All-Ohio showdown this weekend as Mason defends WBO title against Bell

The two fighters featured in the headline bout for Saturday night at the Wolstein Center shared their thoughts about being in the spotlight as Abdullah Mason and Albert Bell are days away from being on opposite sides of the ring. For Mason, he was going into July 4th preparing for Joe Cordina. Now, he will step in the ring against Bell which took Mason by surprise.

“It was definitely unexpected. Albert Bell—that’s our guy from Toledo,” Mason said. “But it’s boxing. You’ve got to be prepared for anything, and I’m prepared to come out on top. Everything happens for a reason.”

It is one thing to prepare for a fighter that is at the same height but making the adjustment in camp for an opponent who is noticeably taller is a pretty big challenge.

“Boxing is offense, defense and IQ, and you’ve got to put it together and tailor it to the person you’re stepping in the ring with. With the opponent switch, I just have to tailor it to the person across the ring from me, and that’s Albert Bell.”

Bell has been waiting for this opportunity since being a top contender in the super featherweight division, and he was preparing for an IBF eliminator bout before this fight was presented to him.

“I mean, it caught me by surprise. It was an ideal opponent for me. I wasn’t really thinking about fighting Abdullah, especially not this soon. But everything made sense. I talked to my pops about it, and it made sense, so I stepped in to save the card, get my world title opportunity and put on a show for all of Ohio.”

Since fighting in the lightweight division, Bell has won every round against his opponents. He is aware that Mason has been one of the top young fighters in the sport but he believes that he will have his hand raised on July 4th.

“I just need to be the best version of myself. I know he’s coming to be the best version of himself. He’s prepared, I’m prepared. We’re ready. We’re two top fighters, and we’re professionals. We’re both Ohioans. We’ve got history with each other, and it’s gonna be a show for sure.”