Rhiannon Dixon-Terri Harper WBO Title Fight Added To Catterall-Prograis Co-op Live Show
Terri Harper will return to lightweight in a bid to add more hardware to her collection.
The former 130- and 154-pound titlist will next challenge unbeaten WBO 135-pound beltholder Rhiannon Dixon. Their bout will land on the August 24 Jack Catterall-Regis Prograis DAZN show from Co-op Live in Manchester, England.
Dixon (10-0, 1 knockout) will attempt the first defense of the belt she won earlier this year. She outpointed Karen Elizabeth Carabajal (22-2, 3 KOs) in their April 13 vacant title fight at nearby AO Arena.
“I’m really excited about the fight at Co-op Live in Manchester on August 24,” said Dixon. “I respect what Terri has achieved in boxing and I expect the best version her. However, I continue to get better and better and I am extremely confident in my abilities to win on August 24.”
The 29-year-old southpaw from Warrington is The Ring’s No. 3-rated lightweight.
Harper (14-2-2, 6 KOs) came up well short in her previous bid to become a three-division titlist. The 27-year-old from Denaby Main suffered a fourth-round stoppage to WBO welterweight titlist Sandy Ryan (7-1-1, 3 KOs) on March 23 in Sheffield.
The fight marked her debut at welterweight after she previously held the WBA 154-pound title. Harper vacated the belt after a ten-round draw versus former undisputed welterweight champ Cecilia Brækhus last October.
Her challenge of Dixon’s title marks Harper’s first fight back in Manchester in more than a year. She earned a ten-round decision over Ivana Habazin last May 27 at AO Arena.
“I always enjoy a fight week and fight night in Manchester,” said Harper. “There’s always a good buzz being in the city. I’m super excited to perform in the new Co-op Live arena on such a brilliant card. Rhiannon Dixon is someone who I have a lot of respect for, she is very respectful and there’s no horrible ego with her. She’s just a genuine nice girl.
“I feel very fortunate to be given such a great opportunity and I feel like this fight is all or nothing for me. Becoming a three-weight World Champion would be a dream but the most important thing for me now is to get a solid win under my belt and be back on top.”
Harper also held the WBC 130-pound title. She is currently The Ring’s No. 1-rated junior middleweight.
A press conference is scheduled for Wednesday to formally announce both fights. The show marks the first-ever boxing event at the brand-new venue.
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