Shannon Courtenay is the new WBA female bantamweight champion of the world. The 27-year-old won a 97-92, 98-91,98-91 decision over the 34-year-old Australian boxer, Ebanie Bridges. Here’s how the fight between the two played out.
The two fought on the undercard of the Conor Benn vs Samuel Vargas event. The bout promised to be an exciting one as both fighters engaged in a war of words throughout the build-up. And it delivered to the expectations with a fantastic contest.
How did the Ebanie Bridges vs Shannon Courtenay fight pan out?
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The two fighters went at it from the first round, with no feeling out. Bridges took the center of the ring and started on the offense. However, the Brit showed her superior counter-punching ability and got the better of the exchanges despite Bridges throwing more.
Despite a cut to the head in the second round, Courtenay picked the better shots and looked comfortable fighting on the back foot. However, Bridges continued to land powerful shots throughout. This was a cause of concern for the Englishwoman.
This is 🔥 #CourtenayBridges pic.twitter.com/SFuZS85RHy
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) April 10, 2021
In the first four rounds, neither fighter asserted their dominance in the fight. However, in the fifth round, the 27-year-old Brit stepped on the gas and hurt Bridges. The Australian fighter did well to stay on her feet, but it appeared Courtenay had found her rhythm.
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How did the fight end?
Going into the seventh round, Courtenay’s superior boxing skills proved to be the difference between the two. However, Bridges never let Courtenay dominate the bout and continued to land her power shots.
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The ninth round proved to be the best round of the fight for Courtenay as she showed her class and dismantled the Australian. She landed powerful combinations and had Bridges on the ropes. This set it up for a fantastic last round.
The tenth round proved to be another close one, with both fighters going for the knockout. However, the boxing skill from the Brit was enough to get the decision victory over the Australian and become the new WBA bantamweight champion.
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What did you make of the fight?
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