When Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington enters the ring to face Sulaiman Segawa this Friday, September 27, it will be the third time in a row. And it was the sixth time in his 13-fight career that he would make amends in the ring. Theater at Madison Square Garden for native New Yorkers It is considered a success that comes from a lifetime of hard work. But it is also a great honor.
“Listen, first I must honor God. Because without Him I will never be able to perform the way I perform and work the way I work,” the featherweight competitor said. boxing scene– “But man, yes, I worked really hard to get the performances I got. I study my opponent. I train three times a day and sacrifice a lot to be able to do what I do, so I’m so happy that this theater is now the home of Shu Shu Carrington, and I just want to keep performing for my fans. That means Most of my career.”
Of course, Carrington (12-0, 8 KO) isn’t just a New Yorker. But he’s a Brooklynite. And he’s not just a Brooklynite. But he is a resident of the Brownsville area. It’s one square mile and it’s changing. It is famous for its poverty and crime rates, and (not coincidentally) as a breeding ground for some of boxing’s greatest champions.
The affable and friendly Carrington said he was eager to tap into the wisdom and experience some of his predecessors had about the pressures and expectations of being a boxer from Brownsville. l
“I talked to guys like Zab Judah, Shannon Briggs, Daniel Jacobs and did little things with Mike Tyson here and there,” he said, name-checking some of Brooklyn’s best. “I’ve talked to a lot of Brownsville champions about what it means to be. Brownsvilleian and strive to be a champion I want to be recognized as one of the best people to ever come out of this neighborhood. And I want to be a good example for people from where I come from. Because Brownsville isn’t known for a lot of good things … you know, almost every week there’s something going on there in Brownsville that helps get a bad rep.”
For example, a few days ago What started as police confronting a man they suspected of jumping a turnstile at a subway station. This resulted in the sound of gunfire on the train. and injured the suspect. Two innocent bystanders and one police officer Access to guns is an ongoing problem. Between January and June of this year Meanwhile, overall crime has decreased in certain neighborhoods. The same is true throughout New York City. The number of mass shooting victims increased 100 percent compared to the same period in 2023.
However, Carrington was eager to protect his homeland. and confirmed that it is far from a war zone as is often thought.
“There are a lot of great things that have come out of Brownsville, man, and it should shine just as bright as the negatives,” he said. “I have a lot of great memories just waking up or walking away. out Then someone walked out with a loudspeaker. Play music to make everyone feel good. and make everyone happy And people go out onto the balcony or next to the bench. Have fun and have fun.”
Suddenly, a specific memory of boxing came to mind.
“There will be times when people will eat a little meat,” he began, “and someone will go into the house, grab a pair of gloves, and make a little circle. Then let them fight in a circle. And sometimes the winner will be in there. And the next person will come along. Little things like that are great memories. The one I had in Brownsville.”
He said another happy memory of his hometown is the number of people who stood behind him and encouraged him to pursue whatever dreams took him.
“If they see that you are striving for something big, They will push you towards it. They come after you,” he explains. “I’ve never been in a situation where people tried to do drugs or drink or anything bad with me because they knew I was a boxer. They knew I was striving for something. And they respected that from the beginning. I remember that And I think that’s one of the main reasons why I have so much love and respect for Brownsville, even though I fought in the Golden Gloves. They came to me. Hundreds of people supported me even though I was an amateur. That is why I have nothing but love for Brownsville.”
In fact, it grew up in Brownsville. And having examples of stories like this to follow This is what made Carrington a boxer in the first place.
“I love boxing. I’ve been watching boxing since I was a kid,” he said. “Mike Tyson is from Brownsville. So he always had this larger-than-life figure. Therefore, when he fights, there will always be events. Everyone would be like, ‘Quiet, go into the house and look at Mike. Tyson brawls’ It was always something worth watching and that got me interested in boxing. Moreover, there was Zabjudah. I always like to watch him. And I would like to learn why this happens. Why do certain things work? Why aren’t some things working? What can this fighter do to win? What can this fighter do to get a knockout? I asked myself those questions. And that made me fall down the rabbit hole. I wouldn’t say I’m a perfectionist. But I try to be as perfect as possible.”
When it comes to being as perfect as possible Carrington takes great pride in his work ethic. From rushing 3s to obsessively watching your opponent’s video.
“It helped me a lot. Because I make sure I point my body and cross the T,” he said. “I study my opponent so much that I dream about the fight again and again. I also meditated about the struggle. How did they react? What are their personalities like? What improvements have they made? What is their strength? I miss all those things and I try to fix them. over and over again Until the point when it’s time to fight I know everything they can do and I have the answers from A to Z and then some.”
Intensive preparation Combined with his natural skills and abilities. It has seen Carrington quickly rise through the ranks in a division currently packed with top talent. The same goes for Nick Ball, Raymond Ford, Rafael Espinoza, Angelo Leo and Stephen. Fulton is among those fighting to be a top dog. There is also the possibility of another Japanese boxer moving up the division to join the party. But while Carrington hopes a win over Segawa will set him up for a title shot in 2025, he insists he is not worried about which contenders and title contenders in the division might be next.
“To be honest, there’s no one I’m really interested in,” he said. “I’m just ready to fight for the championship, whoever it is. I am highly ranked by all the sanctioning agencies. I’m really ready for each of them. I’m mentally ready. I have a ready body And I don’t think these fighters know what we have in store for them. We’re not keeping up with them. Things on TV. People might say they can do this. You can do that, but not when you step into the ring with me. It’s a completely different ball game. And I am ready for anyone.”
Of course, the perfect situation would be an early shot at the championship or defense. Make him come back to play at home again. Maybe this time it’s in the big room at Madison Square Garden or Barclays. Center in Brooklyn
“Absolutely!” he insists. “That’s exactly what I want to do. I truly pray that everything is successful. I work really hard. To make it happen And when it happens I will have the best performance of my life.”
Kieran Mulvaney writes, broadcasts and podcasts about boxing for HBO, Showtime, ESPN and Reuters, among other outlets. He also writes regularly for National Geographic and has written several books on the Arctic and Antarctic. And the happiest was hanging out with the polar bears. His website is www.kieranmulvaney.com
