Preview: Abdullah Mason vs Albert Bell

What storylines are at play when Abdullah Mason makes the first defense of his WBO lightweight title against Albert Bell on Saturday at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio?

On the surface, it is Mason’s (20-0, 17 KOs) homecoming, a 22-year-old KO artist who has climbed the ranks from the undercard to established champion in roughly three years. Now, Mason is getting a hometown fight on a huge platform – TNT Sports (DAZN worldwide). The bout will mark the return of boxing to network television, or at least male boxing, as Most Valuable Promotions has continued to run shows on ESPN, but they mostly, if not exclusively, feature women’s bouts on the television portion.

The bout takes place on the Fourth of July, a national holiday, and offers the best fight of the summer until the end of the month. So what should we know?

Meet America’s Newest Star? 

Mason is the organic prospect-to-star every promoter dreams of. He closed out his amateur career by winning a national tournament and defeating blue-chip prospect Joel Iriarte in the finals. He turned pro and has been a juggernaut. Premature comparisons to great fighters are flowing, but that speaks to his greatness.

Boxing is a science, but it isn’t the science that makes Mason great; it is his mentality. When he was dropped by Yohan Vazquez, he wanted his getback. When he is better than a fighter, he stops them. When he faced Sam Noakes for the title, he fought in the pocket, giving fans a great, action-packed fight, though it put him at risk.

Mason embodies talent and toughness. As we leave behind an era of businessmen-boxers and fighters cosplaying as wealth-fund managers at press events, Mason is simply a fighter. He wants to fight the best, even at a young age. A good performance here, and he is closer to joining the likes of David Benavidez and Gervonta Davis as one of the most entertaining fighters in the United States.

The Worst Late-Notice Replacement

Mason’s original opponent was Joe Cordina, a fighter most expected him to beat by stoppage. Now he faces Bell (28-0, 9 KOs), a much tougher fight and someone who has sparred him.

This is the most Mason thing ever. A hometown is in limbo because the original opponent can’t make it, so he takes the toughest available challenger.

You can’t teach character, and both Mason and Bell have that.

That said, Cordina is a two-time belt holder whose best days are likely behind him. He is limited in his approach and not as fast as Mason. It felt inevitable that a big shot would land on Cordina, as Mason would replicate the fireworks in the sky over Cleveland with his performance in the ring.

Bell is an avoided tall boxer who has been yearning for this moment. He was in Colorado Springs, Colorado, preparing for a title eliminator against Andy Cruz later this month. He accepted the Mason bout, which cut his camp short by two weeks.

Fear The Fighter Who Waited For A Title Shot

It has been seven years since Bell recorded his best win over unbeaten Andy Vences. That fight took place at 130 lbs; Bell recently moved up to lightweight after spending most of his career in the junior lightweight division, despite being 6 ft tall. He was ranked No. 1 in the junior lightweight rankings but failed to get a title shot. Now, it’s his chance.

A friend of mine pointed out a comparison between Eleider Alvarez, who waited a long time to land a title shot, and others. When he did, he stopped Sergey Kovalev. Bell thinks (and might know) this is it. He has one shot to prove he is a top-notch fighter; despite fighting nine times since 2022, there is little footage of his recent fighting style.

Both Have Crazy Reaches For The Weight Class

Mason has a 74-inch reach, and Bell has a 73-inch reach. For comparison, Mason’s reach matches that of heavyweight Andy Ruiz Jr and Jack Johnson, while Bell’s matches that of light heavyweights Ezzard Charles and Artur Beterbiev.

Not all reach is created equal, as you need proper extension on punches to maximize your distance, but this is a lightweight bout with both fighters having essentially heavyweight-like reach.

What Do The Eyes Tell Us? 

Unknown.

Mason is a pack of dynamite who can box but prefers to inflict pain. He can be wild at times and sensational at times. Bell can be a methodical boxer, or he can load up on one big punch.

With neither having a massive reach advantage, it is hard to visually see how the fight will play out.

My gut tells me this could be a “Fight of the Year”-type bout. It has the context of a local rivalry, Bell getting his first title shot, and Mason making his first title defense at home. A lot of pride will be on the line, and that should be good for fight fans.

What Do The Odds Say

Mason is the favorite, but the odds have tightened considerably since Bell was swapped out for Cordina, who was viewed as a “no-hoper” by the sportsbooks.

Lucas Ketelle

Lucas Ketelle is a boxing writer and podcaster who has appeared on various platforms throughout his career.

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