Riyadh plan

Mason’s breakthrough was supposed to be the fight with Sam Noakes for the vacant title. Instead, it was a physical tax that could have changed the trajectory of his career. Mason won a unanimous decision but absorbed 156 punches, while Noakes landed 138 power punches.

For a 22-year-old who usually handles fights with ease, Riyad was a car accident. Noakes’ body work and powerful right hand in the fifth threw Mason’s head back, forcing the adolescent slugger to abandon his identity and fight as a desperate boxer just to survive. We don’t know if Mason returns to Cleveland with his physical fitness intact or if Noakes left him weakened.

Cordina threat

Joe Cordina is not a gatekeeper. He’s a master of timing, fresh off a win over Gabriel Flores Jr. in December. Unlike Noakes, which relied on grit, Cordina delivers elite precision.

“July 4 is an essential day for America, but it’s also an essential day for boxing. Abdullah is a good fighter, but I want to screw up his return home. I’m coming to rip out his heart and bring it back to the UK,” Cordina said.

The Welshman’s message is blunt: he intends to “snatch the title.” If Cordina followed Noakes’ plan – taking Mason in and watching Noakes open his left cheek – she would have the technical precision to finish the job. Cordina specializes in timing explosive southpaws, often using a tiny, clinical right-hand counter to which Mason’s defense, which looked leaky in Riyad, was vulnerable.

Physical wall

Mason’s confidence, “Everything he does, I do better,” ignores clinical reality. Cordina is a huge lightweight who has worked his way up to 130 pounds over the years. It will be stronger in the pocket. If Mason hasn’t fully recovered from Noakes’ punishment, Cordina has the wit of a veteran to turn this “hometown celebration” into a disaster.

The rest of Cleveland’s bill, including Bruce Carrington and Tiger Johnson, follows a standard upward path. But Cordina is the only man on the card who has no interest in the future. He is interested in the immediate, violent present.

If Mason handles him cleanly, the star will be real. If he doesn’t, on July 4 the boxing world will realize that Mason spent his best days in the ring in Riyad.

“When I beat Bivol, I will be the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world,” Benavidez said Ariel Helwani.

“He will definitely have to come to me after this fight [Michael Eifert]. All these belts will go with David Benavidez.”

$20 million road blockade

Benavidez believes his victory over Zurdo forces the issue, but ignores the financial importance of the Bivol-Beterbiev rivalry. Bivol has already earned around $20 million for his last two fights against Artur Beterbiev.

For Bivol, the risk/reward ratio of fighting Benavidez doesn’t make any sense right now. The third fight with Beterbiev is a guaranteed atmospheric payday, probably another check for over $10 million.

If Bivol fights Benavidez and loses, the interest in Beterbiev’s trilogy and the huge budget will evaporate immediately.

Bivol easily defeated Zurdo Ramirez many years ago. According to Bivol, Benavidez has just cleared the hurdle Bivol jumped in 2022, but he hasn’t broken any modern ground.

Division in the holding structure

Benavidez talks as if Bivol was a target in a vacuum. In fact, the 35-year-old champion has a strict calendar.

To retain the IBF belt, Bivol must face Michael Eifert on May 30. He is coming back from major spine surgery for a herniated disc. At the age of 35, the recovery time is not what it used to be.

Before Benavidez can realistically get Bivol into the ring, which is likely in 2027, he will fight a 36-year-old veteran with a surgically repaired back and the wear and tear typical of Beterbiev’s trilogy.

Benavidez’s pressure and power are elite, but his biggest weapon right now may be time. He’s aiming for the right name, but the version of Bivol he eventually meets will be a shell of the current undisputed king.

Getting your name out there is one thing. Beating the base version of this name is another. Benavidez is putting his legacy on a timetable that Bivol, sanctioning authorities or Saudi financiers have no interest in accelerating.

Brad Rea put in a tremendous effort, even beating his man in the second round, but was ultimately denied a European title win over Lyndon Arthur in November.

“The Sting” had already elevated his career by winning the EBU title with a unanimous decision over Shakan Pitters thanks to an assertive performance last June.

However, in his delicate heavyweight clash with Arthur Rea, he was ultimately forced to concede a majority decision defeat despite putting in one of his career-best performances.

The 28-year-old has since come to terms with his second professional blemish, but as Boxing News tells us, it wasn’t an uncomplicated process.

“It’s always disappointing when a fight doesn’t go your way. For me, the most essential thing is to win.

“Every boxer knows the things that go through your mind after a loss. Looking back, I ask myself, ‘What was I thinking?’ But you doubt yourself, you doubt if you’re playing the right game, and you doubt if you’re good enough to get to the level you want to get to.

“I took a risk against Lyndon and it didn’t quite work out, but I showed I can mix at this level.

“I would love to go back there and give it another go. The way the first fight went, I think the fans would love to see it again – I think Manchester would love to see it again – but there are so many obstacles in our way; we both have work to do before we can even think about it [a rematch]”

A rematch may be considered in the future, but until then both Rea and Arthur must remain intensely focused on their matches against Liam Cameron and Lewis Edmondson.

Seeing this as an opportunity to showcase his full capabilities, Rea is more than elated with his opponent on May 9.

The fact that he became a father after a narrow defeat against Arthur gives him additional motivation to get back to winning ways and create more opportunities for himself.

“I think Liam is one of the best delicate heavyweights in the country, but for me it’s the perfect fight to show what I can do.

“I know it won’t be an uncomplicated night’s work, but these are the fights I want to be in. I want to be in fun fights.”

In a separate interview with Boxing News, Cameron effectively accused Rhea of ​​being too brave for his own good and often neglecting his defense by dealing in his pockets.

In response, the Lancashire native admitted he sometimes feels guilty for getting carried away and wondered if Cameron could play two roles at once when they collide at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester. appearing on the match card Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois.

“He’s probably right – maybe it would support if he sat in the corner and told me to move my head!

“Sometimes I can get a little excited and get carried away [into a war]but that’s what fans want to see at the end of the day.”

Even after becoming European champion, Rea has no interest in skipping the domestic 175-pound scene.

And that’s a good thing, because Queensberry Promotions has a huge selection of potential opponents.