Former world champ Jeff Fenech says women’s world champ Ebanie Bridges shares his ‘mauler’ style
It was the day the Marrickville Mauler met with the Blonde Bomber - and Jeff Fenech saw plenty of his own boxing style in Australia’s first female world champion, Ebanie Bridges.
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She calls herself ‘Little Fenech.’ A self-confessed boxing clone of arguably Australia’s greatest boxer, Jeff Fenech.
Current world champion Ebanie Bridges caught up with Hall of Famer Fenech on Thursday to share a few boxing secrets.
And News Corp was there to snap this exclusive photo when the Marrickville Mauler met with Blonde Bomber.
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Fenech and Bridges are the only Australians to have held the IBF bantamweight title belt. And Bridges said she won her title – beating Maria Cecilia Roman in Leeds during March – by employing a similar rough and ready style to her childhood boxing idol.
“I said to Jeff the other day – when he congratulated me – that I fought like a ‘little Fenech’ - high work rate, constant pressure, that’s how he fought,” Bridges said.
“We have very similar styles…that pressure. The fighters that I’ve liked – Jeff growing up and Mexican-style boxing.
“Watching them growing up, those styles, being an aggressive person and fighter, that’s my natural style.
“Jeff said we are both IBF bantamweight changes. It’s so cool. Jeff Fenech is an icon in Australian boxing. I grew up watching Jeff and Kostya Tszyu.”
Fenech also sees himself in Bridges.
“She is a female version of Jeff Fenech. She’s a mauler who’s in there all the time fighting,” Fenech said.
“When I won my IBF world title (against Japan’s Satoshi Shingaki in 1985) I threw punches for the entire fight and that’s what she does. She threw that many punches more than her opponent, it was crazy.
“Look at some of the photos from her fights. Her eyes have been completely closed but she still fought on. She is so tough and will only get better.
“The world is at her feet and she is great at marketing herself. Ebanie has an amazing commitment to try and be the best. She knows she may not have the skill level of some other fighters because of her lack of experience but she has the work ethic and she works three times harder than all of them.
“She gets in their face and throws punches. Ebanie takes the risk for reward. I’m a huge fan of hers. She has a strong will and mental toughness.”
Bridges, 35, plans to defend her world title in August, possibly back in England or America.
“Winning the world title means everything to me,” Bridges said.
“The belt signifies all the sacrifices and hard work I had to go through – all the ups and downs – it makes it all worth it when you have the title belt. It was a dream come true.”
A qualified mathematics teacher, Bridges lives in Sydney’s north-west and competed in the fourth series of SAS Australia.
Fenech’s star charge, Sydney super-featherweight Brock Jarvis, has been troubled by a back injury but is ready to return to sparring shortly.
Jarvis is unbeaten in 20 fights and sits inside the IBFs top 10 rankings.
Originally published as Former world champ Jeff Fenech says women’s world champ Ebanie Bridges shares his ‘mauler’ style
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