Bruce Carrington TKOs Jose Enrique Vivas in ROUND 3, Calls Out Ball and Fulton | FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS

Under the bright lights at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, the Brooklyn featherweight turned heads with a clinical third-round knockout of Mexico’s Jose Enrique Vivas (23-4, 12 KOs), becoming the first fighter to stop the durable veteran.

After two straight decision wins, Carrington (15-0, 9 KOs) came into Saturday night with pressure and purpose. His promotional company, Top Rank, is ready to push him into title territory this summer, and he needed a performance to match that trajectory.

He delivered.

Carrington starts quickly

Carrington took a measured approach early, baiting Vivas into range and feeling out the Mexican’s rhythm. Then, in Round 2, he struck. Fighting off the ropes, Carrington exploded with a straight right counter, dropping Vivas for the first time in the fight. The veteran beat the count, but he was shaken.

Vivas had no answer

The finish came just 53 seconds into Round 3. Carrington stepped in with a lead right hand that landed flush, followed by a left uppercut, stunning Vivas and forcing him to retreat with his guard high, but there was no answer. Sensing blood, Carrington followed up with more punches that made Vivas look like he didn’t want to be there—the referee saw it and stepped in to wave it off.

What's next for Bruce Carrington?

Carrington became the first man to stop Vivas, a fighter who’d gone the distance with contenders like Joet Gonzalez and Ruben Villa. With that knockout, the undefeated Brooklyn native put the featherweight division on notice.

During his post-fight interview with ESPN's Mark Krigel, Carrington made it clear he wants titleholders like Nick Ball, Stephen Fulton, and Rafael Espinoza next.

“I want all of the top champions—you already know. But I really do wanna be specific when I call these people out,” stated Carrington. “Nick Ball? Yeah, I want that [WBA title]. WBC, Stephen Fulton? Yeah I want that, let’s get this work in. I want to fight all y’all. I’m top five in all the sanctioning bodies right now, stop running, stop playing.”

Carrington didn't hold back when asked about his taller Top Rank stablemate Rafael Espinoza (26-0, 22 KOs). The taller (6'1) and current WBO featherweight champion remains in his sights.

"You know I’ll chop that tree down, too," Carrington said. "You know I’ve been here. I’ve been saying his name since last year. Stop playing. Listen, you got to ask him the question if he wants to fight me. That’s the real question." - 🥊