The most thrilling and evenly matched fight of last night’s spectacular event in Riyadh was the one for the vacant WBO lightweight world title between the unbeaten Abdullah Mason (USA) and Sam Noakes (United Kingdom). Mason came out on top on points, and at just 21 years of age he has already managed to claim a world championship belt. The American fully deserved the verdict, but his indomitable co-challenger must be credited for pushing him extremely hard. Here are the official scorecards, all in favor of the winner: 115–113, 117–111, and 115–113.
Fighters blessed with exceptional hand speed are usually almost “untouchable” during the early rounds, when their energy level is at its peak and their punches fire with the same reactivity with which a cobra strikes its prey. Abdullah Mason is unquestionably part of this category, and he proved it once again yesterday.
During the first three rounds, the fight was a nightmare for Noakes: despite generously trying to bring the battle to his rival, the Englishman was constantly beaten to the punch by Mason’s sharp right jab and lightning-fast left hands. The peak of his struggles came in the third round, when a brutal left uppercut to the chin forced him to step back and an accidental clash of heads opened a nasty cut near his left eye.
However, the Queensberry Promotions fighter didn’t let himself be discouraged and tried everything he could to get back into the contest. Realizing he couldn’t compete in terms of timing and speed, Noakes began to throw himself onto his opponent in order to impose his physical strength at close range.
It may not have been the height of elegance, but the Englishman’s work paid off, rebalancing a fight that seemed destined to take a very ugly turn.
Mason quickly understood that landing occasional single shots—however spectacular and effective—would not be enough to quell the fire of his relentless rival, and he was forced to give more continuity to his actions, much to the delight of the crowd in attendance.
After the midway point, twice Noakes saw rounds slip from his grasp: Mason erupted in the final minute with deadly two-handed combinations that nullified the admirable efforts made by the Englishman in the earlier phases of those sessions.
Despite his efforts being canceled out with the same punctuality with which Penelope unraveled her own tapestry each night after weaving it by day, Noakes never stopped trying with all he had—marching forward relentlessly and showing that he was willing to absorb venomous counters just to land his own shots.
Among the rare moments in which the Englishman was forced to retreat against his will came the end of the tenth round, when a devastating offensive by Mason brought the crowd to its feet and almost suggested the possibility of a late stoppage. The fight, however, continued all the way to the final scheduled round.
It was precisely the final round that further highlighted Mason’s talent and character. Even though he might have thought he held a slight lead, the American didn’t want to leave any room for doubt and applied strong pressure over the last three minutes, advancing behind a high guard and trading without holding back.
Personally, I place myself somewhere between the two judges who scored it by only two points and the one who saw a six-point margin. My score is 116–112 for Abdullah Mason, who deservedly climbed onto the world throne after an intense and demanding fight that will surely serve as a valuable experience for his future.
As for Sam Noakes, he has nothing to reproach himself for: the Englishman gave everything he had in the ring, earning the applause and appreciation of the crowd, and after this performance he will surely receive more opportunities to compete in high-profile bouts. Unfortunately for him, last night he faced a more talented and more complete opponent.