Ebanie Bridgers fired back at her doubters after dethroning longtime world champ Maria Cecilia Roman
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Australian fight queen Ebanie Bridges made sure her rivals know that she is a whole lot more than just a pretty face after she won her first world title in the UK on Saturday night.
Bridges, 35, has been the subject of global attention on the rise through the pugilistic ranks owing to the skimpy bikinis she wears at her weigh-ins – but after dethroning the long-reigning bantamweight champion Maria Cecilia Roman at the Eddie Hearn promoted fight card in Leeds on Saturday night, ‘The Blonde Bomber’ made clear that she isn’t here just to make up the numbers.
“Can I f*cking fight or not?” Bridges exclaimed in an x-rated post-fight speech.
“F*ck you guys who think I can’t fight. I can f*cking fight. I can box, I can fight, and I can look hot on the scales so hopefully I’ve proved a lot of doubters wrong.”
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Bridges was dominant throughout the 10-round fight, handing the Argentinian former champ just the sixth defeat of her professional career and was awarded a clear-cut win on the scorecards – with one of the three ringside judges giving just one round to Roman.
“I feel proud of myself, and I feel extremely happy because it means everything I have sacrificed and all the work I’ve done has been worth it,” Bridges added after the fight.
“This belt represents everything; all the heartbreaks, the sacrifice and all the training so I’m happy. She was a tough champion and she brought it so that meant I could do the stuff I love to do.
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“I love that kind of fight. I know it’s not the fight we’re supposed to have but I love those kind of fights because it’s good for the fans. I’m about entertaining and and for me that was so fun. It was tough, she was the champion and she brought it and that was awesome.
“I thought she would box because they all do but that allowed me to show what I love to do. I did think I showed some of my boxing. It was a great fight, I enjoyed it and I’m just grateful and blessed that I was able to become world champion in this beautiful city of Leeds.”
Eddie Hearn, the boxing promoter who is among those at the forefront of the continued promotion of top female boxing talent like Katie Taylor, also added that if Bridges had her doubters before the fight, that should no longer be the case after her dominant showing on Saturday night.
“There were a lot of people who felt when Ebanie came into the sport that it was a gimmick and about driving followers but there was method to the madness,” said Hearn.
“What they don’t see is the dedication and she has really applied herself. She didn’t get an easy title shot, she didn’t get a vacant title shot, she fought the longest-reigning champion in the division.”
