Eli Dixon was inspired by other boxers. No one knew that when Eli Dixon was born on May 18, 1966 in Cleveland that Muhammad Ali would become his lifelong idol. Dixon graduated from Shaw High School in 1985 in East Cleveland. Dixon earned an athletic scholarship to Tennessee State University in football and baseball. Later, he attended Cleveland State University to study XRay technology. Dixon’s career began as a boxer at the East Cleveland PAL Boxing Club with Hank Smiley and Johnnie Duncan as his trainers.

Dixon won the Cleveland Golden Gloves Championship in the heavyweight division in 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, and 1989. He fought in five National Golden Gloves Tournaments of Champions. In 1988, Dixon won the Indiana Black Expo Championship and the National P.A.L. Tournament. Dixon fought his way onto the U.S.A. Boxing team, and was ranked the #2 amateur heavyweight in the country. Dixon represented the United States as a member of the U.S.A. Boxing team in Ireland, the U.S.S.R. and Canada. In 1988, he won the Canadian Cup and the Sarge Johnson Award. He won a Silver Medal at the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1989 in Oklahoma. During that same year, while competing on the U.S. Boxing team against Russia at Trump Palace in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Dixon won a Silver Medal. He won a Bronze Medal at the U.S. Championships in 1989.

Dixon turned professional and compiled a record of 26-8 (23) KO’s. and he fought for the WBO Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship Title on October 11, 1997 at the Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, Yorkshire (United Kingdom). Dixon fought such world boxing champions as Wladimir Klitschko, WBC Champion Jimmy Thunder, and WBA Champion James “Bone Crusher” Smith. Another outstanding achievement in Dixon’s career came on April 14, 1998, when he fought WBC Contender Andrew Golota, who was ranked #2 in the world. Dixon is the proud father of Caij and Eris and Briyana, and along with his fiancee, Sonya, stepsons, Bruce and Brandon; and stepdaughters, Tiyonna and Kelle. He is an entrepreneur and superintendent of the Stratton House Condominiums and is owner/operator of S & E Janitorial Services.
Eli Dixon will be inducted into the Ohio State Former Boxers and Associates, Inc. Hall of Fame along with Leonard Church, Joe Santamaria, and Paul Buckner.