By: Sean Crose
IBF featherweight titlist Ebony Bridges stepped into the ring in Leeds, England Saturday to defend her belt in opposition to Shannon O’Connell in a scheduled 10 spherical affair. Bridges moved her head properly as she got here ahead within the first, although O’Connell was capable of land properly herself. In actual fact, Bridges bought wobbled within the later portion of the spherical. Bridges, apparently with a clearer head, continued to assault her opponent within the second.
O’Connell went down laborious firstly of the third. The Aussie fighter bought up and proceeded to commerce with the defending champion. It was a thriller of a spherical. Bridges herself ended up being briefly wobbled late within the chapter. Each ladies continued to fireside away at one another within the fourth, however Bridges was clearly the stronger of the 2 fighters, which allowed her to put on her recreation challenger down.
By the fifth it appeared that neither girl had any intention of slowing down. This was going to be a quick paced affair till the bitter finish. With that being stated, O’Connell was capable of land properly with out showing to obtain an excessive amount of harm from the defending champion. Nonetheless, Bridges continued to push the assault within the sixth. The tempo was slowing a bit, however not an excessive amount of. The conditioning of the 2 fighters was extraordinary.
Bridges bought O’Connell right into a nook within the seventh and did some appreciable harm. O’Connell, her eye badly swollen, tried to carry on, however Bridges continued along with her assault. O’Connell tried to commerce from the center of the ring within the eighth. Bridges, nonetheless, continued to push her opponent backwards. By this level, O’Connell was merely taking a beating. A brutal rally led the referee to step in and cease the struggle. O’Connel was definitely recreation, however she merely couldn’t face up to Bridge’s energy and aggression.