“Friendliest Wave by a Straight Killer”: Bruce ‘Shu Shu’ Carrington Bowing to Naoya Inoue Sends Fans Into Frenzy

Last night, Bruce Carrington proved why his rise to success in the featherweight division was so rapid! Facing Brayan De Gracia, ‘Shu Shu’ started the fight with intrigue, letting his opponent do the work, but a fifth round knockdown tipped the fight in his favor, which eventually ended with a brutal knockout in the eight. However, things got even more interesting when he bowed in respect to the legend sitting ringside, Naoya Inoue. 

It’s long been speculated that after conquering the super bantamweight division, the ‘Monster’ would move to featherweight, where Bruce Carrington is ranked 7th, 12th and 4th by WBC, IBF and WBA respectively. So, seeing the respectful gesture from ‘Shu Shu’ towards Inoue after the fight at Madison Square Garden, fans couldn’t help but speculate a potential fight in the future.

Bruce Carrington vs. Brayan De Gracia: A visa snafu to a heartfelt exchange

Hours after the fight concluded, ESPN Ringside took to Instagram, sharing the moment Bruce bowed down to Inoue from the ring with the Japanese boxer waving back in response. They captioned the post, “Shu Shu bowed to Naoya Inoue after his knockout win”. However, the fight might not have happened if it weren’t for De Gracia.

The 30-year-old was summoned to replace Enrique Vivas in the fight, after Vivas failed to acquire a visa to appear in the ring against Carrington. Nevertheless, during the post fight interview, Carrington said, “He came to watch me” reacting to his heartfelt exchange with the undisputed super bantamweight champion after the fight. However, he wasn’t alone in reacting to the encounter, as fans expressed their thoughts in the comments of the post. 

Fan thought Naoya Inoue looked like a proud mother

Such moments in boxing are rare, but not extinct, so it goes without saying that the encounter drew a plethora of diverse reactions from fans. One user praised Inoue’s response to Carrington when the Japanese boxer waved back at Carrington. The user wrote, “Inoue gave such a wholesome wave”. In Japanese culture, bowing is a sign of respect. So, if Carrington aimed to impress the undefeated boxer, he nailed it with that gesture.

Meanwhile, this user, speculating what a fight between Inoue and Carrington would look like, suggested the ‘Monster’ would decimate ‘Shu Shu’ in a fight. “Inoue would absolutely kill Shu Shu”, the user remarked. However, Carrington might not have been looking for a challenge quite yet, given a lack of opponents in his resume. 

The next user pointed out Inoue’s reaction to Carrington made him seem like a proud mother, happy for his son’s success. “Boy waved like he was a proud mama inna crowd”, commented the user. If things go right for Carrington in the future, Inoue might not be ringside, rather in the ring with him.

Even the next user thought Inoue’s wave back was the friendliest gesture, which is contrary to Inoue’s reputation in the ring. The user wrote, “The friendliest wave by a straight killer! Lol”. In fact, the ‘Monster’ has an 88.89% knockout ratio, and he dropped his last opponents three different times during the fight. 

Another user thought Carrington was trying to secure a fight deal with Inoue, despite knowing he would get knocked out if they fought. The user remarked, “How to pray to be knocked out for pay day”. However, a fight between them wouldn’t really make sense because of the sheer difference in experience between the fighters.

Bruce Carrington must have felt elated about his latest win, but fans seem more excited about his encounter with Naoya Inoue. While this probably won’t lead to a matchup between them anytime soon, such moments can define a boxer’s best memories in the sport. What did you think about their exchange?