The show goes on at the Park Community Arena in Sheffield this Saturday, as despite Dalton Smith pulling out of a European title defence due to injury. Rhiannon Dixon steps in to main event status, as she defends her WBO lightweight title for the first time against two-weight former world champion, Terri Harper in the new headliner.
Matchroom promote Dixon vs Harper , and DAZN screen the card live.
Dixon (10-0, 1 KO) has risen through the ranks as a professional, and after stepping up to ten round level, she won the Commonwealth title with a sixth round stoppage of Vicky Wilkinson in March last year.
She then added the vacant European strap six months later by winning every round against Katharina Thanderz, and that led to a world title shot in April.
Dixon again impressed, taking the vacant WBO title, dropping Karen Elizabeth Carabajal on the way to a clear points win to announce her arrival on the biggest stage.
Her first defence comes against the experienced and popular Harper (14-2-2, 6 KOs), whose career has stalled slightly after a promising start. ‘Belter’ was WBC and IBO super featherweight champion, but was startlingly stopped in four by Alycia Baumgardner in November 2021.
The Yorkshirewoman would move all the way up to super welterweight to take the IBO world title from Hannah Rankin, but two fights later, a tilt at the vacant WBO belt ended in a draw with Cecilia Braekhus, and Harper dropped down to welterweight for her last contest, which saw her retire after four rounds against Sandy Ryan, also for the WBO world title.
Prediction: Harper has shown signs of fragility in recent times, and Dixon has no real battle scars to date. This should be enough for the champion to retain in a keenly contested bout, and Dixon can take victory via a close points success.
McGrail locks horns with Foster
The other ten rounder on the bill sees super bantamweight talent Peter McGrail (9-1, 5 KOs) in action. The Liverpudlian continues his rebuild from defeat to Ja’Roco Quinn by taking on former British and Commonwealth champion, Brad Foster (15-3-2, 5 KOs).
McGrail rebounded with a points win against Marc Leach, while Foster has lost three of his last four, all on the cards, the last a close defeat to Rhys Edwards in Wolverhampton last November. The pick is for McGrail to take a wide points win here.
There are a whole host of six rounders on the undercard.
Jimmy Sains (6-0, 6 KOs) should carry on his knockout streak with an early win at middleweight against Omir Rodriguez (15-20-1, 6 KOs), while at super featherweight, Ibraheem Sulaimaan (4-0, 3 KOs) may have to settle for a points win against the tough Kevin Trana (15-19-3, 9 KOs).
Lethal finisher Jimmy Sains targets a 7th stoppage victory in as many fights đź’Ą#DixonHarper | Sept 28 | LIVE on DAZN pic.twitter.com/0rdJgnZ5vX
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) September 24, 2024
Super bantamweight hope Brandon Scott (7-0, 1 KO) should also be a points winner against Calum Turnbull (5-2, 1 KO), and bantamweight Josh Babb (2-0, 0 KOs) can get the job done over the distance against Kelvin Madjid (2-1-1, 0 KOs).
At super featherweight, Giorgio Visioli (4-0, 3 KOs) can take a stoppage win over Diego Lagos (11-4, 5 KOs), and Connan Murray (9-0, 2 KOs) should take a clear points win against Marco Simmonds (2-2, 0 KOs) in their super welterweight meeting. Middleweight George Liddard (8-0, 4 KOs) can outscore George Davey (9-1-1, 2 KOs).
