Abdullah Mason (20-0, 17 KOs) will defend his WBO lightweight title against unbeaten Toledo native Albert Bell (28-0, 9 KOs) on Saturday, July 4, at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center. The matchup pairs two unbeaten Ohioans and marks the first defense of the belt Mason won in November.

Bell replaced former world champion Joe Cordina, who withdrew because of a visa issue. Bell had been preparing for an IBF lightweight title eliminator against Andy Cruz on July 18 in Carson, California. He now takes his first world title opportunity two weeks earlier and against a different opponent.

“New opponent, same mission,” Mason said. “Much respect to Albert Bell for stepping in. Everyone, show up to the Wolstein for my title defense. Appetite for smoke!”

Bell, 33, described the assignment as one he had waited years to receive. “The opportunity was presented, I said yes,” he said. “If you know my story, it’s been a long road.”

Mason returns to Cleveland for first defense

Mason, 21, outpointed Sam Noakes in Riyadh last November to win the vacant WBO lightweight title, becoming the youngest active male world champion in the sport. The Cleveland native turned professional at 17 in 2021 following an amateur career of roughly 80 bouts, and he built his 2025 campaign around stoppages, including a fifth-round finish of Namibian veteran Jeremia Nakathila in June before the Noakes fight.

Bell turned professional in 2013 and has fought largely in his hometown of Toledo in recent years. He is ranked No. 6 by the WBO and returns from a 10-round unanimous decision over Keith Hunter last August. The 6-foot lightweight has not previously challenged for a world title.

Carrington defends featherweight title in co-feature

In the co-feature, WBC featherweight titleholder Bruce Carrington (17-0, 10 KOs) makes the first defense of the belt he won in January against Mexico’s Rene Palacios (19-0-1, 10 KOs). Carrington, of Brooklyn, stopped Carlos Castro in the ninth round at Madison Square Garden to claim the vacant title. Palacios, 25, is a southpaw entering his first world title fight.

The televised undercard also features Cleveland native and 2020 U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson (17-0, 8 KOs) against fellow unbeaten Christopher Guerrero (16-0, 9 KOs) of Canada in a 10-round welterweight bout, and lightweight Deric “Scooter” Davis (11-0, 10 KOs) against Carlos Ramos (18-4-1, 10 KOs) of Spain in an eight-rounder. Two preliminary bouts feature Mason’s brothers, Ibrahim Mason in a super featherweight contest and Abdurrahman Mason at lightweight.

Broadcast team and fight week schedule

The card is the inaugural edition of The Fight, a new monthly boxing series created through a partnership between TNT Sports and DAZN. The main broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET on TNT and truTV, while two preliminary bouts stream earlier at 7 p.m. ET on Top Rank’s digital channels and the Top Rank Classics channel on Roku. Top Rank promotes the event in association with Pulse Boxing and TGB Promotions, with tickets available through Ticketmaster.

TNT Sports named its broadcast team for the series this week. Adam Lefkoe will host studio coverage alongside Terence Crawford, who retired undefeated as a five-division champion and the first male boxer in the four-belt era to become undisputed in three weight classes, Hall of Famer Tim Bradley Jr., and former two-time welterweight champion Shawn Porter. Todd Grisham will call the action with analyst Sergio Mora, and Chris Mannix will report from ringside.

Top Rank scheduled the final press conference for Thursday, July 2, at 2 p.m. ET and the ceremonial weigh-in for Friday, July 3, at 1 p.m. ET, both streaming on the promoter’s YouTube, X and Facebook pages. Fight night follows on Saturday, with the undercard stream at 7 p.m. ET and the main broadcast at 8 p.m. ET.