By: Sean Crose
IBF featherweight champion Ebony Bridges entered the ring in Leeds, England on Saturday to defend her belt against Shannon O’Connell in a scheduled 10-round bout. Bridges made a good head move when she advanced on the first turn, although O’Connell was able to land well on her own. In fact, Bridges was wobbly in the latter part of the inning. Bridges, obviously with a more discerning head, continued to attack her opponent in the second round.
O’Connell struggled at the beginning of season three. The Australian boxer stood up and proceeded to trade with the champion. It’s a thriller of a round. Bridges herself ends up wobbling briefly at the end of the chapter. Both women continued to shoot each other in the fourth round, but Bridges was clearly the stronger of the two boxers, which allowed her to take down opponents in her game.
By the fifth time, it seemed that no woman intended to slow down. This will be a fast-paced affair until the bitter end. With that said, O’Connell was able to land well without looking like he was taking too much damage from the defending champion. However, Bridges continued to step up the attack in the sixth inning. The pace has slowed down a bit, but not by much. The condition of the two fighters was extraordinary.
Bridges cornered O’Connell in the seventh inning and dealt some significant damage. O’Connell, eyes puffy, tried to hold out, but Bridges continued to assault her. O’Connell attempted to trade from the middle of the ring in the eighth round. However, Bridges continues to push her opponent backwards. By this point, O’Connell was simply defeated. A brutal protest prompted the referee to intervene and stop the game. O’Connel is definitely a game, but she simply can’t stand Bridge’s power and aggression.
