Mason to face replacement after Cordina pulls out.
Abdullah Mason was all set to make the first defence of the WBO lightweight world title next week, having claimed it in November in a tight and competitive decision over British challenger Sam Noakes.
With the win, Mason became the youngest world champion in all of the sport, lifting the title at just 21 years old.
Recently turning 22, he was going to properly prove his status as champion on Independence Day, taking on a second wave of U.K. invasion in the form of Joe Cordina.
But just over a week out from the big date, Cordina has been forced to pull out, the cause being issues with his visa. As a result, a replacement opponent for Mason has been found.
This wasn’t hard to do, as the man who will be fighting Mason instead was on the undercard of another show scheduled just two weeks later.
So, Mason (20-0, 17 KOs) will instead be fighting Albert Bell (28-0, 9 KOs), who was scheduled to take on unbeaten former Olympic gold medallist Andy Cruz in a title eliminator on the Diego Pacheco vs. Immanuwel Aleem card.
An alternative opponent for Cruz is currently being searched for. As for Mason, though, his first title defence is no longer in jeopardy.
So, crisis averted. However, Cordina will no doubt be disappointed, and his next fight date is now a mystery. Ultimately, he will have to wait a little bit longer for his big opportunity.
‼️ Ring ambassador Abdullah Mason will now defend his WBO lightweight title against Albert Bell on July 4th in Cleveland, sources tell The Ring’s @MikeCoppinger. Joe Cordina, who is from Wales, is out due to visa issues.
Bell was set to fight Andy Cruz in a title eliminator on… pic.twitter.com/s6YmMsskiA
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) June 24, 2026
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