Albert Bell replaces Joe Cordina to face Abdullah Mason July 4

Albert Bell will challenge Abdullah Mason for the WBO lightweight title on July 4 after Joe Cordina withdrew from the Cleveland bout with visa complications, Bad Left Hook reports.

The Welsh fighter had been scheduled to face Mason in the main event of a DAZN card that marks the first show under a new simulcast partnership with TNT. Bell, a Toledo native who had been preparing for an IBF eliminator against Andy Cruz on July 18, now gets an upgrade and a hometown opportunity.

Bell's path from Top Rank castoff to title shot

The 33-year-old Bell carries an unblemished 28-0 record with nine knockouts but never broke through during his time with Top Rank, where promoters viewed his defensive style as unsuited for broadcast television. He brings a tricky, awkward approach that represents a sharply different puzzle than Cordina would have posed for the 22-year-old Mason, who closed as a heavy favourite over the former two-time featherweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">super featherweight titlist.

Mason holds a 20-0 mark with 17 stoppages and defends his lightweight strap for the first time since claiming the vacant belt. The short-notice opponent switch carries risk for one of Top Rank's marquee young talents, but also gives him a chance to prove himself against a durable spoiler on two weeks' preparation.

The DAZN-TNT simulcast airs from Cleveland with Mason and Bell weighing in July 3.

Reported via:

• Bad Left Hook — Joe Cordina out, Albert Bell in to face Abdullah Mason