CHAMPION Warrington boxer Rhiannon Dixon is in camp ahead of contesting a European belt later this month.

Fighting pharmacist Dixon, 27, was crowned Commonwealth lightweight champion in Liverpool in March thanks to stopping previously undefeated Vicky Wilkinson in the sixth round.

For the former St Gregory's High School student, it took her record to eight wins from eight in the paid ranks with all her previous wins coming on points.

Anthony Crolla-trained Dixon from Great Sankey has not fought since but on September 30 she will go toe to toe with Norwegian former world title contender Katharina Thanderz for the vacant EBU European lightweight title at Wembley Arena.

Thanderz, 35, who now lives in Spain, has 16 wins from 17 fights since turning professional in 2016, with her only defeat being by technical knockout against Terri Harper at Wembley Arena in 2020.

She has won three fights on points since then, her last being against Romanian Ioana Fecioru in Bolton in March.

When southpaw Dixon twice decked Wilkinson with brutal body shots before the referee stopped the contest in March, she became Crolla's first champion as a trainer.

Although Dixon had no amateur background in the sport, she had seven fights on the white-collar scene.

She has grown with each fight since turning pro in 2019, with the coronavirus pandemic initially stalling her early progress.

Dixon worked on the Covid wards at Whiston Hospital as a pharmacist during some dark days in 2020 and 2021.

She first started boxing for fitness and to lose weight and has come a long way from her days in ballet, tap and modern dancing that she participated in for much of her childhood, though skills learned then feature now in her brilliant footwork and ring management.

Other jobs she had before becoming a pharmacist include serving refreshments to fans from the food kiosks at Warrington Wolves when she was 16, stints with McDonald's and Ann Summers before a spell as a nightclub dancer.

Dixon is the sister of Salford Red Devils back-row forward Andrew Dixon and sister-in-law to Joe Mellor, the half-back or hooker who won the Challenge Cup at Wembley with Leigh Leopards on August 12.