Bruce Carrington: “I go in there to hurt!”
Carrington returns against Jose Enrique Vivas on Saturday, June 8 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden LIVE on ESPN.
Featherweight contender Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington is on the brink of a world title opportunity. But first, he’ll need to overcome a tough Mexican veteran who has never been stopped.
Carrington will face Jose Enrique Vivas in a 10-rounder on Saturday, June 8, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Carrington-Vivas will serve as the co-feature to the junior middleweight showdown between Puerto Rican sensation Xander Zayas and Brazilian former world champion Patrick Teixeira.
Zayas-Teixeira and Carrington-Vivas will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+ at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT. Sky Sports will broadcast the event in the UK & Ireland.
Carrington (11-0, 7 KOs), a 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials champion, has quickly risen through the rankings since turning pro with Top Rank in October 2021. The 27-year-old notched five wins in 2023, including a second-round TKO against former world title challenger Jason Sanchez.
In his last fight, he knocked out Bernard Torres with a right hook at The Theater in February, a finish that went viral and landed on SportsCenter’s Top 10. Vivas (23-3, 12 KOs) bounced back from his loss to Joet Gonzalez last April with a first-round TKO over Jonathan Aguilar in February.
Following a recent training session in Las Vegas, this is what Carrington had to say:
“This is a big step up for me. I will finally be in the co-main event of a big show. It’s the best thing for my career right now, so I can let everyone know who I am. This fight will help me grow and get comfortable with this type of atmosphere. This opportunity will allow me to show I’m made for this.
“Jose Enrique Vivas is a great dance partner. He’s never been stopped. He’s a really tough guy, but I like fighting tough guys. I get to show how not tough they are when it comes to facing me.
“I will be the first person to stop him. And it’s because of the way I’ve been training, how hard I’ve been training, and what I know I’m going to bring to the table. It’s just like in my last two fights. It’s about how I have been feeling.
“I’m an old-school fighter. I go in there to hurt. I go in there to dominate in dramatic fashion. I have that mentality. And I feel that’s what separates the boys from the men. That’s what separates the champions from the greats.”
Promoted by Top Rank, tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster.com.