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Ebanie Bridges is familiar with having to fight for respect. It's why she once took part in an interview with Sky Sports in defense of her reputation as a boxer. 'The Blonde Bomber' has always drawn attention, for better or worse, due to her physical appearance.
Unfortunately, many often use try to discredit her as a boxer because of it. This rhetoric peaked ahead of her bout with Shannon Courtenay, which was contested for the then-vacant WBA female bantamweight title. At the weigh-ins, Bridges turned up in black lingerie.
The Australian star, however, stood by her decision and dismissed her critics. While she lost to Courtenay via unanimous decision, she showed grit and heart, surviving an accidental clash of heads that caused her left eye to balloon and swell completely shut. According to her Sky Sports interview, no one believed in her. She said:
"I was doubted the whole time. 'Someone who looks like that can't be tough.' Men have quit from less than that. I'm happy that I was able to show everyone I'm a real fighter, a true fighter."
Boxers being doubted for their toughness is, unfortunately, nothing new. Ryan Garcia, who recently defeated Devin Haney in spectacular fashion, had his reputation and toughness questioned when he was unable to continue after being folded by a body shot from Gervonta Davis.
While Bridges lost the bout to Courtenay, which sparked a rivalry between the pair, they have not crossed swords since. Furthermore, Courtenay has since gone on to lose the WBA female bantamweight title, which she only held for six months, after she was stripped of the belt following her failure to show up on weight for a scheduled title defense.
Ebanie Bridges is a former world champion boxer
Despite losing her first crack at the WBA female bantamweight title, Ebanie Bridges rebounded to her loss with a four-fight win streak, during which she captured the IBF female bantamweight championship. She also defended the title, but fell short in her second attempted defense against Miyo Yoshida.
Yoshida outworked the Australian en route to a unanimous decision win. The bout took place on Dec. 9, 2023. Bridges has not had another boxing match since, but will undoubtedly look to rebound from her latest defeat in the near future.
