Ebanie Bridges: I’ll be a folk hero in the UK if I beat Shannon Courtenay

With Rachel Ball out of an April 10 rematch with Shannon Courtenay, Australia’s Ebanie Bridges has stepped in to face Courtenay for the vacant WBA bantamweight title, and is bringing her big personality to the fight.

Bridges (5-0, 2 KO) says she’s “definitely being underestimated,” but is OK with that, and claims she’s had fans in the United Kingdom reach out about how much they dislike Courtenay (6-1, 3 KO).

“I feel like if I beat Shannon Courtenay I’ll go down as a fucking folk hero in the UK because everyone is DM’ing me asking me to knock her out. They’re all like, ‘Hey I’m British and I just want you to shut her up and knock her out because she’s so arrogant.’ It’s crazy how many messages I get. I feel like there’s so much pressure on me to fuck her up. Nobody seems to like her over there. If I win, I’m going to be a hero.”

But the 34-year-old Aussie also says she’s not chalking this up to being a gimme.

“I’m not getting ahead of myself though because I know Shannon is a great boxer. She’s not going to be easy,” she said. “I’m not going in there thinking this is going to be a walkover. I don’t think that about anyone. Losing is not an option, I’ll find a way. Is she going to be able to handle what I’m bringing? We’re both skilled, both of us have styles that are pleasing to the eye.

“If she doesn’t end up getting knocked out, then by the end of the fight her face is going to end up looking like a smashed crab on a rock. It’s going to be messed up. She won’t be looking the same when this is finished. She’s in for a shock if she thinks I’m only worried about looking good on the scales. When I win that belt, the world is my oyster. It will open up opportunities everywhere.”

Courtenay-Bridges will stream live on DAZN as part of the Conor Benn-Samuel Vargas card on Saturday, April 10, and Bad Left Hook will have full live coverage.