‘Mike Tyson heckled me’… Billy Dib reveals exactly what the legend said to him during hilarious spar

EXCLUSIVE: Billy Dib once had to deal with Mike Tyson shouting at him during a sparring session.

The Australian rode an incredible wave that saw him travel the globe, become IBF featherweight world champion, and solidify his status as a boxing icon.

Mike Tyson heckled Billy Dib for not keeping his hands up

Suffering from chronic asthma, Billy Dib was a fighter from day one, spending the first six months of his life in an incubator. At the time, no one could’ve predicted what the warrior would achieve, but now with his combat sports journey complete, there’s no doubt he’s one of the greatest fighters in Australian history.

At the age of 12, Dib started boxing and quickly began to excel, eventually earning himself a spot on his country’s boxing team, with his sights set on travelling to Athens to compete in the 2004 Olympic Games.

Alas, tragedy struck when a motorcycle accident prevented those dreams from becoming a reality. However, rather than give up on boxing, he travelled to the UK, where he honed his skills through hundreds of rounds with Prince Naseem Hamed.

In 2006, Dib moved to the United States, where he lived with the great Shane Mosley, and even had an opportunity to spar in front of Mike Tyson.

In an exclusive interview with Sporf, the Aussie reminisced: “He did heckle me. I was in Las Vegas at the Aladdin Hotel, and they’d set up a boxing ring in the foyer. The Aladdin Hotel no longer exists; they’ve changed the name now. I was in the ring, sparring with this Mexican guy, and Mike Tyson walked in and was like, ‘Keep your hands up, Billy, you’re not Prince Naseem Hamed’. It was quite the journey. I had a great time, and Mike was really cool.”

Floyd Mayweather got Billy Dib a photo with 50 Cent

Blessed with talent and an unrelenting will to win, Dib quickly began to make an impression on the world scene, even earning the respect of the great Floyd Mayweather, who helped him get a photo with one of the biggest stars of the music industry.

He laughed: “I was at Oscar De La Hoya vs Floyd Mayweather in 2006 and 50 Cent’s bodyguards were playing a little bit hard to get. They wouldn’t let me get a picture with 50. Then, when I was outside the changing room with Oscar, Floyd was walking past, and he saw me, and he had a conversation, and I was able to get a photo with 50 Cent.”

By 2011, Dib had successfully won the IBO championship belt, but despite his significant achievement, he still had dreams of picking up the IBF belt, which he eventually did with an impressive victory on home soil against Jorge Lacierva.

The brawler beamed: “That was the cream on the cake. It was definitely the crowning moment. It was a world title that my childhood hero, [Prince Naseem Hamed], had held in 1997 after knocking out Tom Johnson. I remember it was an amazing feeling to be a world champion, mentioned in the same sentence as some of the greatest fighters that have ever been produced. It was an absolute honour and a privilege for me. That cemented my legacy in Australian boxing and gave me the platform I have today.”

Billy Dib gives inspirational advice after beating cancer

Dib isn’t just a warrior inside the ring but outside of it, too, with the legend going toe-to-toe with cancer in 2022 and coming out on top.

Now, he’s helping others in the same position in their fight against the disease.

He explained: “I had a very strong ‘why factor’. I had a reason to survive and fight. My son, Laith, was only two years and ten months at the time, and I couldn’t imagine this kid growing up without a dad. I kept on envisioning him walking to school without a father, and his mates hugging their dads, and he’s not hugging his dad. I said, ‘I’m going to do everything in my power to fight this cancer, to be there for him and my wife’.

“At times, I could’ve given up, and no one would’ve questioned me. But I felt like I couldn’t leave my son behind. I felt like I owed it to him and his mum to do everything in my power to fight the cancer. That was my why factor. As long as your why factor is strong, you can get through it. There’s going to be tough times, but if you battle through, you can definitely overcome it.”

After his inspirational victory against the illness, Dib returned to the ring, defeating Atilla Kayabasi via unanimous decision in one of the greatest boxing stories of all time.

Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Billy Dib/Boxa Yass