Feud erupts over Aussie's 'get your clothes off' jibe

2 years ago 62

A nasty feud has erupted during a streamed interrogation betwixt 2 Australian boxers who volition combat for a satellite rubric adjacent month.

In information it was conscionable arsenic good Ebanie Bridges and Shannon O'Connell weren't successful the aforesaid country physically, oregon they mightiness person turned their bout into a bare-knuckle matter 4 weeks early.

Bridges - a erstwhile mathematics teacher from Sydney but present residing successful England - holds the IBF bantamweight belt, and volition look her compatriot successful Leeds connected December 10.

Known arsenic the Blonde Bomber, Bridges has carved retired a stellar boxing vocation successful her ain right, and solidified her impressive emergence up the ranks with the rubric triumph successful March, beating Maria Cecilia Roman via unanimous decision.

But she has besides earned a cult following, and ruffled plentifulness of feathers in the sporting world, by wearing fancy lingerie astatine her combat weigh-ins.

Bridges often asks her societal media followers to conjecture the colour and benignant of the lingerie she volition deterioration astatine her adjacent weigh-in.

Boxers astir ever portion down to the bare minimum during weigh-in, with immoderate adjacent known to portion wholly bare successful bid to marque value - George Kambosos Jr and Isaac Hardman person some done truthful successful the past 12 months.

But O'Connell believes Bridges has utilized the gimmick to boost her illustration successful the athletics and assistance her get to the top.

This week the brace squared disconnected successful a fiery interrogation hosted by Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn, who is promoting their December 10 bout.

Hearn asked O'Connell astir comments she's made astir Bridges successful the past, and it kickstarted a warfare of words betwixt the fighters.

O'Connell: I don't similar the mode Ebanie has gone astir things. If you look backmost 10 years ago... (female boxers) ne'er got recognised, we went connected each the amateur events and tours, we paid our ain way, determination was nary respect successful the athletics for women.

I judge everyone has worked truthful hard to summation respect, and to bash things the mode Ebanie has done them...

Bridges: So I'm not moving hard? You don't deliberation that I'm really moving hard?

O'Connell: You're moving hard successful a antithetic way.

Bridges: You don't deliberation I worked hard conscionable due to the fact that I look a spot different, what I bash isn't the aforesaid arsenic you? You're saying I haven't had it the hard mode due to the fact that I'm a small spot different?

O'Connell: Because you get your apparel disconnected to beryllium seen.

Bridges: I get my apparel off? Sorry, what does everyone other weigh-in in? Claressa Shields conscionable weighed successful in lingerie, gets her apparel disconnected too...

O'Connell: There's levels of it. There's levels of lingerie... I've heard interviews wherever you're saying you grew up astir strippers and stuff, and you're bagging them out, present you're acting similar one.

Bridges: I ne'er ever bagged retired a stripper. I grew up astir them, I've ne'er bagged them out.

O'Connell: I've got kids. Imagine my 16-year-old lad going to schoolhouse and each his mates passing astir that photograph of maine - determination would beryllium punch-ons each day. And my girl is 15, ideate her, maine teaching her 'hey conscionable get your apparel disconnected and you'll get what you privation successful life'.

Bridges: I'm not getting my apparel off, I'm weighing in. Do you get your apparel disconnected erstwhile you measurement in?

O'Connell: I deterioration due apparel.

Bridges: Do you deterioration boob tubes and small shorts erstwhile you train? Do you spot maine wearing that erstwhile I train? Do you spot maine walking astir successful little, tight, skimpy worldly erstwhile I'm training? It's truthful 1920s, telling women what they request to do.

If it wasn't for maine you wouldn't beryllium connected this platform, you wouldn't beryllium getting seen globally, you wouldn't be getting the biggest payday of your career. You tin accidental I've disrespected the sport, but I'm beauteous definite due to the fact that of maine you're here, you're going to marque bully money, and you'll person radical really cognize who you are.

O'Connell: I don't springiness a crap astir radical knowing who I americium and I don't springiness a crap astir the money. You transportation connected similar I've got nary assurance and you're truthful confident, but if you were truthful assured you wouldn't beryllium perpetually begging for validation each 5 seconds.

Bridges: I don't request validation.

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!