Abdullah Mason believes he’s closing in on a world title shot — and he’s targeting none other than WBO lightweight champion Keyshawn Davis. The 21-year-old knockout artist is unbeaten in 18 fights, with 16 of those wins coming by stoppage, and he’s made it clear that Davis is one of the names he wants “soon.”
“I definitely want to fight with him as well as other fighters in my division,” Mason told Fighthype. “We’ve got other champions. Shakur Stevenson, we’ve got Tank Davis, and Raymond Muratalla is now a world champion.”
Though Mason exudes confidence, there’s little indication that a clash with Keyshawn is imminent. Mason was dropped twice in the first round of his fight against Yohan Vasquez last November, which showed the young contender still has areas to tighten before jumping in with elite-level opposition. Nevertheless, Mason insists his moment is coming. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to fight them, but it’s looking like it’s going to be real soon.”
For now, the Cleveland-born southpaw will feature on Davis’ undercard on June 7 at Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia, where he faces veteran Jeremia Nakathilia in a 10-round co-feature bout. Davis headlines the show in his WBO title defense against Edwin De Los Santos, live on ESPN and ESPN+.
Mason, ranked #4 by the WBC, may end up chasing the green belt instead. With Shakur Stevenson as the current WBC titleholder and likely less of a threat in terms of punching power than Davis or Gervonta “Tank” Davis, that could be a more realistic short-term path. “Whenever that [opportunity] comes my way, I’ll be prepared for it,” said Mason.
Nakathilia, however, isn’t to be overlooked. The 35-year-old Namibian has power in both hands and once went the distance with Stevenson. “He’s got to be prepared to come up short one more time, because I’m prepared to let my hands go,” said Mason.
Learn more about the upcoming Davis vs. De Los Santos event.
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