Mason Withstood Noakes’s Body Attack to Claim His First
Abdullah Mason defeated Sam Noakes by unanimous decision for the vacant WBO lightweight championship on November 22, 2025, at ANB Arena in Riyadh. Scores of 117–111, 115–113 and 115–113 rewarded Mason after twelve demanding rounds between previously unbeaten contenders.
A young southpaw accepted a sustained close-range battle
Mason entered his first world-title fight aged twenty-one, facing a rugged British opponent with a powerful body attack. Noakes repeatedly pushed the exchanges into a more physical contest than a simple long-range boxing assignment.
An accidental clash of heads opened a cut above Noakes’s left eye in the third round. He continued attacking despite the bleeding, landing body punches and right hands that demanded a consistent response.
Uppercuts and late-round adjustments helped Mason edge ahead
Mason answered through his own body work, straight lefts and uppercuts. He also found success when he used his jab and turned Noakes rather than remaining directly in front of the attacks.
A right uppercut to the body hurt Noakes in the tenth. The Briton survived the follow-up and remained competitive through the closing rounds, exchanging hard punches instead of conceding the finish.
The final bell confirmed a breakthrough championship performance
Both men continued throwing through the twelfth before the judges returned a unanimous verdict. Mason improved to 20–0 with seventeen knockouts, while Noakes suffered his first defeat and fell to 17–1.
The victory made Mason the youngest reigning male world champion at the time. It also took him beyond six rounds for the first time, delivering his championship breakthrough through a demanding distance fight.
Sources
- WBO: championship results and official scorecards
- The Ring: twelve-round exchanges, cut and career milestones
