Not sure whether students at Airds School in New South Wales, Australia risk a joke in their mathematics class, given their teacher happens to be a world champion boxer. But far away from those innocent and protected confines, their teacher, Ebanie Bridges, was unhappy and lashed out at the opponent.

IBF female Bantamweight title holder Ebanie Bridges will meet former WBF female Featherweight champion Shannon O’Connell. The bout on 10th December at Leads’ First District Arena will be the former’s first title defense.

The Blonde Bomber invites The Queen’s disapproval

The IBF initially refused a request to defer the bout. Then Bridges’ promoter Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing negotiated the date with O’Connell’s Australian promoter, No Limit Boxing.

During a virtual press conference moderated by the Matchroom boss, Shannon censured The Blonde Bomber for her dress sense.

Read More: ‘I Think She’s Mentally Weak’: Mental Health Advocate Ebanie Bridges Rips Into Opponent for Being a ‘Bully’

The two have been at loggerheads over the issue of self-promotion.

Ebanie is often found attending weigh-ins in her lingerie. Shannon complained that The Blonde Bomber should let her boxing do the talking. The champion’s tactics to attract attention during the weigh-ins is a disservice to women’s boxing, “I don’t like the way Ebanie has gone about things, “If you look back 10 years ago … (female boxers) never got recognized, we went on all the amateur tournaments and tours, we paid our own way, there was no respect in the sport for women. “I believe everyone has worked so hard to gain respect, and doing things the way Ebanie has done them …”

During an interview with DStyleBoxing, O’Connell called her opponent a ‘skanky st*****r.’

Taking to Twitter, Ebanie responded.

On predictable lines, support, especially from ladies, flew in on the sensitive issue of cornering athletes on account of their looks or appearance.

Ebanie Bridges and Shannon O’Connell; boxing down under

Ebanie Bridges is a graduate in mathematics and a postgraduate in teaching. Her professional career picked up in 2019. Out of the nine career fights, she won eight and lost one. Three of those wins came through knockouts. Often loud and vocal on issues she cares about; The Blonde Bomber is pretty savvy in the use of social media.

At the opposite corner, starting almost a decade before her opponent, Shannon O’Connell’s record stands at twenty-three wins against six losses. Out of the twenty-three wins, eleven came her way through knockouts.

Women’s boxing is constantly attempting to find a voice. It is an ongoing struggle. Hence frequently, arguments that boxers like Bridges may adversely impact any achievement so far by how she promotes herself crop up.

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