It wasn’t quite the “Shu Shu Show,” but it was more than enough for Bruce Carrington to continue his winning ways.
The unbeaten Brooklyn-bred featherweight Carrington picked up the WBC interim title Saturday after a lopsided unanimous decision victory over Namibia’s Mateus Heita. Scores were 120-108, 119-109 and 119-109 for Carrington in the Top Rank Boxing co-feature on ESPN from The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
“I really wanted to show that I could go the full 12 rounds,” Carrington told ESPN’s Bernardo Osuna. “That’s the championship level right there. I feel good, I felt sharp and am just ready for that next level.”
Action was measured out of the gate. Carrington primarily used his jab, while Heita offered constant herky-jerky upper-body movement to disrupt the local favorite’s rhythm.
Heita landed his first significant shot of the night with a right hand in the second. It caught the attention of Carrington, who fought at a distance and continued to work his jab. Heita landed a body shot at the tail end of a combination. Carrington came back and was able to land a classic one-two and then reverted to his stick-and-move approach.
Carrington remained committed to his jab in the third. Heita attempted to respond in kind but was unable to close the distance. Carrington took his offense downstairs and connected with jabs and right hands to the body just before the final minute of the round. Heita connected with a right but left himself open for three consecutive Carrington right hands to the body.
Momentum remained with Carrington in the fourth. Heita once again overcommitted with a jab and was countered with a three-punch combination. Carrington repeated the sequence later in the round, this time slipping a wide right hand, which he countered with power shots upstairs.
Heita was reduced to a plodder by the fifth. Carrington controlled the distance and the tempo, while Heita was clearly weary from being countered off any wrong move.
A triple jab by Carrington set the tone in the sixth. Heita was consistently beaten to the punch at every turn and spent the round following Carrington, who connected with short right hands on the inside. Heita briefly cornered Carrington late but was unable to land anything of substance.
Carrington opened the seventh with a jab to the body and a right hand to the chin. Heita was able to respond with a combination and landed a few jabs. Carrington adjusted and picked up his activity midway through the frame. Heita chased and reached with his jab, which Carrington repeatedly slipped with minimal effort.
Two-way action threatened to break out in the final minute of the eighth. Carrington allowed Heita – in fact, dared him – to work his way inside, and the visiting Namibian used the moment to let his hands go. Carrington avoided getting clipped with anything meaningful and brought the action to center ring, where he landed a right to the body and then up top.
Carrington connected with a left hook a minute into the ninth, which was followed by a right hand and left hook upstairs. Heita was hesitant to let his hands go, which prompted Carrington to create his own openings. He did just that with body shots to set up a left hook, which found its way around Heita’s tight guard and to his chin.
A right hand to the body connected for Carrington early in the 10th. Both fighters sought to work their way out of a clinch, after which Heita chased Carrington behind a long jab. Boos began to trickle through the packed venue, but both fighters stuck to their respective game plans – which was good news for Carrington.
The pace slowed to a crawl over the final six minutes. Conversations could be heard in the crowd as neither fighter shifted into the next gear, though Heita, 14-1 (9 KOs), badly needed a knockout while Carrington could have used the highlight reel as he entered the title picture.
Carrington, 16-0 (9 KOs), landed 207 of 492 total punches (42.1 percent), including 70 body shots. Heita, 14-1 (9 KOs), was the slightly busier of the two, with 549 punches thrown, but landed just 122 – a dismal 22.2 percent of his total punches.
With the interim belt now in tow, Carrington is now the mandatory challenger to full titleholder Stephen Fulton, 23-1 (8 KOs).
However, it’s not exactly a clear path to an upgrade.
Fulton is next due to challenge WBC 130lbs titlist O’Shaquie Foster, 23-3 (12 KOs), though both fighters eagerly await a date for the attractive matchup. They were due to meet on an August 16 show that was also supposed to house Rey Vargas-Carlos Castro.
Mexico’s Vargas, 36-1-1 (22 KOs), was removed as WBC 126lbs titlist because of an injury and downgraded to “champion in recess.” The designation means that such claimants are able to demand a title shot whenever in position to challenge for their old belt.
The abovementioned detours were taken into consideration when this fight was made. Carrington’s newfound secondary title status is basically an insurance policy. The WBC can either force the full titleholder to make a mandatory title defense or upgrade Carrington when that time comes.
The preferred path to a top featherweight fight may have to come in house.
WBO featherweight titlist Rafael Espinoza was ringside and immediately caught the attention of Carrington when asked who he would like next.
“I see Espinoza in the crowd,” Carrington said before stepping around Osuna. “I see you in the crowd – I want you, bro. You already know. My team has already approached your team. I want to fight you, I want to fight [WBA titlist] Nick Ball, I want to fight Stephen Fulton since I see he’s not occupied.
“But you [Espinoza] – we can fight in September. I see you don’t have an opponent yet. Come talk.”
