Photos: Ebanie Bridges Drops, Batters, Stops Shannon O'Connell

First Direct Arena, Leeds - For the IBF bantamweight title, Ebanie Bridges (9-1, 4 KOs) stopped mandatory challenger Shannon O'Connell (23-7-1, 11 KOs) in the eight round. (photos by Mark Robinson)

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O'Connell landed several solid rights in the first round, including one that rocked the legs of Bridges in the closing seconds. It was give and take in the second round, Bridges was more active, but O'Connell was more accurate.

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At the start of the third, Bridges dropped O'Connell with a solid power shots. Bridges went to finish O'Connell off, but got caught several times coming inside. Bridges pressed forward, throwing bombs. They continued to trade punches for most the round.

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Bridges has control of the fourth with the bigger punches. In the fifth, both had moments of success. Bridges continued to connect with the bigger punches. After close action in the sixth, Bridges was doing a lot of damage during the seventh. The left eye of O'Connell was bruised and swelling up bad.

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O'Connell was fighting in the eight, but Bridges continued to pound away and forced the referee to jump in.

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