EDDIE Hearn has hinted at even bigger fights awaiting Warrington’s Rhiannon Dixon if she can win the vacant EBU European lightweight title at Wembley Arena on Saturday.

Standing in her way is former world title contender Katharina Thanderz, a whole new level of opponent for the 28-year-old fighting pharmacist who stopped previously undefeated Vicky Wilkinson on her last outing in March to become Commonwealth champion.

Dixon agreed with Hearn at today’s press conference in London, that there is potentially much to look forward to in 2024.

Hearn spoke of ‘big championship fights awaiting’ and Dixon responded: “This fight projects me on to so many opportunities, so we’ll do the job on Saturday, see what Paul (manager Paul Ready) and Ant (trainer Anthony Crolla) are saying and then move on from there.”

Former St Gregory's High School student Dixon, who took her record to eight wins from eight in the paid ranks when winning the Commonwealth belt, knows she faces a stiff test at Wembley.

“It’s a big step up from my last fight but it’s one that me and my team believe that I’m really ready for so I’m excited,” she said.

“This fight’s been a long time coming and I’m just excited to get out there and show what we’ve been working on.”

Norwegian Thanderz is all action and will look to go on the attack, unlike Wilkinson back in March who fought on the defensive in the main.

But southpaw Dixon is ready for that challenge against a taller opponent and said: “I think styles make fights, and I believe Katharina will bring out the best in me so I’m looking forward to it.”

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 behind closed doors 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.

Although Dixon is considered an up-and-coming talent rather than an experienced one, she is not unfamiliar to Thanderz and her team because they were in the audience when she fought overseas for the first and only time last year, beating Mahjouba Oubtil on points in Spain.

Thanderz said: “I saw her live in Bilbao and remember we commented that she has a great style, very technical.

“That’s also what I like about this fight, that it’s going to be a difficult fight but I’m really looking forward to it.

“We have been training really hard and I’m really excited about a new title fight.”

When 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.

She had been on quite a journey by then, in and out of the ring.

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 in her early 20s 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 rugby league back-row forward Andrew Dixon and is sister-in-law to Joe Mellor, the half-back or hooker who won the Challenge Cup at Wembley with Leigh Leopards on August 12.