Abdullah Mason believes he’s now amongst the very best within the lightweight division after capturing the vacant WBO title with an entertaining, show-stealing victory over Sam Noakes on Turki Alalshikh’s November twenty second card in Riyadh.
Within the eyes of many fans, Mason’s fight against Noakes outperformed the headliner fight between Devin Haney and Brian Norman Jr., along with the co-feature bout between David Benavidez and Anthony Yarde.
The Sharks Await: Cruz, Tank & Foster
The query now is whether or not Top Rank, the promoters for the 21-year-old Mason (20-0, 17 KOs) will decide to put him in with the sharks within the 135-lb division, like these fighters:
- O’Shaquie Foster
- Andy Cruz
- Floyd Schofield
- Gervonta Davis
- William Zepeda
- Raymond Muratalla
I might add Shakur Stevenson to that blend, but his return to the lightweight division is iffy now that he’s chasing greatness/paydays outside of the burden class.
Top Rank could be taking a risk by allowing Abdullah to fight the highest talents at 135, putting him liable to losing to Cruz, Tank, and others at an early age. His entertaining form of fighting puts him within the firing line for shots.
“This can be a door opener to rather a lot more greatness. So now we’re just going to remain focused and keep improving,” said Abdullah Mason to Sky Sports Boxing.
We saw that in his victory over the heavy puncher Noakes last November. That fight was close, with Mason winning by the scores 115-113, 117-111, and 115-113. He was forced to box Noakes within the second half of the competition resulting from the punishment he was absorbing from the aggressive knockout artist.
Mason’s Style: Exciting but Dangerous
Mason could possibly be food for skilled fighters like Andy Cruz, Foster, and Zepeda. These are fighters which were across the game. Although Cruz has fought only six pro fights, his long amateur background in Cuba puts him on par with an expert fighter with a whole lot of experience.
“I feel like I’m considered one of the nice fighters in my division, and I’m going to maintain proving to be among the best fighters in my division,” said Mason.
“This can be a door opener to rather a lot more greatness. So now we’re just going to remain focused and keep improving.”
Last Updated on 12/11/2025