Rhiannon Dixon: “I just want to get better and better.”

Rhiannon Dixon: “I just want to get better and better.”

To the naked, often untrained eye, there is a big difference between what the ringside spectators and TV viewers see in a fight. We critique, but often, fighters see it differently. They are the ones who truly know their craft. And what they are capable of. Saturday night in Nottingham was a prime example.

Watching from the privileged press row, I watched and was mightily impressed with the latest performance from Rhiannon Dixon the unbeaten Warrington lightweight prospect. It was a performance of patience, improvement and growing ring maturity. But Dixon, a long-time perfectionist and always super-critical of her own performances told me not long after her dominant 6-round points victory over the experienced Edina Kiss, “It was shit.”

In truth, it was anything but. But Dixon is always looking for more. What she sees or feels in sparring, a rush to get where she wants to go, Dixon always feels she could have done better. But the win over Kiss was another stamp of approval on her highly-promising career. Over Zoom, the day after the fight, Dixon was a little more reflective of her previous night’s work:

“I always hate it but everyone has been telling me I have done so well. A lot of people are messaging me saying how well I did and how much better I have got. It’s so weird, more people are messaging me than ever before telling me that. So I definitely do need to watch it back.”

In moving to 6-0, and recording her third victory under the Matchroom banner, Dixon can now look forward to another gradual step up in quality of opposition and minutes in the ring. One more fight before the year ends will give Dixon another opportunity to showcase her developing skills. A fighter who can’t wait to get back in there and work on her perceived flaws from Saturday night:

“I just know I can do better. I shouldn’t have been getting caught with stupid shots. I keep on throwing my backhand but not throwing it straight. I missed her twice because I wasn’t throwing it right. But it makes me excited to get back in the gym. Usually, I think I deserve some time off after a fight, but now I can’t wait to get back in there.”

Dixon after a steady, but assured start, really found her range in the 3rd round, and a strong dominant 5th round nearly forced a stoppage over the durable Kiss. The veteran knows how to survive, and will have taught her young opponent further lessons on the way up the boxing ladder. You sense there is a little frustration in fighting the journeywomen of the sport. A willingness to test herself at a higher level. A level where Dixon believes we will see the best of her:

“I was definitely forcing it in the beginning. I try to force it all the time and I need to stop thinking about it. It needs to come naturally and not go looking for it. I wasn’t even looking for it in Spain. I thought she was a good prospect herself and nothing like that is going to happen in terms of putting her down, and then I knocked her down. And I thought oh my god, I wasn’t even trying to set it up I’ve just done it. I need to get back to that and doing what I want to do instead of thinking I want to finish her.”

After a handful of fights on the unlicensed scene, Dixon can be quite rightly proud of how far she has come. A move to former world champion Anthony Crolla is reaping the rewards. An impatient fighter for sure, but an improving one. And away from her too self-critical self, Dixon does know how far she has come:

“I do appreciate how far I have come. I definitely feel I have made a lot of progress under Anthony. I feel as though I keep on comparing myself to these girls who keep turning over with 100s of amateur fights. I literally had seven or eight White Collar fights. I feel I get really hard on myself, but it is all experience. I just need to get loads of sparring in with different people and get more experience. And challenge myself more and more. I just want to get better and better.”

Despite the impatience, Dixon knows she needs to move slowly, at least for the time being. Six fights in, a couple of 8-rounders will be next followed by her first taste of 10 rounds after that. Dixon knows there is still work to do, despite the many plaudits she receives. We’ve seen glimpses of her talent, but the true potential is still to be seen. There is a plan, by the close of play next year, Dixon hopes she will be in title contention. Don’t rule out a European title challenge in the next 18 months:

“I know I can’t move too fast because I know I am still learning on the job. And with every fight, I find there are things I need to work on and improve on. I don’t want to rush it I really want to enjoy my boxing. I want two more good learning fights over 8 rounds. Challenging fights. And then maybe a title after that.”

Dixon 27, recently moved over to the management stable of Paul Ready and STN Sports, joining the elite stable which includes fellow Matchroom prospects such as Sandy Ryan and Skye Nicolson. A partnership still in its infancy, but already Dixon likes what she sees:

“Paul keeps his fighters really active. He’s a really nice person. I just think he fits into our team perfectly. It’s the little things he does for me off his own back. He’s so professional and so caring at the same time. He does things he doesn’t have to do. Paul promotes me on his Social Media all the time. He’s so organised.”

The day job as a Pharmacist has now been temporarily put to one side to focus on her boxing. Now a full-time professional boxer, without having to complete shifts on the stressful and tiring NHS wards should be of great benefit to Dixon going forward. There is obvious potential with the likeable and popular fighter. Going full-time should see that potential realised. And quicker.

The building blocks are falling into place quite nicely. The move to STN and Paul Ready will give her the visibility Dixon needs. There are many things still to see with the promising southpaw. A personality that has only touched the surface in the public domain. Naturally funny, Dixon will very soon be an interview to chase.

But the bread and butter are the skills inside the ring. The glimpses seen so far, hint of titles and more. But there is no rush, with time at hand, there is no need to push the button before she is ready. But when it comes, don’t be surprised if Dixon puts in a performance that even satisfies herself.