Abdullah Mason vs Albert Bell Preview: Cleveland Hosts Unbeaten Showdown on July 4

Cleveland gets a big night of boxing over the Independence Day weekend as hometown favourite Abdullah Mason headlines in front of his own fans against fellow unbeaten Albert Bell. With another world title fight in the co-feature and several unbeaten prospects looking to keep their momentum going, there’s plenty to keep an eye on from top to bottom.

Main Event: Abdullah Mason vs Albert Bell

On paper, this one has all the ingredients to be far more competitive than many expected just a couple of weeks ago.

Abdullah Mason (20-0-0) was originally preparing for a different challenge before unbeaten Cleveland native Albert Bell (28-0-0) stepped in. Bell has waited a long time for an opportunity of this size and has already made it clear he’s treating this as his chance to force his way into the lightweight picture.

Mason has looked like one of boxing’s brightest young talents, combining sharp shot selection with genuine finishing power, but Bell brings something different. He’s experienced, awkward at times, and knows exactly what a victory here would mean.

Fighting in front of a home crowd can lift a boxer, but it can also bring extra pressure. It’ll be interesting to see whether Mason starts quickly or takes his time breaking Bell down. Either way, this feels like the kind of fight that should tell us a lot more about where Mason is than another routine knockout would have.

Co-Main Event

Bruce Carrington (17-0-0) makes another appearance in a featured bout when he meets unbeaten challenger Rene Palacios (19-0-1).

Carrington has looked every bit a future star, but Palacios has quietly built an impressive unbeaten record of his own and arrives full of confidence. He’s already suggested people are overlooking him, so don’t expect him to turn up just to make the numbers. Carrington is rightly the favourite, but unbeaten fighters rarely hand over their records without a fight.

Other Key Fights

Two unbeaten welterweights collide when Delante Johnson (17-0-0) takes on Christopher Guerrero (16-0-0). Someone’s perfect record has to disappear, making this one of the more intriguing matchups on the card outside of the title fights.

At lightweight, Deric Davis (11-0-0) continues his development against experienced campaigner Carlos Ramos (18-4-1). Ramos has shared the ring with plenty of solid opposition, so Davis should get useful rounds if he can’t find an early finish.

Non-Title Undercard

The Mason family has a busy evening ahead.

Ibrahim Mason (2-0-0) faces Erik Hanley (1-2-0) in a four-round super featherweight contest as he looks to keep building experience in the paid ranks.

Meanwhile, Abdurrahman Mason (2-0-0) meets fellow prospect Alvaro Huizar Cabral (1-0-0) over four rounds at lightweight. With both men still at the start of their professional journeys, it’ll be interesting to see who takes the bigger step forward.

Closing Thoughts

Mason versus Bell is understandably grabbing the headlines, but this card has a nice mix of established champions, unbeaten contenders and prospects trying to make a statement. If everything goes to plan for the favourites, Cleveland could be celebrating a memorable night. If one or two unbeaten records disappear, it suddenly becomes one of the more talked-about shows of the weekend.

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