Mason Stops Bell in Round 12 to Retain WBO Title

Abdullah Mason, the 22-year-old WBO lightweight champion, stopped Albert Bell at 0:45 of Round 12 on Saturday night at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, retaining his title via technical knockout after sending the challenger to the canvas twice in the final frame.

Bell Controls the Opening Half, Mason Adjusts

The fight did not unfold on Mason's terms across all 12 rounds. Bell, a 33-year-old orthodox fighter from Toledo who entered the night unbeaten at 28-0 with nine knockouts, controlled the opening half of the contest. The taller fighter used his reach and a sharp right hand to keep the champion at bay, and ESPN reported that Bell led on one card and was level on two after six rounds.

Mason adjusted. Through the middle and championship rounds, he began landing the left hand more consistently and targeting the body. By Round 8, Bell was absorbing more punishment and moving less freely. Mason told reporters after the fight that his corner informed him he was behind on the cards heading into the final round a message that proved incorrect when the official tallies emerged, but one that sharpened his urgency.

Seconds into Round 12, Mason landed a straight left hand that buckled Bell and sent him into the ropes, where a combination put him down. Bell beat the count. He moved forward and attempted to clinch, but Mason met him with a left hook at close range and Bell went down a second time. Referee Mark Nelson waved it off without a count, and Bell, visibly frustrated, made clear he disagreed with the decision.

The stoppage time was 0:45. Official scorecards at the point of the finish read 106-103, 107-102, and 107-102, all for Mason, according to ESPN's post-fight report.

The Stoppage Debate

Nelson's decision to call the fight without giving Bell a count after the second knockdown drew immediate criticism. The Bleacher Report live blog described it as "a very questionable call" and stated that "Bell deserved a count." Forbes called it "a dreadful stoppage," while Bad Left Hook assessed it as "questionable, but Bell was also looking completely finished."

The scorecards make the dispute largely academic. Mason held a lead on all three cards at the stoppage. To win on points, Bell would have needed to outscore Mason by margins that, given his condition in the final round, were not realistic.

Bell confirmed in his post-fight interview that his nose was damaged midway through the contest, which affected his breathing and contributed to his fade in the later rounds.

Mason addressed the finish directly with reporters. "I felt great, we had a game plan," he said, as reported by Bad Left Hook. "I was kind of shy to go upstairs most of the fight, I wanted to get him out of there to the body. They told me late that I was down on the cards when I wasn't, and I just went upstairs, and that's how we got him out of there."

He added of Bell: "He's a great opponent, he doesn't make a lot of mistakes, he uses his reach well. I knew it was going to be a great fight, I just had to take my time. He's got the skills to become a world champion, but I wasn't going to let it happen on my watch."

Records, Weights, and Title History

Mason improves to 21-0 with 18 knockouts, an 86 percent knockout rate. Top Rank promotes him as boxing's youngest active male world champion. The WBO's official June 2026 ratings list Mason as champion with the lightweight division limit set at 135 lb (61.24 kg).

Bell drops to 28-1 with nine knockouts. He entered the bout as the WBO's sixth-ranked lightweight contender after stepping in as a late replacement for Joe Cordina, the Welsh former IBF champion who was denied a U.S. visa. Top Rank announced the change on June 26, eight days before the fight. Both fighters made weight Mason at exactly 135 lb, Bell at 134.9 lb per Top Rank's official weigh-in results.

The matchup carried an added dimension: Mason and Bell had sparred before their careers diverged. "It's a little awkward... That's definitely my guy, but boxing is boxing," Mason said before fight week in an interview with Ariel Helwani.

This was Mason's first successful defense of the WBO title he claimed by unanimous decision over Sam Noakes in Riyadh on November 22, 2025 a result covered by ESPN at the time. The Noakes fight, which Mason won on points after being extended for 12 rounds, was the first time he had needed to rely on his boxing rather than early stopping power in a major bout.

Mason Brothers Win on the Same Card

The main event was the last of three wins for the Mason brothers on July 4. Ibrahim Mason stopped Erik Hanley in the second round of their super featherweight preliminary. Abdurrahman Mason outpointed Alvaro Huizar Cabral 40-36 on all three cards in a lightweight bout. Both results were confirmed by the Top Rank event results page.

Full Card Results

The event was the inaugural edition of "The Fight," a monthly boxing series carried in the United States on TNT, truTV, and DAZN, and on DAZN internationally. Top Rank announced the broadcast partnership before the card.

Bell, 33, faces a narrower path to another title shot after his first professional loss. Mason, 11 years younger, left Cleveland with the WBO belt and a first defense completed. "Anybody who wants to get it can come and get it," he said.