Rhiannon Dixon: The European Title & Beyond

Rhiannon Dixon: The European Title & Beyond

Rhiannon Dixon has been guided almost perfectly so far in her professional career. Eight fights, eight wins, and fight number nine on September 30th will be for the European lightweight title against a former world title challenger.

Katharina Thanderz will be the next opponent for the so-far unblemished Warrington prospect. Thanderz once challenged Terri Harper for her unified world super-featherweight titles, and she knows a victory over Dixon will likely land her another world title opportunity at some point in 2024. Thanderz will come to the Wembley Arena with ambitions of her own. Make no mistake, the Norwegian is a live opponent.

But Dixon is the fighter who is expected to reach the world stage in the next twelve months. The steady improvements in her game have been evident in her last four fights. Mahjouba Oubtil, Edina Kiss, Kristine Shergold, and Vicky Wilkinson have all given the Anthony Crolla-trained fighter valuable learning rounds. Dixon served up her best performance to date in beating Shergold last December in Leeds, and she recorded her first stoppage victory when she won the Commonwealth title courtesy of a 6th round win over Wilkinson early this year. But Thanderz will offer Dixon by far her toughest test so far in her professional career.

Dixon has come a long way since her White Collar days, and her progress from that raw debutant we saw back in 2019 to a genuine world title contender is nothing short of remarkable. The rise in competition isn’t indicated in the pre-fight odds that make Dixon the prohibitive betting favourite. SkyBet currently has the reigning Commonwealth lightweight champion as the 2/7 odds-on favourite to add the European bauble to her collection. Those odds might be a little harsh on Thanderz, but also indicate just how highly-rated Dixon really is.

A win over Thanderz later this month will push Dixon to the brink of a world title fight. A win in London will still likely see Dixon searching for a couple more learning fights before the big push, but with the world lightweight titles, almost certainly splintering next year, Dixon could very well be in the right place at the right time when they do.

Photo Credit: Matchroom Boxing