ABDULLAH MASON continued his ascent in the boxing world with a commanding victory over Jeremia Nakathila at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.
The 21-year-old southpaw stepped into the main event slot after the Keyshawn Davis-Edwin De Los Santos bout was cancelled. On Friday, Davis, the WBO lightweight champion, weighed in more than four pounds over the 135lb limit. Under WBO rules, he was stripped of his title – a reign that lasted just three months – leaving De Los Santos as the only fighter eligible to claim the belt. However, De Los Santos’s team opted not to proceed with the fight, despite attempts to negotiate a new agreement.
Mason, now 18-0 (16 KOs), could soon challenge for the vacant WBO lightweight title. Ranked #2 in the WBO lightweight division, just one spot below Britain’s Sam Noakes, the Ohio native showcased a performance that suggests he will be difficult to stop.
Early on, Mason targeted Nakathila’s body, visibly hurting the 35-year-old Namibian on multiple occasions. Mason’s devastating left hand, fast becoming one of boxing’s most formidable weapons, dominated the contest, leaving Nakathila with little response.
Nakathila, 26-4 (21 KOs), struggled to counter Mason’s relentless left hook, and his left eye began showing signs of damage. By the end of the fourth round, referee Chris Flores called for a ringside doctor to examine Nakathila’s eye. Moments later, the fight was stopped, securing Mason’s 18th consecutive victory in Keyshawn Davis’s hometown.
Speaking to the media afterwards, Mason outlined his ambitions: “We heading towards those titles. Whatever we can do to step forward and make that happen we gonna do that.
“We had to get Nakathila out the way first and we about to see what we can make happen.”
