Norfolk, Va. – Abdullah Mason (19-0, 17 kos) made his first Saturday night headlines and he didn’t let him down. He showed off his excellent boxing skills and performed. Mason took apart Jeremia Nakathila’s 51.4% fist and landed him with a 75-26 hit rate. The battle was entered into the fifth round in one second because Nakathila said he was not good and could not see his left eye. Mason scored the ninth straight knockout score, and his overall elimination rate increased slightly to 89.4%.
WBO President Gustavo Olivieri posted on X: “Abdullah Mason looks better every time; sharper, smarter, and more dangerous. He is developing into a serious force… on his way to the WBO World Lightweight title.” He also posted the process of vacant titles. The WBO’s lightweight title became vacant when Keyshawn Davis failed to reduce 135 pounds by 4.3 pounds. The WBO vacancy process, emphasized by Olivieri:
1. Reply: Vacant WBO lightweight title (135 lbs).
For informational purposes, the WBO program when the title is vacant:
The Champions Committee selects two of the best available contenders (or in some cases the top four in the box office) to compete for the vacancy
2. Once a competitor is selected, they will be assigned up to 30 days to negotiate (order) to complete the contract for the title round and sign the contract.
3. If no agreement is reached within that period, the WBO president or any party can call the wallet to bid, which must occur 10 days after that.
4. Any party can call for wallet bids at any time during the negotiation stage.
5. If a wallet bid is held, the winner of the bid must make a round within a period of not less than 45 days or more than 90 days of the publicity right award.
WBO currently ranks number one in Sam Noakes, and Abdullah Mason ranks second in the lightweight rankings. If the top ranked fighters match each other as mentioned above, that would mean a battle between Noakes and Mason. The exact question was raised to Mason at a post-war press conference, saying it was the showdown he wanted. He wants to be a champion and claims he will fight anyone to become a champion. He is also willing to go to England to face Novax.
Mason seems to be ready for the next step. After his applause, he thought Norfolk was interested in the headlines in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. Everything is quickly pointing to the championship game. Abdullah’s future is very bright. He is a professional inside and outside the ring. He is committed to his craft and has received strong support from his family. His father and brother were always with him – at camp and fighting nights. Abdullah’s chances were earlier than expected, but now here, he must seize this moment and strive for greatness.
