A glamorous high school maths teacher turned boxer said she is ‘gutted’ after her overseas opponent’s clearance was refused at the last minute ahead of her first professional match.
Sydney’s Ebanie Bridges, 32, who has had an impressive amateur boxing career over the last two years was supposed to be vying for the world title and making her professional boxing debut on Saturday night.
Yet less than three days before her match, the former body builder faced getting into the ring without an opponent.
A glamorous former high school maths teacher turned boxer, Ebanie Bridges, 32, (pictured left) is vying for the world title on Saturday night
Bridges said she is tired of getting a strange reaction from people because of the ‘way she looks’
Me and my team had just two days to find a replacement opponent which is pretty much impossible
Bridges told Daily Mail Australia said she was ‘absolutely gutted’ when she found out her international opponent’s clearance was denied.
‘My opponent from overseas got cleared five weeks ago to fight me. And then the Combat Sports Authority (CSA) decided to withdraw her clearance with very short notice,’ she said.
‘Me and my team had just two days to find a replacement opponent which is pretty much impossible.’
Bridges said it was extremely difficult considering she had so little time to find someone and most boxers need months to prepare for a professional fight.
After ten people knocked back the offer, one professional boxer Bianca Elmir, from the New South Wales central coast, agreed to step in for an exhibition fight.
Bridges will be competing against Elmir at Wollongong Fraternity Club on Saturday night.
‘I get a reaction no matter what I do, from boxing to being a maths teacher, because of the way I look,’ Bridges said
Bridges said she was gutted to find out that her opponents’ clearance were denied
I’m still going out hitting people and I’m going to make a really good fight
While she said it’s unfortunate the fight isn’t going towards her record, she is glad she can still put on a fight with another talented professional female boxer.
‘I could’ve pulled the plug on the whole thing and said I’m not going to fight because it’s not what I wanted to do. But I’ve got a lot of sponsors and a lot of people behind me.
‘Realistically, I’ve been fighting for two years now. And people don’t care [sic] if you’re going out for knock outs or professional boxing – I’m still going out hitting people and I’m going to make a really good fight.’
‘My opponent from overseas got cleared five weeks ago to fight me. And then the Combat Sports Authority (CSA) decided to withdraw her clearance with very short notice,’ she said
They never believe me because of the way I look
Bridges who is breaking all the gender stereotypes as a maths teacher and boxer said she was tired of getting a ‘weird reaction’ from people when she said what she does for work.
‘They never believe me because of the way I look,’ she said.
Yet Bridges said her students are really supportive and when they’re behaved she even lets them hold her winning belts from her amateur matches.
‘I take it to school and they kids really love it.
‘They ask me all the time, when’s your next fight miss? When’s your next fight?’
Bridges has now locked in a new professional fight in February where she will be make her professional debut.
Bridges is known to her fans as ‘The Blonde Bomber’ and will be competing on Saturday night