Responding to a report on SecondsOut, Australian promoter William Takataka said on Tuesday that he is prepared to pay more money to get Bobby Pacquiao to Sydney to face Billy “the Kid” Dib on July 27. Takataka was adamant that he had been in negotiations with people representing Pacquiao and wants to make the fight as the main support to IBF/IBO flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan’s defence against Jair Jimenez at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.
“We want Bobby Pacquiao here in Sydney and we will pay what he wants,” said Takataka.
“I have been watching Bobby for a while, keeping an eye on him,” said Dib. “I know he is tailor made for me. He has a slow jab and I will counter punch him. I do not have any troubles fighting southpaws.”
19 year-old Dib, who holds the IBO Asia Pacific junior lightweight title, says he can understand why 24 year-old Pacquiao 25-11-3 (11) may not want to come to fight in Australia.
“It’s a risky fight for him to take,” he said. “He has just won a big fight with Carlos Navarro and he will be getting big offers in the USA. He wants to make as much money as he can because he knows if he fought me, he would lose his belt.”
Fighting as a professional for less than a year, Dib has no doubt he is ready to fight more experienced opponents.
“There is no need to take thirty fights to get to the top and wear yourself out,” he explained. “I want to fight these guys ahead of me and propel myself to a world title. I have a God given talent and I am going to use it to the best of my ability and win.”
Even if the Pacquiao fight can’t be made, Dib is still looking forward to fighting on July 27 against another opponent.
“The more world champions we have here in Australia, the better it is for us coming up,” he said. “Holding this world title fight in Sydney is going to generate a lot of attention. To fight on Vic’s undercard as the main support, it’s huge.”
