixth, and again midway through the seventh -- during a bout that also saw Masson battle a cut over the left eye, albeit from a head clash.

Yet despite the cut, southpaw Masson continually landed big with the left against a rival while not only refusing to go away, but continually fired back with his own, was outclassed by a fighter now set for bigger tests at cruiserweight.

Special mention though for a moment in the sixth when Nnamdi, seemingly gone against the ropes, and with the referee urging him to fight back, then slipped, was gifted a brief pause by the referee … and then exploded as if from a cannon.

Eventually when the round was done, then dancing back to his corner.

Still, it was not enough for Masson, who took the fight easily on all three scorecards, 80-72, 79-73, 79-73.

Originally published as Aussie boxing legend Billy Dib restrained as Liam Wilson hotel stoush emerges