Ebanie Bridges’ comeback wasn’t quite the fairytale she had imagined when her long-awaited return to the ring was finally confirmed.
It had been over two years since the Blonde Bomber, 39, had stepped foot into a professional boxing ring when she made her way down the ramp at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in Puerto Rico at the turn of the year.
In that time, the Australian had lost her IBF bantamweight title and started a family with British boxing legend Kell Brook. But boxing was an itch that had to be scratched – and Bridges returned determined to climb back to the top of the division.
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Instead, the dream quickly unravelled. She was beaten by unanimous decision by Alexis Araiza Mones. There were tears afterwards, plenty of them, but there was no quit.
“I need a win,” she defiantly told Daily Star Sport shortly after the defeat. “I took a really tough one in the first fight back. I had to get into a war.
“But now I’d like to get in there and get a win. Without a win on my record, forget the big fights. I want to become a World Champion again. Cherneka Johnson, from Australia, has the belts.
However, boxing is only part of the Bridges story – the Australian commands headlines before she’s even made her ring-walk with skimpy lingerie fits at the weigh-in.
Bridges, a former bodybuilder, joked she loves to show off her physique and “feel girly” with outfits that often have male promoters scanning the room desperately trying not to look.
And while she admits a bout with Johnson would be a good match, with a cheeky smile, Bridges added: “We’d have a great weigh-in. Everyone would tune in. That’s who I’d like to fight.”
There are others, aside from Johnson, on the Bridges hitlist. “I’d love a rematch with Shannon Courtenay to avenge my loss, which I think I won. She thinks she won, too, so there’s a reason to fight again.
“But she’s gone down to super flyweight. I’m staying at bantamweight. If she wants me to come down to super flyweight, I’d have to cut my chest off, and I don’t plan to do that.
“That makes me too much money.”
Courtenay defeated Bridges back in 2021 – her first professional loss, and that still clearly weighs heavily on the Aussie’s shoulders. It was a bout so good that BBC boxing analyst Steve Bunce said it “might have been the best women’s fight we’ve ever seen in this country”.
Courtenay, battered and bloodied, claimed the vacant WBA world bantamweight title. She held it until October 2021, when she was stripped of the title after failing to make the weight cut against Jamie Mitchell.
The Watford-born fighter stayed away from the ring for a couple of years, making her return under Jake Paul’s MVP Promotions – the same as Bridges – in 2024, this time as a super flyweight.
Bridges knows that dropping down a weight class would mean having to drop weight, specifically around her rather large chest, which has earned fame and fortune as an Only Fans athlete.
The Blonde Bomber admitted the subscription-based platform has helped to finance her boxing career. She even joked that Brook “takes some of the photos,” adding: “He’s supportive. It’s income. It supports the house and my expenses.
“He knows that. I don’t do anything that makes me feel uncomfortable. I feel like I keep my dignity. It’s a way for me to connect with my fans and give them a bit more.
“I’ve got some great fans on there. They really support me. If I have a bad day, they lift me up. They support Ezara, they love Kell. I’m still trying to get Kell on some lives with me.
“It’s great support, and they’re supporting my boxing financially. There are many Only Fans athletes. And they’re really supportive of sport. We’re very blessed to have that backing!”
Bridges isn’t the only athlete on the platform – it claims to have over 250 sports stars on its books, ranging from boxing to speed skating. For many, it has been a key source of income.
The Australian was one of the first in the boxing world to embrace the new platform, teasing fans with lingerie-clad snaps.
And while she is well aware that her good looks and jaw-dropping figure have helped to land subscribers, it also gives her closest fans a chance to grow closer to the Blonde Bomber.
Other boxers have started to adopt the platform in recent years. And even Tony Bellew has popped up on the subscription service with his own page.
Bridges was back in the ring last month (18 April), earning her first win since 2022 against Ebonie Cotton. Cotton, like Bridges, loves to steal the show during a weigh-in – perhaps sometimes too much.
Ahead of her first professional clash, against Molly McCann, Cotton accidentally flashed the audience. She ditched the lingerie completely against Bridges, opting for some tape to protect her modesty.
Across six rounds, Bridges earned the victory she had been craving, beating Cotton 59-56 on points.
“I’m not done yet,” the Blonde Bomber said. “Maybe a couple of years left in me. A few good big fights are left in me.”