Bruce Carrington Talks Final TR on ESPN Card, Aaron The Plumber Skit, Ring Ambassador & More

After Turki Alalshikh bought RING Magazine last year, he pledged to reinvent the brand and make it multidimensional. One of the ways he has done that is by signing fighters to RING Ambassador deals. In April, Bruce Carrington was announced as one of those ambassadors—though at the time, fans weren’t quite sure what that meant.

“The RING Ambassador is a great connection that was made as I will be able to get paid for just having the RING on my shorts and putting up posts on my (social media) page,” said Carrington. “It’s a great opportunity to be shown on such a big platform. I’m really happy that I’m being noticed in that way.”

And being noticed has become a theme for Carrington. From making his acting debut in The Featherweight film to building his social media presence, he’s found ways to reach audiences beyond boxing. One of those moments came through a collaboration with viral influencer Aaron The Plumber (real name: Aaron Sloan), whose Instagram following tops half a million. Together, they created a skit that introduced Carrington to an entirely new fan base.

“With Aaron the Plumber, I try to make little skits here and there to entertain a different type of demographic audience,” Carrington told FightsATW. “I’m happy to be able to connect with guys like Aaron the Plumber on something to step out of the boxing world. I’m more than boxing. I see myself doing other things outside of boxing like acting, cinematography, modeling, being in commercials, and maybe even being on a Wheaties box.”

The Last Dance on ESPN

The future of Top Rank’s television rights remains uncertain. Although Bob Arum told FightsATW that new deals would kick off in September, the silence since has been deafening. For Carrington, who’s thrived under the ESPN spotlight, Saturday’s fight carries a bittersweet weight.

“It’s a little unfortunate,” said Carrington. “I wish we could continue to have that partnership. We don’t know what the future holds. As of right now, it looks like we are going to be parting ways. ESPN and Top Rank have partnered up to produce such great fights, and I’m just happy to have been a part of it. I was on the SportsCenter Top Ten twice for a couple of my knockouts, so I don’t think I would be able to do that if it weren’t for ESPN and Top Rank. I feel like Top Rank knew what they were doing by putting me on the last card; leave with a bang.”

Is Bruce Carrington Being Avoided?

Being ranked number one across the four major sanctioning bodies usually signals a world title shot is near. For Carrington, not quite yet. Saturday’s bout will be for the interim title—but that hasn’t stopped him from voicing strong opinions about the division’s other champions.

“I genuinely believe that they don’t want to risk losing their titles. If they are willing to risk it, it’s against another champion. Business-wise, I guess it’s a smart idea; I get it, but I could care less. They are just in the way of what I’m trying to do, which is become one of the best featherweight champions of all time. 

“I feel like there has never been an undisputed featherweight champion, and that’s because a lot of these guys don’t want to unify. They are just trying to be careful and do the high-reward, but low-risk type of approach. I don’t respect that. You call yourself a champion, stand on that. I see myself as an old school fighter- four kings type of mentality. I’m just going to continue to expose the game when the time comes. 

Setting The Table For Fans Who Will Be Tuning In

On Saturday night, Carrington’s opponent, Heita—from Namibia, South Africa—will be making his U.S. debut. Carrington is not one to disrespect his rivals, but he is confident and competitive, and he has made his intentions clear. “I definitely plan on sending him back home empty-handed,” said Carrington. “I don’t like to predict knockouts, but he’s definitely getting a thrashing for sure.”

After all is said and done, Carrington hopes fans walk away with one thought: “Give Shu-Shu that world title shot. He deserves it; if ya don’t give it to him, ya ducking. Simple as that.”

Will Carrington steal the show Saturday on Top Rank’s final ESPN card? We will soon find out if it truly is “Shu-York City.”