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Nick Parkinson
Terri Harper produced a much-improved display to earn a unanimous points victory over Rhiannon Dixon for the WBO lightweight title and become a three-weight world champion on Saturday.
Harper (15-2-2, 6 KOs), 27, of Doncaster, dropped three weight divisions to revive her career in style as she dominated Dixon and won by scores of 97-93, 97-93, 96-94 at the Canon Medical Arena in Sheffield, England.
Harper is the first female boxer from the United Kingdom to win world titles in three weight classes (lightweight, junior middleweight, junior lightweight).
Victory was much needed for Harper, who drew a unification title fight with Cecilia Braekhus at junior middleweight in October and was then stopped in the fourth round by Sandy Ryan at welterweight in March.
But Harper looked a different fighter against Dixon, to the one who lost to Ryan and the drop in weight obviously suits her.
“That’s the best win of my career,” Harper said.
“I’ve become a new fighter both physically and mentally. I’m better down at this weight. I had proper fallen out of love with sport and I needed that fire [pressure] to get me going again.”
Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn said possible future fights for Harper included IBF lightweight champion Beatriz Ferreira, undisputed super lightweight champion Katie Taylor, undisputed junior lightweight champion Alycia Baumgardner and WBA-WBO featherweight champion Amanda Serrano.
Southpaw Dixon (10-1, 1 KO), 29, from Warrington, was making a first defense after a unanimous decision win over Karen Elizabeth Carabajal in April, but she could not live with Harper’s experience and slick boxing.
Despite still being WBA junior middleweight champion, Harper insisted she was returning to a natural weight division by challenging her English rival Dixon at lightweight.
Harper suffered a damaging defeat in her last fight, when Ryan blew her away in four rounds for the WBO world welterweight title, which Ryan lost to Mikaela Mayer by majority decision in New York on Friday.
Dixon began Round 2 on the front foot, but Harper scored with some right hands as the champion came forward.
Looking composed, Harper landed the better punches through Round 3 and landed some good right hands in Round 4.
Dixon just could not disturb Harper’s rhythm and Harper got the better of close-range exchange at the start of the fifth round. Dixon’s corner worked on stopping a bleeding nose before the start of the sixth round and she came out revived.
Dixon landed her best shot of the fight in Round 6 when a right hook rocked Harper.
Dixon landed more right hooks in a good round for her, but in the seventh Harper boxed more at range to regain some authority. Dixon was better in the second half of the fight, but Harper produced the best work by picking off the champion as she came forward.
In Round 8, Harper landed a couple of brilliant right hands. Harper unloaded some heavy punches late in the ninth, her best round of the fight, and she then dominated the final round.