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Mason Defeats Bell by 12th-Round TKO, Retains WBO Title

7/5/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Abdullah Mason, entering 21-0 (18 KOs), retained his WBO title by TKO in round 12 against Albert Bell, who was 28-0 (9 KOs) after replacing visa-denied Joe Cordina, at Wolstein Center on July 4, 2026.
The fight aired live on TNT, TruTV and DAZN as centerpiece of the “The Fight” Independence Day broadcast.
Co-main event saw Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington keep his WBC title over Rene Palacios while Tiger Johnson and Deric Davis won on undercard.

History

Historical Context

On March 8 1971, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought at Madison Square Garden in the “Fight of the Century,” drawing 20,455 fans and an estimated 300 million TV viewers. That event set a benchmark for heavyweight revenue. The July 4 2026 WBO bout in Cleveland’s Wolstein Center, starring unbeaten 21-0 Abdullah Mason and a multi-network Independence Day broadcast, seeks to replicate that impact.

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Story summary

Abdullah Mason, entering 21-0 (18 KOs), retained his WBO title by TKO in round 12 against Albert Bell, who was 28-0 (9 KOs) after replacing visa-denied Joe Cordina, at Wolstein Center on July 4, 2026.
The fight aired live on TNT, TruTV and DAZN as centerpiece of the “The Fight” Independence Day broadcast.
Co-main event saw Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington keep his WBC title over Rene Palacios while Tiger Johnson and Deric Davis won on undercard.

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