On offense, Carrington did his job. He drove the pace, worked the body and threw combinations with speed. Castro was forced backwards during several stretches while Carrington stayed on him and kept the exchanges active.
Defensively, Carrington stayed open.
Castro landed punches in most rounds, especially during exchanges in the center of the ring. Carrington was hit while throwing and again after his combinations ended, allowing Castro to remain engaged rather than being shut down.
That pattern repeated itself. Carrington would push forward and build attack, then take clean shots that come back. The fight never settled into a stretch where Carrington controlled both the pace and the exchanges at the same time.
Castro therefore remained competitive. He got enough offense to keep rounds close and forced Carrington into extended exchanges rather than short ones. The scorecards weren’t academic until the break.
Carrington ended the fight in the ninth round. After sustained pressure, he pinned Castro and let his hands go, landing a clean streak that dropped him hard. The referee stepped in to stop the match.
The knockout was real. It was controlled, well timed and final. It secured Carrington the WBC title and gave the Garden crowd the finish they wanted.
The performance as a whole was a harder sell.
Carrington is now a champion, but the version of him that arrived on Friday night is not one that makes other featherweight titleholders hesitate. He can attack. He can finish. He didn’t consistently shorten turnovers or limit rebounds.
The belt is his. The questions remain.
Winning a title is one thing. Holding it against fighters who punish defensive mistakes without needing nine rounds is yet another.
Carrington passed the test presented to him. He did not pass a more difficult one that will come next.
