Offensively, Carrington has his work cut out for him. He picks up the pace, works on his body, and throws combinations with speed. Castro was forced back in several stretches while Carrington stayed with him and kept the exchanges lively.

Defensively, Carrington remains open.

Castro landed punches in most rounds, especially in the exchanges in the center of the ring. Carrington was hit on the throw and again at the end of his combination, allowing Castro to stay involved rather than get shut down.

The pattern is repeating itself. Carrington would push forward and set up the offense, then come back with clean shots. The game never got into a phase where Carrington controlled both the tempo and the exchanges.

Castro thus remained competitive. He generated enough offense to keep the game close and force Carrington into lengthy exchanges rather than short ones. Before the hiatus came, the scorecard wasn’t academic.

Carrington ended the fight in the ninth round. After sustained pressure, he pushed Castro to the ground, released his hands, and brought him down hard with a clean movement. The referee intervened to stop the fight.

The knockout rounds were timely and brutal. It helped Carrington win the WBC title and gave Garden fans the ending they wanted.

The overall performance is a harder sell.

Carrington is a champion now, but the version of him that emerged on Friday night didn’t force other featherweight title holders to hesitate. He can attack. He can finish. He didn’t consistently shorten exchanges or limit counterattacks.

The belt is his. The problem remains.

Winning a championship is one thing. It’s another thing to fight against fighters who don’t need nine rounds to punish defensive mistakes.

Carrington passed the test set before him. He failed the next, more difficult test.