Abdullah Mason To Defend WBO Lightweight Title
Against Joe Cordina On July 4 In Cleveland!
(May 5th) It has been announced that Bob Arum’s, Top Rank, undefeated WBO Lightweight World Champion, Abdullah Mason will make the first defense of his title against Eddie Hearn’s, Matchroom Boxing former IBF Super Featherweight World Champion, Joe Cordina on Saturday, July 4th, at Rocket Arena. The highly anticipated Independence Day showdown will stream live on DAZN.
Mason, 20-0, 17Ko’s, a 22-year-old southpaw from the Cleveland area, captured the WBO lightweight championship in November 2025 with a victory over Sam Noakes, becoming boxing’s youngest male world champion according to Top Rank. Standing 5-foot-9 and known for his explosive power and sharp technical ability, Mason has rapidly emerged as one of the sport’s brightest young stars. His first title defense will serve as a homecoming event, headlining in front of an expected sold-out crowd in his hometown.
Abdullah Mason
Age: 22
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Height: 5’9”
Stance: Southpaw
Record: 20-0 (17 KOs)
WBO Lightweight Champion (since November 2025)
“This is a massive moment for Abdullah Mason and the city of Cleveland,” said Top Rank officials. “Fighting on July 4th at Rocket Arena gives him the perfect stage to showcase his talent as a world champion in front of his fans.”
Standing across the ring will be Cordina, 19-1, 9Ko’s, a 34-year-old Welsh standout bringing elite-level experience and championship pedigree. A former IBF super-featherweight world champion, Cordina represented Great Britain at the 2016 Olympic Games and boasts an accomplished amateur résumé, including gold at the 2015 European Championships and bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Now moving up to the lightweight division, he aims to dethrone Mason and reestablish himself among boxing’s elite.
Joe Cordina
Age: 34
Hometown: Wales
Record: 19-1 (9 KOs)
Former IBF Super-Featherweight Champion
2016 Olympian (Great Britain)
2015 European Championships Gold Medalist
2014 Commonwealth Games Bronze Medalist
The matchup presents a compelling clash of styles and generations — Mason’s youth, speed, and knockout power against Cordina’s ring IQ, timing, and championship experience.
The July 4th event is being positioned as one of the summer’s premier boxing attractions, with additional undercard bouts to be announced in the coming weeks.
Ticket information and full fight card details will be released soon by Top Rank and DAZN.
About DAZN
Welcome to DAZN, the global sports streaming platform that transcends boundaries and redefines the way fans experience their favorite sports. With availability in over 200 territories, DAZN ensures that sports enthusiasts around the world can immerse themselves in the thrill of live and on-demand content, on any device, at the touch of a button.
Purpose-built to seamlessly stream live sports on a global scale, whether its Boxing, MMA, Football, Wrestling, NFL, Tennis, we've got you covered — alongside an extensive catalog of live and on-demand content, making us the go-to destination for sports entertainment.
DAZN isn't just the Global Home of Boxing; it's a trailblazer in transforming the viewers experience. Through strategic partnerships with the biggest and most established boxing promoters, we bring top-class, epic boxing matches to fans worldwide, delivering unforgettable moments straight to your screens.
Our vision extends beyond broadcasting; we are on a mission to revolutionize the entire sports entertainment landscape by placing the customer at the core of an innovative entertainment proposition. DAZN is constructing a singular, frictionless sports entertainment platform where fans can not only watch their favorite sports but also engage in betting, gaming, socializing, sharing, and even purchasing tickets, NFTs, and merchandise—all in one place.
Whether you prefer a traditional, more passive sports-watching experience or crave a gamified and interactive adventure, DAZN caters to your preferences. We're not just streaming sports; we're crafting an all-encompassing sports entertainment universe where every fan can find their perfect match. Join DAZN today and elevate your sports-watching experience to new heights.
About Matchroom Boxing
After the success of snooker in the 1980s, Matchroom Sport moved into boxing with two small hall shows followed by Frank Bruno v Joe Bugner at Tottenham Hotspur’s ground – the biggest boxing event of 1987. That launched the company into the boxing big-time, a position it has maintained ever since.
Through the 1990s Matchroom Sport’s boxing roster featured many of the biggest names in the sport including Lennox Lewis, Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank, Steve Collins and Naseem Hamed, all in world title fights and it continues to work with some of the biggest names in UK boxing including Audley Harrison, the 2000 Olympic Super-Heavyweight gold medalist.
Over the years, Matchroom Sport has built up long-standing relationships with broadcasters around the world and with the advent of the Prizefighter phenomenon, the company’s boxing division has never been in a stronger position.
From fantastic six round scraps between the sport’s journeymen, up to multi-million-dollar World Championship contests featuring the above fighters, the Pro Box series has it all. Each show is packed with the very best in boxing action in a series that encompasses almost 25 years of Matchroom Sport’s commitment to bringing the highest quality to the global television market.
About Top Rank
Innovation has been the standard at Top Rank since it was established in 1966 by Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. The boxing industry’s leading promotional company, Top Rank has shaped, developed, and promoted the careers of top international pay-per-view superstars and Hall of Famers, including Muhammad Ali, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Aaron Pryor, Alexis Arguello, Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Miguel Cotto, Erik Morales, Terence Crawford, and Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Top Rank has promoted some of the most memorable fights in the sport’s history, including 26 Ali events, Leonard vs. Hearns, Pryor vs. Arguello, Duran vs. Leonard, Hagler vs. Hearns, Leonard vs. Hagler, Foreman vs. Holyfield, Morales vs. Barrera, De La Hoya vs. Trinidad, and the most lucrative fight in boxing history, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. In addition to the previously mentioned super fights, Top Rank possesses one of the largest sports libraries, which includes nearly 10,000 fights.
Known for creating strategic collaborations between athletes, sponsors, and television networks, Top Rank has been an architect of boxing’s global growth by staging high-profile events in landmark settings around the world, including Madison Square Garden, MGM Grand Garden Arena, Staples Center, Wembley Arena, Araneta Coliseum, The Venetian Macao, Yankee Stadium, Radio City Music Hall, The “Fabulous” Forum, and AT&T Stadium. Top Rank has also been the leader within the boxing industry in creating unforgettable in-arena experiences for fans and embracing 21st century technological advancements to distribute world-class fights and shoulder programming across a variety of platforms.
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