‘Shu Shu’ has drive for Gloves
WHEN BRUCE (Shu Shu) Carrington is in the ring, he still thinks about his brother.
“He was my walking billboard,” Carrington says now, a little more than two years after 20-year-old Michael Hayden was senselessly murdered while walking home from a video store the week of Thanksgiving. “He was my biggest fan.”
Hayden could often be seen sitting ringside, wearing hats or sweaters with the logo of Team Carrington, the brand his brother created.
“Even on a regular day he would wear Team Carrington, promoting me wherever he went,” Carrington said.
A few months after Hayden’s death, Carrington entered the Golden Gloves tournament for the first time. He struggled to stay focused, knowing that his biggest supporter was no longer there to watch him.
“My mind wasn’t focused on tournaments. I didn’t go to school for a good month because I didn’t want to approach people,” Carrington said. “They heard about the story, and people would come up to me and say sorry. I understood they were mourning with me, but you just don't wanna hear that. There was a lot going on in those months.”
Carrington ended up losing in those 2015 Gloves finals, and he knew he had more to prove. After a year of intense training, with the memory of his brother still serving as motivation, Carrington got his redemption by winning the 132-pound open title.
His amateur career has taken flight from there. He has competed at the national level and was an alternate for the 2016 Olympic team after winning bronze at the trials. Though it was a disappointment not to get a traveling spot in his weight class, Carrington has his sights set on making the 2020 team, which would help him check off the final box of an already illustrious amateur resume.
“I feel there’s so much more you can learn in the amateur game,” Carrington said. “It takes sometimes years to see competition when you’re fighting pro. As an amateur you’re fighting the best of the best, you can’t run away from guys. You’re fighting the Floyds and the Pacquiaos of your weight class all the time.”
There’s still a long road ahead leading to the 2019 Olympic qualifiers, and Carrington has extreme confidence heading into this year’s Gloves. He knows his brother is still cheering Team Carrington all the way.
“I know for a fact he wanted this for me,” Carrington said. “It’s extra motivation because I feel like when I think about him, there’s something that comes over me. I have something to fight for more than just myself.”
PHYSICALS: Today is the last day for registration physicals. The last person will be checked in at 8 p.m. Opening night is Feb. 6 at B.B. King Blues Club in midtown.