I almost retired from boxing, now I’m a world champion after brutal KO on Shakur Stevenson vs Teofimo Lopez undercard

Bruce Carrington’s life would have panned out very differently if he had let his demons win.

On Saturday night, in front of a packed-out Madison Square Garden, a few miles down the road from his hometown of Brownsville, New York, ‘Shu Shu’ had his breakthrough moment.

Getty

A picture-perfect right hand and spiteful follow-up rendered Carlos Castro unconscious and crowned Carrington the new WBC featherweight king.

It was a fight that tested the 28-year-old’s will, particularly in the fourth round, when he was rocked by a clubbing blow to the back of the head.

When he contemplated hanging up his gloves eight years ago, the answer may have been different.

But in that moment, a resilient Carrington, free of his once lingering doubts, dug deep and weathered the storm.

“If the fight was one-sided, then the story wouldn’t be as big as it is,” Carrington told talkSPORT.com, three days removed from his statement-making victory on the Shakur Stevenson vs Teofimo Lopez undercard.

“When he hit me, I was there mentally. I wasn’t dizzy, my eyes weren’t blurry, but when I stepped back, my back foot was gone.

“I just had to stay composed. I feel comfortable in that storm. When it gets crazy, I really focus in.

“So I was making sure he didn’t hit me, and I was catching him with counters to keep him off.

“I even took the next round off from engaging to make sure my body and my legs were underneath me, and then when I realised they were, I went after him.

“He started breaking down in the eighth round, and then in round nine, that’s when I got him.”

Getty

Carrington’s ability to navigate rocky patches comes from an innate understanding of who he is as a fighter and who he is as a man.

‘Shu Shu’ was made to question both aspects when he came close to packing it in while rising through the unpaid ranks.

Carrington enjoyed a fruitful amateur career that included podium-topping performances at the New York City Golden Gloves in 2017 and the US Olympic Trials in 2020. 

But it wasn’t until the back end of his vested tenure that he really knuckled down.

“That’s one of the main reasons I got so emotional after the fight. If I had quit in the amateurs I wouldn’t be here right now, I would not be experiencing all this,” Carrington added.

“I would regret everything, and I would have wondered what I could have achieved.

Getty

“When I considered giving up boxing, I wasn’t being honest with myself about how hard I needed to work to be successful.

“I was talented, and I wanted to be a winner, but I wasn’t dedicated enough, and that’s because I didn’t truly believe in myself, and it showed in my performances.

“On top of that, I wasn’t doing it for me; I was doing it to satisfy my dad.

“My dad really believed in me, and I didn’t want to disappoint him. He wanted it way more than me at that time.

“I hated the way he pushed me. I hated the way he sat me down and had these talks with me. I didn’t want to hear the truth, that I was wasting my potential.

“But one day I really had a deep talk with myself, and I said, ‘Let’s just try this, bro, you’ve done all this, it can’t hurt just to try’.

Matchroom

“And when I did that, I built a new love for the sport, and I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.”

Carrington is now targeting immediate unification fights with the other 126lbs champions (Nick Ball, Rafael Espinoza, and Angelo Leo).

For a time, he was cast to one side by potential dance partners as a high-risk, low-reward option.

However, his green and gold strap now opens the door to a new world of opportunities.