Eli Dixon honored as Man of the Year.
When Eli Dixon was born no one knew that Muhammad Ali would become his lifelong idol. Dixon was born in Cleveland on May 18, 1966. He 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 X-Ray technology.
Dixon’s career began as a boxer at the East Cleveland P.A.L. 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 Klischko, WBC Champion Jimmy Thunder, and WBA Champion James “Bone Crusher” Smith. Another outstanding achievement in Dixon’s career came on April 14, 1988, when he fought WBC Contender Andrew Golota, who was ranked #2 in the world.
Dixon is the proud father of Caij, Eris and Briyana, and along with his fiancée, Sonya, stepsons, Bruce and Brandon: and stepdaughters, Tiyonna and Kelle, and granddaughter, Morgan.. He is an entrepreneur and superintendent of the Stratton House Condominiums and is owner/operator of S & E Janitorial Services. Eli Dixon was inducted into the Ohio State Former Boxers and Associates, Inc. Hall of Fame in 2013. According to Dixon, he is anticipating opening a boxing gym in Beachwood or Bedford Heights to give young people a place to train so that , “he can coach the next world champion.” Dixon is being honored as `Man of the Year.”