Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (16-0, 9 KOs) did the minimum to win a 12-round unanimous decision over Mateus Heita (14-1, 9 KOs) to claim the WBC interim featherweight title on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden Theater in New York City.
Carrington, 28, fought at a close pace, not taking chances, using movement, shoulder, and an illegal straight arm to keep Heita from getting close. The crowd hated the safety-first approach by Carrington, and they let him know about it by booing in the second half of the contest.
The scores were 119-109, 119-109, and 120-108.
Going into the fight, the New York native Carrington had said this week that he was going to entertain the crowd because he was fighting at home in New York. When he felt Heita’s power early on, he seemed to make a conscious decision that he was going to box and use his hit-and-don’t-get-hit style. He should have gone for the knockout.
Carrington built up a big lead in the first nine rounds with his boxing, but rather than trying to finish strong, he continued to play it safe in the championship rounds. He could have helped his popularity if he showed he was willing to go out on his shield to impress the fans. But he wasn’t willing to do it. His instincts for self-preservation are too strong
“I’m ready. I’ve been calling out all the champions. They already know. I see {Rafael} Espinoza in the crowd. I want to fight him. I want to fight Nick Ball. I want to fight Stephen Fulton,” said Carrington in the post-fight press conference.
Shu Shu Carrington sounded ridiculous when he mentioned WBO featherweight champion Rafael Espinoza and WBA champion Nick Ball. He’s not on their level, and the only reason he was fighting for the WBC interim 126-lb title is due to Top Rank’s careful matchmaking. He’s not ready for either of those elite fighters.
