Harper beats Dixon to become three-weight champion

Terri Harper reignited her profession by outpointing chap Briton Rhiannon Dixon successful Sheffield to go a three-weight world champion.

The 27-year-old controlled nan region and landed meticulous counter-punches to win nan WBO lightweight crown astatine nan Canon Medical Arena.

Dixon, 29, momentarily wounded Harper successful nan sixth information but it was an different ascendant capacity from Doncaster's Harper.

In a must-win fight, Harper claimed a unanimous determination pinch scores of 97-93, 97-93 and 96-94.

"That's nan champion 1 of my career. I've go a caller combatant mentally and physically," Harper - nan light-middleweight and erstwhile super-featherweight champion - said.

"There was 1 constituent successful that conflict wherever I was clocked and I really had to excavation deep, but I managed to retrieve rather quick."

The antecedently unbeaten Dixon meantime is defeated successful nan first defence of nan title she won successful April.

Harper had fought successful mini hallway shows astatine nan commencement of her profession and flourished successful nan much friendly setting.

After a cagey commencement pinch neither combatant consenting to overcommit, she began to power nan region and onshore smart antagonistic rights.

Dixon trim a disappointment fig arsenic her jab continuously fell short. "We've sewage to fto your hands go," coach and erstwhile world champion Anthony Crolla told her many times successful nan corner.

The connection yet sewage done erstwhile Dixon came retired pinch existent intent successful nan sixth, throwing be aware to nan upwind and hurting Harper pinch an uppercut and a thudding right.

But Harper - who had been successful pinch nan likes of Natasha Jonas, Alycia Baumgardner and Cecilia Braekhus - leaned connected her acquisition to outmanoeuvre her opponent.

She rocked Dixon's caput backmost pinch immoderate dense hits successful nan closing rounds arsenic humor poured from nan champion's nose.

A week connected from erstwhile a record-breaking 96,000 crowd witnessed Daniel Dubois' triumph complete Anthony Joshua astatine Wembley Stadium, location was less than 2,000 fans - and plentifulness of quiet seats - astatine nan organization arena for different all-British world-title affair.

It possibly highlights nan advancement still to beryllium made successful promoting female boxing, and really only a fistful of names - specified arsenic Katie Taylor and Claressa Shields - entreaty to nan masses.

The women's codification aside, nan finance successful boxing by Saudi Arabia organisers has besides impacted nan magnitude of cards successful nan United Kingdom, pinch nan biggest ticket-sellers heading to nan Middle East.

But Dixon v Harper - primitively group to return spot arsenic an undercard bout successful August astatine Manchester's 23,500-capacity Co-op Live Arena - has besides been riddled by unfortunate luck pinch location and day changes aft injuries to header fighters.

"I thought it was a superb conflict - I'm truthful gladsome we kept this show on. [Harper] makes history tonight," promoter Eddie Hearn said.

He added that Argentina's IBF champion Beatriz Ferreira could beryllium adjacent successful a unification conflict for Harper.

Dixon's reign whitethorn person been short-lived, but for a combatant who competed a fistful of times connected nan white-collar segment earlier turning professional, and conscionable a fewer years agone was juggling boxing pinch her time occupation arsenic a pharmacist, she tin clasp her caput high.