Abdullah Mason ready for any challenger after title defense

Abdullah Mason made it clear he's hunting for tougher fights after his weekend knockout retention of the WBO lightweight title.

The youngest world champion in boxing stopped his opponent in the 12th round Saturday, dropping him twice in the final frame before the referee waved it off. Mason told Bad Left Hook afterward that he had no doubt about the finish once he landed the second knockdown. "It was early in the round so even if he got back up, I definitely would've had more to put him down again," he said.

Mason calls out entire lightweight division

Asked who he wants next, Mason didn't hesitate. "Anybody. I got an appetite for smoke, like I said. So we going to see. But I'm ready, for sure."

The 20-year-old acknowledged he could have ended the fight earlier but chose to follow his corner's game plan, staying patient through the middle rounds. "Trust me, if that was anybody else it probably would've been over in seven, eight, nine [rounds]," Mason said, per the Bad Left Hook report. "I feel like I was up and I was hitting him and he wasn't returning the same shots that I was giving him, so I didn't feel the pressure or feel the need to really take those certain risks."

Once Mason decided to shift gears in the 12th, the result came fast. "As soon as I made that decision in my head, I flipped the switch and got it done," he said.

Mason's team has not announced a next opponent or date, but the champion said the work he's been putting in is showing where his ceiling could be.

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• Bad Left Hook — ‘I got an appetite for smoke’: Abdullah Mason says he’s ready for whatever comes next