Madison Square Garden—–With the watchful eyes of four-division champion Naoya Inoue on the sidelines, Bruce Carrington showcased his boxing prowess on Saturday night with an eighth-round TKO victory over replacement opponent Brayan De Gracia at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Carrington (12-0, 8 KOs) acknowledged Inoue’s presence, noting the undisputed junior featherweight champion’s support following his dominant performance. Inoue’s attendance fuels speculation of a potential move to featherweight by 2025.
The 31-year-old Inoue (27-0, 24 KOs), who currently holds all four belts in the weight class just below the featherweight division 126 at super bantamweight 122 was interviewed before the fight, and he said he’s not ready to move up yet.
“When I’m ready to go up in weight and when my body is ready,” said Naoya Inoue to Top Rank Boxing before the Carrington-De Gracia fight if he’d be interested in moving up to 126 soon
Making his professional debut in January 2023, Carrington’s rapid ascent was evident in his decisive finish, prompting the referee to intervene as De Gracia (29-4-1) could no longer effectively respond to Carrington’s onslaught of punches.

Despite De Gracia’s reputation as a formidable opponent with a high knockout ratio, Carrington’s experience and strategic prowess allowed him to dismantle his opponent methodically, culminating in a fifth-round knockdown and a relentless barrage of punches.
Throughout the bout, Carrington capitalized on openings, landing powerful blows to weaken De Gracia’s defenses and reduce his punching activity. Despite De Gracia’s initial aggression, Carrington’s calculated approach gradually wore down his opponent in each rounds, culminating in a series of devastating blows in the later rounds.
Despite attempts by De Gracia to adjust his strategy and conserve energy, Carrington’s relentless assault proved too much, ultimately leading to a decisive victory and earning the admiration of onlookers hoping a fight with the esteemed Naoya Inoue.