Philadelphia's Tevin Farmer won a vacant junior lightweight title with a unanimous 12-round decision over Billy Dib on Friday at Technology Park in Redfern, Australia.
The wide scores of 118-109, 119-108 and 120-107 were indicative of the one-sided nature of the fight that saw Farmer in control from start to finish.
Farmer, a slick southpaw, used lateral movement and sharp counters to befuddle the onrushing Dib. The Australian worked hard to get inside but didn't score very effectively when he did.
The bout was marred by repeated clinches, the result of Dib's mauling offense.
Referee Ignatius Missailidis certainly had his hands full, but also impeded the flow of the fight by stopping the action in almost every round to issues warnings to both men for some perceived violation of the rules. He did not, however, penalize either boxer.
When he wasn't wrestling with Dib on the inside, Farmer (26-4-1, 1 NC, 5 KOs) showed graceful footwork and stinging counters, especially with his left hand. Dib (43-5, 24 KOs) tried to wear down his opponent with roughhouse tactics but was unsuccessful.
In the ninth round, Farmer floored Dib with a left to the side of his face. The Australian beat the count but was on the ropes and in serious trouble as Farmer went for the knockout, firing away with both hands.
As Farmer poured on the punches, Dib's trainer, Jeff Fenech (Australia's two-division former titleholder), was on his feet, white towel in his hand, ready to stop the fight. He changed his mind, however, and Dib made it to the end of the round.
Dib, from Sydney, continued to take punishment the final three rounds but bravely finished on his feet. After the decision was announced, the 32-year-old Dib, his face covered with abrasions, tearfully announced his retirement from the ring.
"Dib is a helluva fighter," Farmer said. "He tried to bully me, but I'm from Philadelphia, and we were ready for him. It's been a long time getting here and a long time to go."
In the chief supporting bout, Tim Tszyu, 23, of Rockdale, Australia, made quick work of Indonesia's Stevie Ferdinandus in a junior middleweight match scheduled for 10 rounds.
The 37-year-old Ferdinandus (27-16-1, 14 KOs) went down from a right hand that barely brushed the top of his hair and stayed down until he was counted out at the 1:14 mark of the opening round.
Tszyu (10-0, 8 KOs) is the son of two-time former junior welterweight champion and International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Kostya Tszyu.