Billy Dib Eyes Gary Russell Jr. Showdown in America

By Adrian Warren

IBF featherweight champion Billy Dib is aiming at fighting unbeaten American Gary Russell in the United States, following a Friday the 13th that proved anything but unlucky for Australian boxing.

Inside the ropes, four Australian fighters each had a significant win.

Dib and potential opponent Joel Brunker won gruelling fights against tough Mexicans in Sydney while in Melbourne, Australian women's boxing enjoyed surely its greatest night yet, with Susie Ramadan winning the WBC bantamweight title and Lauryn Eagle taking the vacant WBF super bantamweight strap.

Outside the ring, Anthony Mundine earned rounds of applause and words of praise for apologising in Las Vegas for any heartache his comments about the 9/11 terrorist attacks caused.

While Mundine can keep the momentum going in his American debut against former WBO light middleweight king Bronko McKart on Sunday (AEST), the other four fighters can reflect on a job well done.

Dib suffered cuts around both eyes and took some solid shots form Juan Antonio Rodriguez on his way to earning a unanimous 10-round points decision in a super featherweight contest.

Next up could be a fight in America against Russell (20-0, 12 KOs).

"With these cuts now I don't know exactly when its going to happen, but its a serious possibility," Dib told AAP.

He heads to Dubai this weekend to spend some time with Britain's former IBF and WBO featherweight world champion Naseem Hamed.

Brunker, the No.3 ranked WBO featherweight, kept his prospects of a fight with Dib alive by outpointing Edgar Riovalle over eight rounds.

In Melbourne, Ramadan became only the second Australian woman to win a WBC title, deposing Thailand's Usanakorn Kokietgym with a unanimous 10-round points win.

"She (Ramadan) took some big shots and she just rallied back, totally outsmarted her," Ramadan's trainer Barry Michael said.

Michael also helped prepare Eagle, who added boxing substance to her out of ring celebrity style by winning her title with a fifth round stoppage of Thailand's Kiangsak Sithsaithong.

"She (Eagle) has improved so much, we've changed her style totally, she's got a full kit of punches now," Michael said.