Ebanie Bridges hits back at ‘skanky stripper’ sledge from Shannon O’Connell

Ebanie Bridges has taken Shannon O’Connell’s latest sledge in her stride, brushing off claims she is a ‘skanky stripper’ ahead of their huge world title fight this weekend.

The bantamweights meet in Leeds on the undercard of Josh Warrington v Luis Alberto Lopez on Saturday night, in what is regarded as the biggest fight in Australian women’s boxing history.

Bridges, a former ring girl who has gained attention by wearing lingerie at her pre-fight weigh ins, won the IBF bantamweight tile in January.

Ebanie Bridges has hit back at her ‘bitter’ rival Shannon O’Connell over a ‘skanky stripper’ jibe

Title challenger O’Connell has long campaigned for a shot at Bridges’ belt and in an attempt to get the Blonde Bomber’s attention, has launched several sledges in the 35-year-old’s direction. 

‘I don’t know that I’d call her a beauty queen,’ O’Connell said earlier this year. ‘More of a skanky stripper or something, I don’t know.’

But talking to the Main Event Boxing Podcast, Bridges brushed off the pointed remark and insisted the pre-fight talk has not got under her skin. 

The two Australian bantamweights go head-to-head in Leeds this weekend for the IBF title

‘The skanky stripper thing – I’m gonna get shirts made up that say ‘skanky stripper’,’ she said.

‘I wonder how you’re gonna explain that you got beat by a skanky stripper that doesn’t take the sport seriously?’

Bridges is well-equipped with handling abuse from her opponents and trolls online, and insists that it comes with the territory of being at the top of the sport.

‘No matter what – look at (Floyd) Mayweather, he’s incredible, he still has so many haters. Everyone has haters. Canelo has haters. Clarissa Shields has haters. Some people just hate,’ she said.

‘The real people, the people that understand boxing, that know boxing, that don’t have some personal vendetta … they can see the truth of me, they can see what I’ve done and what I am, and that’s all that matters.

Bridges has long brushed off hateful comments from her rivals and trolls on social media

‘I don’t fuss too much about people that hate and can’t see it. I’m not here to really prove anyone wrong, I’m just here to be my best and do my best.

‘I do feel like possibly, when I beat Shannon, if I KO her that’d be a great statement to all the people who are anti the Blonde Bomber, especially in Australia. But I’m just going to go out there and win, and I’m sure I’ll shut a few people up.’

Bridges added that she believes O’Connell is ‘bitter’ and jealous of her success since signing with British promoter Eddie Hearn.

‘She sounds a little bit bitter when she talks, but hey, I might be too a little bit,’ Bridges said. ‘Shannon saw me at my first amateur fight. I’ve done what I’ve done in three years.

‘I’m getting her her biggest payday, which is probably all of her pay put together in one fight, and I’ve done that in a couple of years. And it’s because of me, it’s because of what I’ve built, how hard I’ve worked and the brand I’ve brought.’