Bruce Carrington has done everything right.
None of that, however, has resulted in getting what he believes he deserves.
Although his career has been relatively short, Brooklyn’s Carrington (17-0, 9 KOs) has beaten whoever has promoters at Top Rank Inc. put in front of him. As he has made his way up the rankings, Carrington repeatedly asked for the beltholders at 126 pounds to fight him.
Angelo Leo heard Carrington’s bombastic call-outs and has no problem fighting the highly rated 28-year-old. But before Leo (26-1, 12 KOs) takes him on, the IBF featherweight champion wants him to do one thing.
“Once he gets a belt,” Leo told Tru School Sports on its YouTube channel.
Technically, Carrington has one now. Roughly a month ago, on July 26 in New York’s The Theater at Madison Square Garden, he wrapped the WBC interim title around his waist thanks to his lopsided points win over Namibia’s
Mateus Heita (14-1, 9 KOs).
It’s a belt Carrington should be proud of, but it isn’t something Leo values. Leo is all about big names and winning titles. Unfortunately for Carrington, he doesn’t check any of those boxes.
Until he does, The Ring’s No. 2-ranked featherweight will continue to go hunting for more belts. He has yet to lure any of the division's champions to the table, but he does have faith that, eventually, they’ll be lining up to face him.
Carrington, though, isn’t completely out of the mix. That WBC secondary title he carries around has some substance to it. With it, he is supposedly next in line to face
Stephen Fulton, the full titleholder.
If Fulton returns to defend his featherweight title, he’ll eventually have to face Carrington. If he doesn’t, Carrington will be elevated to full champion by the WBC. Whether he fights and wins the full crown or is simply handed it, Leo will immediately want to unify with him.
“He’s pretty close to one,” Leo said.