It was a lively night of boxing yesterday, promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank, which has recently seen Italian heavyweight Guido Vianello leave its stable. Although the Wolstein Center in Cleveland is not one of the iconic venues of American boxing, it was packed to the rafters to support hometown favorite Abdullah Mason (21-0, 18 KOs).
The main event featured Mason making the first defense of his WBO lightweight title. He had originally been scheduled to face Joe Cordina, who was ultimately unable to enter the United States after his visa application was denied. Albert Bell (28-1, 9 KOs) stepped in as a replacement and delivered an outstanding performance before eventually losing by technical knockout in the final round.
The co-main event saw Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (18-0, 10 KOs) defend his WBC featherweight title against René “Zurdo” Palacios (19-1-1).
Carrington successfully completed the second defense of his belt after twelve rounds, earning a unanimous decision by scores of 116-112, 117-111, and 118-110.
Carrington vs. Palacios
The opening round was entirely a feeling-out process. Fighting from the southpaw stance, “Zurdo” tried to apply pressure with measured footwork, while “Shu Shu” controlled the distance with his jab.
In the second round, Carrington began putting together quick, accurate two-handed combinations. The American’s jab was dominant, and he also claimed the third round almost exclusively behind a jab that cracked like a whip.
Carrington showcased remarkable quality throughout the early stages of the fight. His defense was nearly flawless, his counters were almost impossible to see, and his jab completely neutralized Palacios, who seemed unable to take the initiative or find an answer to it.
The momentum shifted in the middle rounds, however, as the Mexican stepped up the pace. He advanced behind relatively few combinations, but each one was thrown with full commitment. By applying more pressure, Palacios managed to land a couple of solid right hands on the champion, who appeared to absorb them without much trouble.
In the eighth round, Palacios landed a right hook behind Carrington’s head. The American went down, but the referee correctly chose not to administer a count because the punch was illegal. It was a difficult situation to judge, as Carrington had turned his head just before impact, but the hook nevertheless landed illegally.
After dominating the first half of the bout, “Shu Shu” found himself dealing with relentless pressure from an increasingly aggressive “Zurdo,” who continued marching forward regardless of Carrington’s counters. The American, however, remained calm and composed.
Palacios became unstoppable over the final two rounds, forcing Carrington to endure six difficult minutes. The Mexican suddenly took command with sustained two-handed combinations, driving his opponent back onto the ropes.
The late rally ultimately fell short of producing a new champion. Carrington completed his second successful title defense as expected, although not without encountering serious danger in the closing stages.
Mason vs. Bell
The fight opened with both men carefully studying each other while immediately trying to establish their preferred range. The level of concentration from both fighters was evident.
During the early rounds, Bell made good use of his reach, although he was not always able to land accurately despite Mason struggling to seize the initiative.
In the fourth round, Mason became more aggressive, but Bell remained composed and repeatedly answered with a sharp right hand that frequently found its target. Mason continued searching for the correct distance, relying heavily on his jab.
The pace increased in the fifth round. Mason attempted to push the action, but Bell’s timing on the counter was extraordinary, giving the champion serious problems. The challenger’s right hand remained a constant weapon throughout the sixth round as well.
It was after the seventh-round bell that Mason truly began to raise his intensity, finally landing meaningful punches while maintaining constant pressure. The hometown fighter appeared to have found his rhythm, increasing both his punch output and his fighting spirit.
By the eighth round, it was clear that Mason had fully settled into the fight. Compared with the opening rounds, he looked like a completely different boxer—far more aggressive and far more effective. The turnaround was remarkable. Bell, who had boxed brilliantly early on, now seemed to feel every punch Mason landed and no longer had enough left to contain the champion.
Then, in the final minute, the unexpected happened.
Immediately after the bell to begin the last round, Mason landed a left hook that visibly hurt Bell. Two lightning-fast hooks followed, sending the challenger to one knee. Bell got back up and appeared capable of continuing, slipping punches and tying Mason up. Moments later, Mason landed another left hook. Bell was then pushed before falling to the canvas once more, and instead of issuing a count, the referee waved the fight off.
The youngest world champion thus completed the first defense of his title.
Recently we have become accustomed to controversial stoppages that spark debate. Personally—and unlike many other situations in which I tend to agree with the referee—I would have preferred to see Bell given the opportunity to beat a full count before deciding whether he was truly unable to continue.
Speaking after the fight, Mason explained that his strategy had been to wait patiently for the right moment to attack, and that was exactly how the bout unfolded. Those comments reflected a level of ring maturity well beyond his years, an encouraging sign for the future. Considering both his age and the caliber of opponents he has already faced, there is now considerable anticipation surrounding his next challenges.