Lightweight phenom Abdullah Mason (13-0, 11 KOs) will continue his path to a world title shot tonight at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey in an eight-round bout against Luis Lebron (20-5-1, 13 KOs).
(Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank)
If Mason can put in an impressive performance, he could steal the main event spotlight from homegrown fighter Shakur Stevenson in his WBC lightweight title defence against Artyom Harutyunyan.
Mason's fighting style would not make it difficult for him to outfox the defensive-minded Shakur, and Top Rank's decision to put the talented Abdullah Mason on the undercard was a disservice to Shakur because it gave fans something to compare him to. If he couldn't match up to the young star, he would risk losing fans.
The 20-year-old Mason has been busy this year, playing five games, and tonight's matchup with the more experienced LeBron will mark his third game of 2024, with the fourth scheduled for Aug. 17 in Quebec City.
Abdullah Mason is on another level compared to fighters who only fight once a year, but this is a way to become a star and grow at the same time. It requires ambition that many fighters lack. They want to make money and then sit back and enjoy themselves.
Mason weighed in at 134.8 pounds at Friday's weigh-in. LeBron weighed in at 135.8 pounds. Tonight's event will air on ESPN and ESPN+ starting at 8:30 pm ET/5:30 pm PT.
“He's the most experienced fighter I've ever fought. He's had as many knockouts as I have,” Abdullah Mason said of his eighth-round opponent on Saturday night, Luis Lebron, on the Goforit YouTube channel.
“We're not going to overlook him. He's here to fight and he's going to give it his all. We're going to take our time and do what we have to do. It's going to be very exciting,” Mason said when asked if it would be interesting to face a more experienced fighter.
LeBron is hoping Mason can go a few rounds before he loses because many of his opponents don't get past the early rounds, so Mason needs to face other top-ranked fighters like Keyshawn Davis and Raymond Matala.
“It's going to be an exciting fight. We're both fighters who love to fight. He's going to let his hands go, I'm going to let my hands go, and he's not going to back down,” Mason said. “So we're here to put on a show, and with the right training camp, I think I'll be ready to fight anyone.”
“It's a busy year, so I'd like to be able to compete in the world championships next year. I'm OK with being that busy. If I wasn't OK with it, I wouldn't do it,” Mason said of fighting five times in 2024.
If Mason wants to compete for a world title in 2025, he'll need to fight a step-up opponent in his next fight in August, because if he faces someone less skilled, he won't be ready.
“I just keep getting better and staying focused. With my brother and dad on my side, it's easy. That's the goal — to become world champion,” Mason said.
