On paper, it was a snug victory. Contained in the ring, it was less convincing.
Carrington controlled much of the fight together with his jab, movement and combination punching, keeping Palacios at the top of his punches for long stretches. The unbeaten challenger had difficulty applying sustained pressure, allowing Carrington to dictate the pace over many of the 12 rounds.
The champion still had several uncomfortable moments.
Within the eighth round, Carrington went down from a right hand that landed to the side of his head. Referee Harvey Dock ruled it a slip after Carrington immediately protested that he had been hit behind the pinnacle, but replay angles appeared to indicate the punch landed legally. Had it been ruled a knockdown, the scorecards would have been considerably closer.
Palacios also had his best success within the eleventh round, landing two left hands upstairs before digging a tough left to the body that forced Carrington to bend over and hold. It was one in every of the few times within the fight that the champion looked genuinely hurt.
Carrington recovered to complete the bout strongly, however the performance stopped wanting the style of statement many expected.
The Brooklyn native has repeatedly expressed interest in facing undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue if the Japanese star moves as much as featherweight. Saturday’s performance is unlikely to extend demand for that fight or strengthen Carrington’s argument that he’s the division’s No. 1 featherweight.
As a substitute of a dominant title defense against a late substitute challenger, Carrington delivered an expert but uneven performance that left questions unanswered. He retained his belt and remained unbeaten, but he did little to separate himself from the remaining of the contenders at 126 kilos or construct momentum toward the marquee fights he has been searching for.
Before the fight, Carrington made it clear he wanted WBO champion Rafael Espinoza next. After Saturday’s performance, many fans still want the fight, but for a unique reason. Social media quickly full of posts urging Top Rank to “feed him to Espinoza,” reflecting the view that Espinoza, widely regarded by many as the very best featherweight within the division, can be a difficult project for Carrington based on what he showed against Palacios. Top Rank may not share that urgency after a title defense that did little to boost Carrington’s stock.