Rhiannon Dixon was forced to work for her first major title.

The 28-year-old British southpaw rode an early lead to ultimately outpoint Argentina’s Karen Elizabeth Carabajal over ten rounds. Scores were 96-93, 97-92 and 98-91 for Dixon, who claimed the vacant WBO lightweight belt Saturday at Manchester’s AO Arena.

“I can’t describe it words right now,” an emotional Dixon told DAZN’s Jamie Ward after the win. “I’m just really shocked. I made hard work of it, though—bloody hell. My mum’s crying. Sorry, mum.”

Warrington’s Dixon (10-0, 1 knockout) was the favorite heading in but is still learning on the job. She took up the sport at 21 and abandoned her prior career path in the medical field.

The title opportunity came about when Ireland’s Katie Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs) abandoned the WBO and IBF belts. Fittingly, Dixon faced a former Taylor opponent in Carabajal (22-2, 3 KOs), whose only defeat came to the Irish superstar. Carabajal dropped a ten-round decision in their October 2022 undisputed championship clash.

Dixon banked rounds early in the fight and created separation in round three of their DAZN-aired bout. The Ring’s No. 4-rated lightweight avoided a Carabajal right and landed with a left hand to floor the Argentinean. The sequence produced the bout’s lone knockdown.

A clash of heads later in the frame left both fighters cut. Dixon’s wound was on the left side of her scalp, Carabajal with a more telling cut outside her right eye.

Time was called at the start of round four, but Carabajal was given a clean bill of health to continue. The two-time title challenger pressed the action and forced Dixon out of her comfort zone.

Dixon’s response was to circle the ring and box from the outside. It was enough to fend off a late rally, as her lead was secure on all three scorecards.

Carabajal snapped a three-fight win streak with the defeat. Her lost to Taylor also came in the UK, her lone other appearance outside of Argentina.

For Dixon, it’s another box ticked in an unlikely rise to glory. A pharmacy student just seven years, she took up the sport and turned pro without an amateur background. Two years into her career came the key missing piece. Former WBA lightweight titlist Anthony Crolla agreed to serve as her head trainer.

The Mancunian favorite kept Dixon on track throughout the evening.

“Anthony kept telling me, ‘jab, jab,’” noted Dixon. “I kept on thinking, ‘Have I not jabbed for a whole minute?’ All I did was look for power shots. I just have to get back to boxing and listen to Anthony, because he’s pulled his hair out.”

Fittingly, Crolla won his title in this very arena, where he fought 14 times. His feat came in a fifth-round knockout of Darleys Perez in their November 2015 rematch. That moment came four years almost to the day of his November 2019 swan song.

It fittingly served as the backdrop for his first major titlist as a head trainer.

“I’m super proud of Rhiannon, as should of Warrington,” Crolla said. “She’s got a lot to be proud of. She’s an educated girl. She could have been a pharmacist, but she had the crazy dream of becoming a boxing world champion.

“She’s just achieved that.”

DAZN UNDERCARD RESULTS

Jordan Flynn (10-0-1, 1 KO) remained unbeaten with a six-round points win over Tanzania’s Tampela Maharusi (10-5-4, 5 KOs). Referee Steve Gray scored the bout 59-54 for Flynn, who will now revisit plans for a clash with Cameron Vuong. The two were due to meet on this show but an injury forced Vuong to withdraw.

Matchroom Boxing confirmed the bout is targeted for June. No Smoke Sports’ Darshan Desai reported that it will land on the June 22 Felix Cash-Tyler Denny card in Birmingham.

Local favorite Michael Gomez Jr. stopped Kane Baker in the sixth round of their DAZN opener. A right hand dropped Baker (19-11-2, 1 KO) and ended the entertaining affair at 0:36 of round six. Gomez (21-1, 6 KOs) extended his win streak to 12 in a row. Saturday was his first victory inside the distance since November 2021.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for The Ring and vice president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Follow @JakeNDaBox

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