Abdullah Mason, who is the undefeated lightweight champion, says he will be ready to compete for the world title next year with 135 runs against anyone in this division.
The undefeated 20-year-old Mason (13-0, 11 KOs) fights this Saturday, July 6, against Luis Lebron (20-5-1, 13 KOs) in an eight-round bout on the half-card televised on ESPN at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Mason is fighting Shakur Stevenson’s WBC lightweight title against Artem Harutyunyan. In terms of entertainment value, Mason’s battle against Lebron should be more exciting for fans than the main event between Shakur and Harutyunyan.
Lebron has never been outdone, and it would speak volumes for Mason’s talent if he could be the first to stop the Puerto Rican slugger on Saturday night.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum hasn’t said how long it will be before Mason is at the top of his cards, but it should happen soon once he starts matching up with top contenders.
It is possible that Mason will be avoided as Shakur did not survive but for a different reason. Fighters won’t want to fight Mason because of the high risk and low reward of facing a big puncher.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Abdullah Mason told Fighthype when asked if he sees himself fighting five times in 2024. “I’m not sure. [how long he can continue fighting this frequently]. Every time I go in there, the competition grows.”
It would be interesting if Arum compared Mason to former United lightweight champion George Kambosos Jr. to see how well he did against him. Kambosos would be a good test for Mason and an excellent gauge of how he is progressing.
“Some fighters need more time to prepare, but we make sure we’re busy, and we make sure we don’t compromise or anything like that. So, we’re just focused,” said Mason.
“I’m hoping for next year,” Mason said when asked when he believed he would win the lightweight title. “We are taking our time, but we are always focused. We are always growing and getting closer and closer. So, hopefully, sometime next year, we’ll be ready for that.”
Mason looks ready to face Shakur for his WBC belt and spear him with his straight shots. Shakur has been complaining about not getting anyone to fight him, but Mason will be ready to take on the defensive singer.
“I believe they see what I see. I believe that I am better than everyone who comes. So, I believe that people see what I see. When I am put to sleep, I will testify to the people. Anyone in my category can be my opponent,” said Abdullah Mason.
No one doubles Mason’s level of talent in the division. But he won’t be on the fans’ radar until Top Rank matches him with a better team and puts him in a higher position or co-op feature instead of keeping him lower on their cards.
“We are just focused and ready. There are no specific names I want to call out right now, but once you get to the top, you should be good for anyone. “I’m on my way there, and when I get there, I’ll be ready for anybody,” Mason said.
“That’s his idea. I see that I am a star from Top Rank, and if what he sees, that is what he sees,” said Mason about Teofimo Lopez saying that he is the last in Top Rank.
WBO light welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez seemed confused when he commented on himself as the last star in Top Rank.
Teofimo had recently struggled to beat rival Steve Claggett in their June 29 fight, and was unwilling to concede the presence of a talented youngster like Abdullah Mason who was on the rise.
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