Abdullah Mason (20-0, 17 KOs) captured his first world title on Saturday, besting Sam Noakes (17-1, 15 KOs) by a 12-round unanimous decision to win the vacant WBO lightweight crown at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Mason blames the fight being harder for him on his trying too hard to force a knockout.
(Credit: Queensberry/Leigh Dawney)
The scores were 115-113, 117-111, and 115-113.
Mason tried to score a knockout early, but couldn’t. After four rounds, his corner told him to box and move, which he did off and on for the remainder of the fight. However, Noakes frequently got to Mason by cutting off the ring and darting forward like a missile.
The fight turned into a brawl regardless of the tactics Mason used. After the fight, he blamed his cuts on his face on Noakes ramming his head into him. His left eye was swollen, which appeared to have been caused by a punch from Noakes late in the fight.
“I tried to force it a little bit. I hurt him early and tried to jump on him. From there, I kind of sat with him,” said Abdullah Mason to Secondsout about why his fight with Sam Noakes turned out to be tough for him on Saturday night in Riyadh. “I tried to wait for an opportunity, but that’s where he was sturdy. That’s where he was strong.”
Noakes hit Mason a lot in the fight. Again, the movement that Abdullah attempted wasn’t effective in holding Noakes off. His corner had the right idea, but in this case, it wasn’t useful. Noakes was too good at getting to Mason. There are some fighters that Mason’s movement would have worked against, but not against this one.
“Anytime I stepped back and let my hands go, I kind of flowed a little bit better. I kind of forced it, and that’s why it went the distance. That was a decision,” said Mason when asked why he started exchanging more with Noakes beginning in round six.
Mason wanted to knock out Noakes. He had him hurt in the 10th round when he landed a big left-hand shot. It wasn’t effective. Noakes weathered the storm and came back in the 11th round to get the better of Abdullah with power shots. It looked like Mason turned out to be sturdy, taking some huge shots that whiplashed his head.
“For some reason, I like to fight, and I fought his fight. I felt it would have came out a little smoother if I stayed dialed into my corner a little bit better. Absolutely, boxing’s youngest and newest,” said Mason when asked if he realized he’s become a star tonight with people chanting his name at ringside.
It sounds like Mason is making excuses for fighting someone who could punch back for a change. So, instead of admitting that he went up against a fighter that he couldn’t dominate, he’s blaming the tough fight on him not fighting his fight.
“Step toward more greatness. Boxing will determine what comes next,” said Mason when asked who does he want to fight next.