Pushing Forward: Lightweight Abdullah Mason could be America's next boxing star

Written by Phil Rogers

IN Abdullah MasonIn his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, the Museum Of Art displays a painting that has become one of the world's most famous examples of fine art. 'Stag At Sharkey's' may be 115 years old but – in its blur of sweat and muscle – George Bellows perfectly captures the drama, tension, and thrill of seeing a fighter ply his trade.

Fast forward to 2024 and the city once again has the chance to capitalize on the talents of a local hero, a young southpaw who many consider the best prospect in the sport. For Mason himself, developing these natural abilities has become an obsession.

“It's never the end,” said Mason (13-0, 11 KOs). Debate News. “When you're in a competitive sport, there's always someone coming behind you or behind you. You want to make sure that you are always successful and getting better. So, those good things that I do, I hope to do better. I will continue to work on making myself better. And whatever else I have, that I need to criticize, I will work on criticizing that. So I keep moving forward.”

Key to Mason's early success in the sport was his strong relationship with his father and trainer, Valiant Mason, and his five siblings, four of whom followed Abdullah into boxing. In a city plagued by violent crime, the family found focus and motivation in sports, building a strong bond that felt impervious to bad influences.

“Cleveland is a really tough place but you have to put yourself in the right places and surround yourself with the right people. My father, he was always around good people. He took us out of the normal things that happen in Cleveland. He kept us with good people, everyone actually has something going on.

“So, growing up he had a perfume shop where we sold all kinds of body products and he used to take us out there. When the boxing started, we were busy buying products in the store to go to the world of boxing and to various competitions.”

Fighting was at the heart of how the Mason family was raised. Their ever protective father divided his nest into two groups, introducing the older three to karate, taekwondo and jujitsu and encouraging them to teach what they learned to their younger siblings. However, after the family moved abroad for a while it was Abdullah who first tried boxing.

“In the past we moved overseas to Yemen and Egypt,” recalls Mason, who was only 20 years old. Our father, he used to ask everyone, 'Who wants to go to the gym and want to start training, fighting, boxing?' I was the first to develop a real interest in it.

“That's how I started and my brothers followed me. But when I first got into the ring, I started swearing, that's when I realized. That's when I knew, like, 'Okay, this is something I really want to do.' Back then, it was just for fun. I just wanted to be there because that's what I know I want to do. But when my brothers came in, that's when I really decided. I said, 'Okay, it's going to be my thing. I'll take up boxing.'”

For some families, of course, the constant strain of sibling rivalry coupled with teenage disobedience can be a major obstacle when making ambitious plans. The connection the Mason brothers developed, however, only served to sharpen their skills and strengthen their confidence in the competition. This is a relationship that Abdullah feels proud of and is extremely protective of.

“I would say we support each other rather than compete with each other. Yes, we compete, we are five men in the same place, we grew up in the same house. We will be competitive by nature. But it's not unfair competition. It's like pushing each other to get better. We really support, we really support. If there is something lacking in one brother in any area, not only boxing, we like to push that person, push that brother, so that he can be better,” he said.

“We have many good qualities in common but as fighters we have different personalities like our brothers. But such are our styles. So, we all have the same good looks, but different personalities, you know what I mean? So one person may be very angry, or the other person may punch a lot, or hit a lot, or something like that. So we all have similar styles but in our own way.”

Mason is well aware of boxing's rich history of fathers training their fighting sons, yet their partnership, he insists, comes with its own quirks. The undefeated lightweight views his progress as part of a project that involves the whole family, with his brothers providing as much insight and advice as the man who commands his son's corner.

“They see a lot of things that other people don't see, I would say. I pick it up, apply it, and use it properly,” he said.

“It's surprising that this family is flexible and I have my brothers in my corner, I have my father in my corner. It's a business and you don't take anything personally. You go in there, you listen to everything they say because that's what's good for you inside the ring.

“He [his father] to be a coach who really sees things that you don't see from the outside, but at the same time he is a father. So it's an added comfort for my father and brothers in my corner. He just gives me more energy. I can slowly close because I know they are there. They will tell me what they see. And I will trust them fully.”

Evidence of the work the Mason team has been doing behind the scenes has been evident in every win so far, culminating in an already impressive set of reel hits. The result has been heaps of praise, with many predicting that he will dominate the lightweight division for years to come.

However the competition in this particular weight class, even among the odds, already looks white hot, with undefeated arrivals like Andy Cruz, Keyshawn Davis and Emiliano Vargas are all fighting to be the next big star at 135lbs. For Mason, while appreciating his natural strength is welcome it is the full extent of his fighting skills that he looks forward to showcasing.

“It just came on like a switch, when I wanted to start sitting down with my fists and punching. But when I'm in the gym I see a lot of things and do a lot of things, when I fight, I change into something. In a fight you can see that I throw that one punch that will take them out of there.

“But in the division I will be putting together a combination, walking differently, stepping differently, moving smarter. He just works with different things,” he said.

“But as I fight, you'll see those things come together a little bit. If I start fighting in those longer fights again, rounds with stronger players, I feel like more will come out and eventually people will start to see more of my arsenal and my true style that I have. Yes, I am strong, based on my previous performances, but there is a lot for me.”