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Real or not: Will 'Shu Shu' get a title? Can Paul win again? Crawford-Ennis?

Friday night's card at The Theater inside Madison Square Garden in New York features a world champion defending his title in the main event and a co-main event in which a young fighter could make the jump from top prospect to title contender (ESPN/ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET).

O'Shaquie Foster defends his WBC junior lightweight title against Abraham Nova. Could a decisive victory put Foster as the fighter to beat in a crowded 130-pound division? It's not as easy as it sounds, with many talented fighters like Joe Cordina, Lamont Roach and Emanuel Navarrete holding the rest of the titles.

The co-main features Bruce "Shu Shu" Carrington, who fought five times in 2023 and scored five wins with 3 KOs. Friday's bout will be a 10-round affair against Bernard Angelo Torres, and another standout moment could signify that he has the talent to compete with the best in the 126-pound division. His promoter, Top Rank, has invested in the division, and there will be many opportunities for him to grab a belt in the future. Is 2024 the year?

Unified welterweight champion Terence Crawford will definitely have a title fight this year, but with his rematch with Errol Spence Jr. off, is a matchup against Jaron "Boots" Ennis a possibility? With talks of "Bud" moving up in weight, is there a matchup with undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez on the horizon?

Former title challenger Joseph "JoJo" Diaz is still looking to bounce back. Could it happen? And can Jake Paul beat another "real" boxer in his next bout?

Mike Coppinger, Nick Parkinson and Damian Delgado Averhoff answer these questions and more, trying to separate what's real and what's not.

Real or not: Bruce "Shu Shu" Carrington will fight for a featherweight title in 2024

Real. Carrington appears to be on track to fight for a world title this year. And his promoter, Top Rank, can easily support that given their heavy investment in the featherweight division (they have a deep roster of top featherweights).

Next month, the promotion will stage a featherweight title doubleheader, and "Shu Shu" could certainly vie for one of those two belts later this year. If Luis Alberto Lopez retains his IBF title against Reiya Abe on March 2, Carrington could get a shot at Lopez for his first title opportunity, whether it's late in 2024 or in 2025.

There's also the winner of the March 2 fight between Ray Ford and Otabek Kholmatov for the vacant WBA title. Rey Vargas defends the WBC title against Nick Ball on March 8 on the Anthony Joshua-Francis Ngannou undercard, while Rafael Espinoza is expected to defend his WBO belt in a rematch against Robeisy Ramirez.

So far, Carrington has looked like a future champion between his aggressiveness, athleticism and boxing ability. But the 26-year-old from Brooklyn will need to step up his competition a couple of levels before he's truly ready to vie for a title. -- Coppinger

Tags: Box-Pro

Category: Box-Pro