Rhiannon Dixon aims to achieve her dream by winning WBO lightweight title

A gym tucked away behind a nonleague football team's clubhouse is not your typical place to prepare for a world title game.

But training in this unconventional location, next to eighth-tier Avro FC's Vestakale Stadium in a residential area of ​​Oldham, is a perfect fit for Rhiannon Dixon.

She only took up the sport aged 21 as a pharmacy student at the University of Manchester, and proudly describes herself as “an anomaly when it comes to women's boxing”.

Seven years later, she has won all nine of her professional bouts and is gearing up to take the lightweight belt recently vacated by Katie Taylor.

Warrington-born Dixon will face Argentina's Karen Elizabeth Carabajal for the WBO title in the more auspicious Manchester Arena on Saturday.

The Briton worked as a pharmacist until last year before devoting himself to boxing full-time, and continued to work as a pharmacist during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I started boxing when I was 21 and I'm fighting for a world title at 28. It's a dream and it means so much to be able to do it so close to home,” she told BBC Sport told.

Dixon may lack big fight experience, but her trainer Anthony Crolla doesn't.

The former world champion agreed to coach Dixon during his post-retirement sessions in 2019 after receiving a call from Dixon's manager while he was on holiday in Portugal, and the pair have been working together ever since.

If Dixon defeats Carabajal, she will become the first world champion to be coached by Crolla at Fox ABC Gym.

Dixon believes that fighters and trainers are vastly different, not only in their backgrounds and experiences, but also in the way they think about training, which is one of the reasons their partnership works so well.

“I'm very self-critical and I'll walk away and say, 'This is the worst sparring of my life,'” she says.

“Ali’s like, ‘What are you doing?’ and I point out this and this and this.

“Then he'll say, 'You did everything I asked,' but I'd say, 'Pathetic,' and have to hang my head in shame.”

Crolla admits that Dixon's laid-back demeanor compared to Dixon's “military” approach may give her “kittens,” but the contrast elevates her as a fighter. However, he has also grown from what he has learned from Joe Gallagher as a coach. The man who led him to a world title.

“Joe was very meticulous,” he says. “Honestly, I'll never be as meticulous as Joe, but I do my best to study my opponents.

“The team here will watch the game and then discuss tactics with Rhiannon. It's great to be recognized as a coach, but I'm grateful to the team around me.”

The 37-year-old admits he had to guide the inexperienced Dixon to the biggest night of her boxing career, and admitted he was surprised by her rapid progress.

“She's inexperienced so she might be a fight or two faster than ideal,” Crolla said. “But this is a fight she is confident she should win and she can win in style.

“If we don't think she's ready, we won't let her compete. I believe she will be world champion.”

Dixon will be in the ring, but it will be a big night for Crolla personally, as the fight will take place in the same arena where he won the WBA lightweight title against Darries Perez in 2015.

He said Dixon must remain calm against the experienced 33-year-old Carabajal, who has only lost once in 23 matches (a narrow loss to Taylor at Wembley in 2022). Ta.

Crolla's younger brother William is also fighting on this card against a yet-to-be-determined opponent, and his trainer admits that keeping his emotions in check is difficult but important.

“I care about all the fighters, but this is the biggest night. [of my coaching career]” he says.

“It's a very special night for me and it's probably going to be very emotional and as a coach I have to keep my emotions in check, but nights like this are what coaching is all about.

“I've had many great nights myself in the world title fight in Manchester, but I couldn't have written a better match.

“It's been a fairy tale and I'm incredibly proud. I feel so bad for Rhiannon because I know how hard she works.”