At last, featherweight contender Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington is on the doorstep of a title shot, and one step closer to realizing the dream he has pursued since his youth growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn. But first, on Saturday night, he must get past Enrique Vivas (23-3, 12 KOs).
Carrington (14-0, 8 KOs) is 27 years old and has been a professional fighter for just under four years. His rise has been steady, filled with highlights and valuable lessons. After earning the prestigious ESPN & Ring Magazine’s Prospect of the Year award in 2023, Carrington gloved up four times in 2024. His performances always thrilled fans, so his promoter, Top Rank, had no trouble keeping him busy.
Although Carrington was successful in all four fights, each experience provided takeaways to help shape him into a better fighter. “In my first fight [last year], I would say that I need to work on my Mike Tyson rendition a little more,” Carrington said, laughing. “The second fight was tightening up on my defense. My third fight was getting back into my boxing fundamentals because I got a little too happy knocking guys out over and over. The last one was maintaining the boxing fundamentals, but now it’s time to add on. The add on you will see on March 29.”
Tweaking The Lifestyle
As many fights fans know, personal habits and external challenges can affect how you prepare for training camp and how you look on fight night. Carrington has maintained a vegan diet for around eight years, which has played a key role in his preparation and fight-night conditioning. But Carrington admitted that over the past two years he started indulging in some guilty pleasures within the vegan food universe:
“I was indulging a lot in the past two years, but I’ve been eating cleaner now. It’s been showing in my weight cut, energy, and power; [Clean eating] has been one of the major things I changed with my whole approach to boxing. I feel much better.”
Beyond diet, the mental challenges outside the ring can be just as demanding. As Carrington’s profile has grown, so has his fanbase, along with attention from celebrities who follow the sport or watch casually. Despite the newfound recognition, he remains grounded and focused.
“I am where I’m supposed to be,” Carrington told FightsATW. “A lot of guys aren’t made for it. They may be talented but they aren’t ready to be in that limelight. With the things I have gone through, I’m like, Damn, I’m mentally strong. I’m ready for this.”
Fighting With An Underdog Mindset
Carrington’s social media page reflects a gritty, no-frills training regimen reminiscent of the Rocky films, signaling to fans that this fight is just as crucial as any before. Despite his success, some still view him as an underdog, as some fans and media aren’t entirely sold on what he has done to get to this final eliminator on ESPN. Carrington confidently disagrees: “The real boxers, and the ones that have an eye for the game, they know. They see something special when they see me. I put in hella work, day and night.”
Carrington is hungry to make a statement, and after Saturday’s fight, he believes fans—whether they support him or not—will have title thoughts for the man they call Shu Shu. What does Carrington think they will say? “He is ready for a title shot, and we can’t wait to see Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington face the world champions.”
Before looking ahead to a potential clash with WBC champion Stephen Fulton Jr., Carrington has a unique mindset heading into Saturday night: “It’s nothing I’m looking past, but it’s for sure something I’m looking through. I cannot wait to show the difference in levels.”
Saturday night on ESPN+, Carrington will face Vivas with the winner being next in line for the WBC featherweight title. All eyes will be on that matchup as fans look to see if Carrington is everything he says he is on fight night.
Discover more from Fights Around The World
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
