Rhiannon Dixon: Graduation Day

Rhiannon Dixon: Graduation Day

From her humble white-collar beginnings in the sport, the odds on Rhiannon Dixon ever fighting for world title were beyond remote. But on April 13th, Dixon will not only fight for a world title, she is odds on to win.

The former world champion Hannah Rankin and Fabio Wardley have defied the snobbery of the standard traditional entry into the sport on many occasions. Wardley only recently in that truly incredible fight for the ages with the former Olympian Frazer Clarke at the O2 Arena in London on Easter Sunday. A blood, guts, gore, and immense heart affair that will live long in the memory.

The unbeaten Warrington world lightweight contender Rhiannon Dixon will hope her moment of truth won’t come with the same kind of brutality as what Wardley had to endure in London.

But her story mirrors the one of the current British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion in many ways. A handful of white-collar fights, all unbeaten, prompted little in the way of what was to follow when she turned professional in 2019 with little fanfare.

Two early wins was followed by a near two-year Covid related hiatus. A first in person meeting with Dixon in the early summer of 2021 in Sheffield presented me with a frustrated fighter who had no fight dates pending. It was a night of torrential rain. An outdoor show on what was supposed to be a barmy summer evening with social distancing and masks the supposed route to entry. Nobody bothered with either. A rare night out for many, maybe even the first for some in over a year. It’s fair to say the majority forgot the ‘rules’ and enjoyed their first taste of freedom a little too much.

Two young lads dancing, attired like mad scientists armed with wet wipes trying to wipe all those nasty Covid juices away in between the fights on a Fightzone show that was trying to kick start boxing’s return with fans present from the desperate depths of lockdown. But it was a fighter who wasn’t fighting, who gave me a little insight into what those times served up for fighters outside of the mainstream bubble was really like.

Would that unbeaten start mean nothing as boxing tentatively started to get back to normal? She seemed lost in the rain that night. There were promises of fights. None came. Not so much a story of broken promises. It’s just the way boxing was back then. Fighters begging for scraps, hoping for a way back in at a time when fight dates were ever so precious.

Dixon finally found hope. And a fight. The Polish import Karina Szmalenberg was flown into Bolton in September. Dixon won with some ease and class but broke her hand in the process. But behind the scenes, Eddie Hearn and Matchroom had come calling.

The hand needed surgery, but a Matchroom debut under the bright lights was awaiting. The surgery could wait. An early evening fight at the Manchester Arena against her debut opponent Vaida Masiokaite a week before Christmas was safely negotiated. But her injured left hand was damaged further. Surgery to repair it was her 2022 New Year welcome present.

But once her hand had healed, Dixon went from 4-0 to an impressive nine-fight unbeaten resume that included picking up the Commonwealth and European baubles along the way. The former white-collar fighter was now turning into something more. Much more.

Under the tutelage of Anthony Crolla, Dixon has developed from that raw novice into a genuine world title contender. Her former training partner, the two-weight world champion Natasha Jonas, has labelled Dixon as one of the most improved fighters in the sport.

The matchmaking has been perfect. An immaculate selection of opposition has served its purpose. While I could criticise the lack of promotion a little, being buried way down the card in some of her early Matchroom appearances, did the Warrington fighter or her profile any favours. But for balance it did allow Dixon to build and evolve from the safety of the shadows. The former punching pharmacist finally found the UK main card proper in 2023. The Commonwealth and European titles were her eventual reward. But now a much bigger prize awaits.

Dixon has improved steadily but effectively since the Crolla hook-up. Make no mistake, that raw inexperienced fighter we saw on her debut in 2019 is a million miles away from what we see today. The fight on April 13th is, in many ways, her graduation day.

Dixon won’t have it easy against Karen Elizabeth Carabajal. In a world title fight, it shouldn’t be. Winning one should still mean something, even in this age of never-ending meaningless baubles. In truth, it should mean everything. You suspect for Dixon, it will. It should.

Carabajal, a tough Argentinian, has only lost once in twenty-three fights. That one solitary defeat was to Katie Taylor in 2022. Carabajal took a few rounds from the Irish superstar and has won three fights since her only defeat. But at 33, she will know this could be her second and last opportunity to win a world title. Carabajal will head to Manchester with ambition, maybe some semblance of desperation, and will undoubtedly give us plenty of answers about the potential of Rhiannon Dixon.

Despite her greater experience and her opponents humble beginnings in the sport, Carabajal could leave Manchester knowing that the new generation of talent coming through has left her and many others behind. Everything is about timing. This could be a fight where everything just falls into place for Dixon. It will also help that narrative that there is another route into the upper echelons of the sport. The snobbery of some might just need a little readjustment with Wardley, Rankin, and Dixon, being unlikely trailblazers.

It is by far the toughest test to date for Dixon in Manchester, but the odds indicate it will indeed be her night. The ever-developing unbeaten southpaw could be a future star. Dixon has gone under the radar somewhat. But that could all be about to change. A victory and that WBO world lightweight title will undoubtedly change her life.

Eddie Hearn is already planning ahead. The two-weight world champion Terri Harper has been mentioned as a possible first defence if Dixon beats Carabajal in Manchester. Another little step up, and one that isn’t out of reach. I’ve always thought Dixon had the beating of Harper. I even think she stops her. But the Denaby fighter could form the next chapter in the Rhiannon Dixon boxing education. 2025 will surely bring hopes of a unification and more if everything goes to plan for the remainder of this year. But a win in Manchester is vital to what potentially could lie ahead.

On April 13th, on the day of the Grand National, Rhiannon Dixon will hope that she will not fall when it matters the most. The odds say that she won’t. How she wins will tell us plenty. Carabajal took rounds off Katie Taylor. If Dixon only matches that performance in victory, it’s still some achievement. If she betters it, that would be some statement. Don’t rule it out.

Photo Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing