Abdullah Mason defended his WBO lightweight title with a 12th-round TKO victory over Albert Bell on Saturday night at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland.
Fighting in front of his hometown fans, Mason, from nearby Bedford, Ohio, struggled to get inside during the first half of the fight and was behind one scorecard and even on the other two through the first six rounds. But he recovered late and finished strong, dropping Bell twice in the 12th round, both times with left hooks to the head.
Mason, ESPN’s No. 4-ranked lightweight, was making the first defense of the title he won by unanimous decision over Sam Noakes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in November.