Abdullah Mason: The Next Big Thing In Boxing
Abdullah Mason is seen as one of the rising prospects in boxing as we look at his growth.
The 20-year-old fights in the lightweight division. He has mustered up a 16-0 record, with 14 wins by knockout. He has a good amateur career. Mason won the 2017 National Junior Championships and a 2021 USA Boxing Youth National Title. He ended his amateur career with a 65–15 record. He decided to become a professional and signed with Top Rank. His debut occurred on the Mikaela Mayer vs Maiva Hamadouche card against Jaylan Phillips. Mason stopped his opponent in the second round to announce himself to the pro ranks.
He has already fought on big stages, appearing on the Oscar Valdez vs. Shakur Stevenson card. Mason took on Luciano Ramos, stopping him in the first round. He would then appear on the Devin Haney vs. Vasiliy Lomachenko card. Haney was defending his Undisputed Lightweight Title, exposing Mason to an even bigger stage. He delivered as he stopped Desmond Lyons in round six. His last performance was a second-round KO win against Yohan Vasquez. However, Mason did have to get off the canvas twice, which was a big learning curve.
Mason’s Last Fight
“This last fight has made me realize more than anything that boxing is mental. It’s all mental. The physical aspect, the fighting aspect, the training aspect, the gameplan aspect, being in shape is one thing, but when you’re mentally locked in, it takes everything to a whole other level,” Mason said
But that win meant he had stopped his last six opponents. The last time he did not get a stoppage was against Cesar Villarraga. Mason is still 20 years old, meaning there is no need to rush him into the big fights. He has fought five times this year, making him one of the most active fighters. Top Rank is known for keeping their best fighters busy, something which Keyshwan Davis has also benefitted from. Mason will also be in a good position to fight for world titles later down the line, having been in the presence of a world champion.
Shakur Stevenson, who is a three-weight world champion, was with Top Rank before he decided to sign with Matchroom. Mason also knows that the other champions in the division have other things to focus on. The WBA Lightweight Champion, Gervonta Davis, is 30 years old and has been criticized for not facing the big names.
Mason’s Aim
Tank has more pressure to face names such as Haney and Shakur, meaning the pressure is off Mason to pursue those fights. Loma, who is the IBF Lightweight Champion, has spoken about possibly retiring. With the big names potentially not having long left once Mason gets into prime, the future looks bright. Mason has said the aim is to become a world champion.
“Oh yeah, of course. Every time I step out there everyone has a little more to say. They want to see more, or they start putting names out there or want to see me with certain world championship fighters. We know that it’s growing. It’s coming. But that’s what we’re looking for, that world championship, so we are just inching closer and closer to the titles and we’re gonna keep on putting on the same performances and keeping everyone excited so I can keep growing,” Mason added
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