‘I liked being a hoop lady like Sydney Thomas but it surely’s powerful – individuals simply do not get it’

“I loved it,” Ebanie Bridges admitted when asked about her time as a ring girl.

These days, Bridges is better known for her accomplishments in the ring as a boxer – holding the IBF female bantamweight before dropping it to Miyo Yoshida in her most recent bout. But before the Blonde Bomber stepped into the squared circle with a title over her arm, she held a ring card.

The Australian spoke exclusively to Daily Star Sport about her time as a ring girl, admitting she loved being in the spotlight. She said: “You don’t be a ring girl showing off your body if you have a problem with attention… That’s entertainment and that whole point of the ring goal is entertainment. I enjoyed it. I loved it.”

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However, Bridges knows all too well that the job can come with pressure and at times, even abuse. Ring girls have been in the spotlight this week after Sydney Thomas shot to fame during Jake Paul’s points win over veteran heavyweight Mike Tyson.

Boxing fans declared her the “real winner” of the fight – turning heads thanks to her stunning looks. Sydney, 20, took to TikTok to address the flood of attention she had received. “I’m happy you guys enjoyed the broadcast!!” she captioned the post, with a crying laughing and heart emoji added to the end.

It was only Sydney’s second time holding a card, having made her debut in Puerto Rico last month. And it almost didn’t happen for the blonde beauty – who was only handed the gig as a result of the bout being pushed back due to Tyson’s medical emergency.

As well as the hike in social media followers, Sydney has claimed she’s been inundated with business opportunities and that she felt a bit “overwhelmed”. Her sudden rise to fame has coincided with criticism of ring girls – with some fans claiming it’s an outdated practice. Bridges slammed this point of view, highlighting that critics don’t know what it takes to be a ring girl.

“You’ve got to diet. Like you can’t eat all night if you want to look good,” Bridges said. “I’m sure there’s some girls that just rock up nice and slim. But I always, I was a bodybuilder. So I always like to look ripped and look good

“There’s late nights, you know, you’re getting flown around the country. I used to get to do a lot of shows all around, there was lots of driving. Yeah…modelling is tough!

“Models spend all day having photo shoots and not eating and getting into these positions, and then having change into this, change into that, like, yeah, people just don’t get it.”