Over the weekend, many storylines emerged, but one stood out the most — the one that received the least media attention: Bruce ‘Shu-Shu’ Carrington winning the WBC featherweight title impressively over Carlos Castro.
“It Was All A Dream…”- Notorious B.I.G
The 28-year-old Carrington (17-0, 10 KOs) from the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, New York, knew that if he wanted to stand out on this night featuring a high-level matchup (Teofimo Lopez-Shakur Stevenson) and a unification (Xander Zayas-Abass Baraou), it had to be a performance that fans would be buzzing about.
Right from the start, Carrington set the tone by having Brownsville hip-hop artists M.O.P. walk him out to their legendary song “Ante Up,” a staple of New York Hip-Hop. That had those at Madison Square Garden hyped, but did Carrington put unnecessary pressure on himself by choosing that walk-out song?
“I’m made for the moment,” Carrington told FightsATW. “I had already entertained how it would feel and look with MOP. All of that was entertained and thought of months before I even stepped into the ring, so by the time the walkout happened, I was totally ready. I was ready for the moment.”
Then finally, the moment arrived when Carrington had to deliver. The first two rounds were both fighters trying to figure each other out, but in the third, Carrington opened up, as it appeared he had seen something. When asked about that round, Carrington acknowledged that he noticed when inside, Castro was less effective, so he decided to exploit that immediately.
I noticed that he couldn’t see my combinations up close. He’s strong when we have a little distance and he can let his punches go by fully extending. He really generates a lot of power, so that’s his strong suit. He likes to throw frequent jabs and slip/counter with the right hand. When I was able to smother him, get close, and throw little shots on the inside—little uppercuts when he dips his head—he couldn’t see it coming. That was a major thing I could take advantage of.”
In the next round, Carrington was hit just above his left ear, which hurt him immediately and Castro felt like he had caught him. Carrington, wise beyond his years, managed to hold on and do just enough to survive the round. Although it was a moment of vulnerability, Carrington admitted that in that split second, he forced himself to stay calm and accept what happened while weathering the storm.
In rounds five through eight, Carrington stuck to his game plan and continued to break Castro down. In the ninth, Carrington saw an opening and threw a combination that started with a straight right hand and ended with one that sent Castro crashing to the canvas and unable to beat the ten count. Just like that, Carrington delivered an impressive ninth-round knockout that had Eddie Hearn, Conor Benn, and Turki Alalshikh on their feet.
Looking back at the fight, Carrington said, “I trained to get that stoppage. I did not just want to win. He was tough. We knew he was going to be tough. I had to set up a lot of traps for him. The fight went perfectly. If it had been more dominant, the effect wouldn’t have been as dramatic as it ended up being.
“I’m in a dream right now. I feel great. I’m really happy with the outcome and the responses I’ve been getting.”
Having His Brother “Ike” Right There With Him
In 2014, Carrington’s brother Michael ‘Ike’ Hayden was shot and killed in Brooklyn, which was a devastating moment for the 17-year-old Carrington at the time. That’s why he wears his brother’s nickname, “Ike,” on his ring attire for every fight and keeps his memory alive while shouting, ‘Forever Ike.’
After winning the title, Carrington stood on the ropes as emotions poured down his face. Knowing his story, you could tell that Carrington felt his brother’s spirit in that moment. Carrington opened up about that very personal experience.
There were so many things that were running through my mind, but the biggest one was thinking about my brother. In that moment, I’m seeing all of those things we used to talk about when we were little kids.
He believed in me so much and my dad, and I was so connected to my brother because I could relate to him more since my dad was older. Mike was the guy I used to confide in and really open up to about a lot of things that I had going on as a teenager. I lost that and lost my best friend at the age of 17.
There was so much I wanted to experience with him that I didn’t get a chance to, so when I got on the ropes and I’m just screaming ‘Forever Ike’, it really hit me. That was one of the main reasons I was so emotional. It’s bittersweet.
The Future Looks Bright For ‘Shu-Shu’
On Saturday in Liverpool, WBA featherweight champion Nick Ball will face Brandon Figueroa in an intriguing matchup. Carrington has his eye on that fight because it’s the one he prefers the most, regardless of who wins.
I think the way things are lining up; me and Nick Ball might fight first if he beats Brandon Figueroa. I want to fight the winner of Figueroa-Ball. I’ve expressed interest in fighting Figueroa before he fought Stephen Fulton. But I really want to fight Nick Ball. That would be a match made in heaven.
Whichever way this goes, Carrington is in a strong position for a unification fight in 2026 and maybe even a shot at undisputed. He is prepared for it all, and after Saturday’s performance, there will be a big increase in fans eager to see what ‘Shu-Shu’ does next. This year has started off great for Carrington, so now the challenge is to see how much bigger it can get by the end of the year.
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