Ebanie Bridges thanked the city of Leeds and then declared her devastating performance against Shannon O'Connell as "not bad for a skanky stripper." Bridges was making reference to criticism from her fellow Australian O'Connell in the build-up to their IBF bantamweight world title fight at the First Direct Arena in Leeds.
Bridges has received criticism in the boxing fraternity in the past for her social media persona, Only Fans account and colourful past before becoming a professional boxer just four years ago, but she looked every bit a worthy world champion in stopping O'Connell.
Bridges successfully defended her IBF bantamweight title with a decisive eighth-round stoppage, defending her belt for the first time in defeating fellow Australian O'Connell, and did so in front of the same crowd when she won the belt - on the same night as Warrington defeated Spaniard Kiko Martinez in March.
