Ebanie Bridges will return to the ring on December 9. It’s been a year-long absence for her, made more noticeable by the hand injury she sustained during the first title defense. She will face fellow Australian Avril Mathie on the Devin Haney versus Regis Prograis card in San Francisco’s Chase Center. She sounds excited about her return for the second title defense. However, the Sydney-born champion seems to have set her eyes on her next goal.
Taking to her Instagram account early today, Bridges stirred up considerable excitement among her nearly a million odd followers with a poser. What if she and Ronda Rousey squared up in a boxing match? Besides checking for their views on the line-up, she seemed eager to know their predictions for the outcome. Rousey is a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist in Judo. A 2018 UFC Hall of Fame inductee, she retired from mixed martial arts in 2016. Though she has forayed into professional wrestling, boxing remains an uncharted territory for the American legend.
A Clash of Titans: Ebanie Bridges vs. Ronda Rousey
Ebanie Bridges wrote, “Me vs. @rhondarousey in a boxing match. What [are] you saying? What’s your prediction?” The fact that the photos were photoshopped was made apparent by her acknowledgment to @pauliegmma.
From the initial few comments that came in, it was apparent that the followers weren’t too enthused by the idea. Quite a few mentioned that Rousey could barely box, just like Bridges could hardly boast her grappling skills.
An unstoppable rise to the world championship: The Blonde Bomber
A qualified math teacher, ‘The Blonde Bomber,’ became the IBF (female) bantamweight champion last year. On March 26, she defeated the Argentine Maria Cecilia Roman at the First Direct Arena in Leeds. The Australian boxer won the ten-round bout unanimously. But nine months later, she had to march back to First Direct Arena again to face Shannon O’Connell. Bridges stopped the rival Australian, a former world title holder, in the eighth round and won the match via technical knockout.
For the two-time Australian Golden Glove champion, the previous attempt at a world title ended in disaster. Fighting for the vacant WBA (female) bantamweight title, she lost the match to Britain’s Shannon Courtenay on April 10, 2021. Thus, with nine career wins against one loss, for a boxer who turned to professional boxing at age 33, it’s been a commendable journey.
A multi-faceted personality, Ebanie Bridges, who has dabbled in education and boxing, is equally known for her life outside the ring. Time alone can tell whether Ronda Rousey, who is equally adept at multi-disciplinary skills, takes up a challenge. Given the popularity the two enjoy, a crossover bout will be a sure-shot pull among the fans, and who knows, it could as well be one of the biggest for women in combat sports.
Now that Bridges has raised the question, who in your opinion would be the winner in the boxing match between the two? Please share your views with us in the comments below.
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