Boxing

Rafael Espinoza vs Bruce Carrington Should Be Next

Rafael Espinoza's win on Sunday should set the table for a huge fight vs. Bruce Carrington later this year.
Nathaniel Marrero|
Rafael Espinoza lands a left hook to the body vs Edward Vazquez
Rafael Espinoza lands a left hook to the body vs Edward Vazquez | Mikey Williams/Top Rank

There often comes a point where one fight makes the most sense for both fights.

For Rafael Espinoza and Bruce Carrington, facing each other the next time they step into the ring makes all of the sense in the world for both fighters.

Espinoza made the third defense of his WBO featherweight title on Sunday when he stopped a game Edward Vazquez in the 7th round at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The towering 6-foot-1 champion showed his patented pressure and volume and other aspects of his game, fighting more off his back foot as he eventually broke Vazquez down before referee Harvey Dock stopped the fight.

“In order for a new Mexican idol to be born, I’ll need to fight against the best," Espinoza said after the win. "So, I’m here. I’m the champion and I’m here to fight against the best.”

Espinoza (27-0, 23 KOs) may very well be the best of the champions in a really good 126-pound division. Any unification bout between Espinoza, Angelo Leo (IBF), Nick Ball (WBA) and Stephen Fulton would make for a great matchup. However, a potential fight between Carrington and Espinoza may very well be the best fight that can be made at featherweight.

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Carrington (15-0, 9 KOs) elevated his game to another level in his last fight when he became the first man to beat Enrique Vivas via stoppage when he stopped him in the third round on March 29 in Las Vegas. After the impressive stoppage victory, Carrington called for a fight against any of the four champions, including Espinoza.

"I'll chop that tree down too," Carrington said of Espinoza after his win over Vivas. "I've been here. I've been saying his name since last year. Stop playing. Listen, you gotta ask him the question if he wants to fight me. That's the real question. I've been saying I've been wanting to fight everybody. I'm not ducking nobody. Y'all some champions, y'all call yourself champions, come fight the best."

Carrington is ranked No. 1 by the WBO and WBC, No. 2 by the WBO and No. 4 by the IBF.

A matchup between Espinoza and Carrington has the makings of a Fight of the Year contender. Carrington can stick and move, and he's also more than capable of standing his ground, making his opponents miss and making them pay. Espinoza's offense is his best defense, but he's proven to have a good chin and is often dishing more punishment than he's taking.

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Carrington would likely be the hardest puncher Espinoza has faced and if the former can effectively counter him with big shots, it could turn the fight on its head and send a shockwave through the featherweight division.

Espinoza is an anomaly, standing at 6-foot-1 and fighting at 126 pounds. His pace and volume are his best weapons and having to prepare for a fighter of his stature and style is a nightmare for anyone. Carrington is a big featherweight at 5-foot-8, but even he's small compared to Espinoza.

Carrington hasn't fought anyone at Espinoza's level yet, and so a potential fight against the latter would be the ultimate litmus test on whether he can hold his own with the best of the best at featherweight. Espinoza's pressure and punching power could prove to be too much for everyone at 126 pounds, including Carrington.

If there's anything to take away from this past weekend with Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia and boxing's lengthy history as a whole, it's often best to go straight into a big fight rather than waiting and hoping both fighters keep winning.

Espinoza vs Carrington is one of the better fights that can be made in boxing, and if they were to meet later this year, it could answer who is the top guy at featherweight.

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Nathaniel Marrero
NATHANIEL MARRERO

Nathaniel Marrero is a writer for the Boxing, Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Ravens On SI sites. He's also written for the Orlando Sentinel and MLB.com, and was a part of UCF's sports show, Hitting The Field. He attended UCF and graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2023. Twitter/X: Nate_Marrero

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