Abdullah Mason doesn’t want to take his eyes off
Sam Noakes, but he’s looking ahead, too.
The Ring’s No. 9 lightweight contender is getting his first crack at a world title when he takes on Noakes, ranked No. 8 by The Ring, on
"The Ring IV: Night of the Champions" card Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Getting his hands on the WBO crown is salient, but if everything goes according to plan Mason knows he’ll have several options.
Shakur Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs) occupies most, including The Ring’s, No. 1 spots at 135 pounds.
However, Mason believes that if the time comes to face Stevenson, he won’t be as difficult to deal with as a certain hard-hitting star from Baltimore.
“I feel like Tank [
Gervonta Davis] may prove to be a tougher test,” Mason told Boxing Social.
Davis’ talent has never been denied, but his mental state has been questioned. The 31-year-old WBA titlist is dealing with a civil lawsuit filed by ex-girlfriend Courtney Rossel. In the suit, Davis (30-0-1, 28 KOs) is accused of aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Those allegations led to the
cancellation of his exhibition against Jake Paul, which was supposed to take place on November 14 at Kaseya Arena in Miami.
Also, Davis said before his most recent legal challenge that after his matchup with Paul, he would retire. Still, Mason (19-0, 17 KOs) respects what he brings to the table.
Davis typically takes out his opponents before the final bell. He did, however, settle for a majority draw against Lamont Roach on March 1 in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
Stevenson, on the other hand, has been near perfect. He successfully defended his WBC 135-pound crown twice this year, against Josh Padley (
TKO 9) in February and William Zepeda (
UD 12) in July.
Stylistically, Stevenson is normally a nightmare. Mason would rather deal with his boxing ability than get in there with a fighter who can end it all with one punch.
“You gotta watch out with Tank and him having that power,” Mason said. “I feel like Tank would be a tougher test.”
The Ring IV: Night of the Champions takes place on Saturday, November 22 and will stream live on DAZN PPV from 3 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. GMT (UK: £24.99; US: $59.99).