Abdullah Mason’s name has some serious hype around it at the moment. At just 19 years of age, he seemingly can do a little bit of everything. Boxing from the outside and staying out of harm’s way appears to be his specialty but Mason also doesn’t seem to mind getting his hands dirty on the inside.
Last Saturday night, at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio, Mason blasted through longtime journeyman Alex de Oliveira, stopping him in the second round. Although fans are anxious to see him up his level of competition, Mason won’t let his newfound celebrity get to his head and rush the process.
“Right now, we’re moving at a great pace right now,” said Mason to a group of reporters.
Even if Mason (9-0, 8 KOs) is moved with a snail-like pace, he’s enjoying every minute of the ride he’s currently on. As for his future ambitions, Mason is keeping somewhat of a close eye on what’s taking place near the top of the lightweight division.
It’s entirely too early for Mason to even discuss the possibility of fighting for a world title. All four of the sanctioning bodies, the WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF – are all in agreement as Mason hasn’t been allotted a spot anywhere near their world rankings.
Presently, the lightweight division is stacked to the gills with top fighters and notable names. Of course, Shakur Stevenson, Devin Haney, Gervonta Davis, Vasiliy Lomachenko, and Frank Martin – to name a few, are all hovering near the top of the leaderboard.
Mason though, isn’t worried about any of those aforementioned names. So while the likes of Lomachenko and Haney are enjoying their moment in the sun, the 19-year-old firmly believes that one day, he’ll have boxing’s spotlight shining brightly upon him.
“Soon, it’s gonna come, soon.”