As the saying goes in boxing, everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.
The plan has fallen apart for Aussie boxer Ebanie Bridges after she was stunned in a world title disaster that nobody saw coming.
Bridges has lost her IBF Bantamweight world title via a unanimous judges’ decision after being pummelled by Japanese fighter Miyo Yoshida in San Francisco on Sunday morning.
The Blonde Bomber’s second title defence turned into a nightmare with Yoshida controlling the fight and landing punches at will.
Bridges was the short-priced favourite heading into the fight after Yoshida took the fight at short notice.
Bridges, 37, was fighting on the undercard of the WBC super lightweight title fight between Devin Haney and Regis Prograis at the Chase Center, home of NBA giants Golden State.
The Australian was originally fighting compatriot Avril Mathie in what had been dubbed the “Battle of the Boobs” before Mathie pulled out with an undisclosed injury and Yoshida jumped in — fighting for the second time in a month.
It showed that Bridges was not prepared for her opponent’s different style.
The judges all scored the contest for Yoshida in a landslide.
Two judges gave Bridges just one round of the 10-round title contest with the judges scoring the fight 99-91 x 2 and 97-93.
One commentator on the DAZN broadcast showed what an upset it was.
“This was supposed to be an exhibition fight for Ebanie Bridges in the United States,” he said.
“This has been a disaster for her.”
Yoshida was all class after the fight, calling Bridges a “great champion”.
The final punch statistics show what a one-sided contest it was with Yoshida landing 122 power punched to Bridges’ 66.
There was one controversial moment during the fight where Yoshida landed a punch after the bell following the fifth round, but no action was taken.
Bridges took a hook to the side of her face with Yoshida landing the punch after the bell.
It would have been robbery if the referee had taken any action against the Japanese fighter, considering her dominance.
One of the DAZN commentators called it “borderline” as to whether the punch was thrown after the bell.
It ends Bridges’ 21-month reign as queen of the IBF bantamweight division.
The Australian had not fought since her first title defence against Shannon O’Connell in December, 2022 — and she showed signs of ring rust.
Bridges was out-worked in the early rounds and appeared to have nothing left in the tank as she began to stumble around the ring in the late rounds.
At the age of 37, her career now stands at a crossroads.
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
