Abdullah Mason’s time of brilliance

Norfolk, Va. — Abdullah Mason (18-0, 16 KO) has been upgraded to a prime-time headliner after Keyshaun Davis failed to meet his weight. Keyshaun was over 4.3 pounds and his hometown championship title defense was cancelled. He was stripped of his WBO lightweight world title and now appears to be heading for the 140 pound division. Edwin de Los Santos didn’t make a contract weight of 135 pounds, so Keyshawn was called irresponsibly. Delos Santos was paid for his entire wallet despite the match being cancelled.

The opportunity for the main event for Abdullah Mason came earlier than expected. He was on his way to superstardom and co-headlining events, but now, as a main attraction, he can really shine. Mason is undefeated with a knockout rate of 88.8%. He faces experienced candidates for Jeremia Nakathila (26-4, 21 Kos), who fought against others such as Shakur Stevenson and Raymond Muratalla. He defeated Miguel Burchelt in 2022 with a sixth round knockout. Nakatila, 35, has decent strength and tests Abdullah on the inside.

Abdullah should not underestimate Nakatila like Burchelt. He must pack the box intellectually and determine the pace of the fight. Mason holds advantages in speed, agility and reach. He must take note of the timing of Nakatira, who is trying to use his skills to land the perfect punch. Jeremiah is unable to compete with Abdullah’s speed and power and instead tries to punch him. This is a time of Mason’s glow, and he has to play as expected and give a show to the Norfolk crowd. If successful, he places himself for championship competition.

At a press conference on Thursday, Keyshawn forced Abdullah to face his future fight. This makes it seem unlikely that Davis has made the division bigger. Currently at WBO, Mason is ranked 2nd in the rankings, while Sam Norke is ranked number one. With the title vacant, future matches for top candidates could occur in the near future. The future of Abdullah is bright. He must adhere to discipline and continue his path of victory.

With Mason Nakatila being promoted to the main event, the joint traits coincide with Keyshawn’s brothers Kelvin and Nahill Albright. Keon Davis is also active against Michael Velez-Garcia.

It may not be the return of Norfolk’s hometown we had hoped for, but there are plenty of action-packed battles between top-ranked stars Tiger Johnson and Troy Eisley.