What To Know
- Lightweight champion Abdullah Mason headlines an all-American boxing event in Cleveland on July 4, joined by featherweight champion Bruce Carrington and prospect Tiger Johnson.
- The card will air on TNT Sports in boxing’s return to linear TV for the first time in a year, along with DAZN Boxing.
- The card presents a serious test of boxing’s future in the United States.
Fireworks and fisticuffs come together in Cleveland on July 4th. Top Rank Boxing brings its fresh talent, including boxing’s youngest current world champion, Abdullah Mason of Cleveland, for a card celebrating Independence Day and American boxing talents, joined by stablemates Bruce Carringon and fellow Cleveland native, Tiger Johnson.
The card is the first in the new monthly live boxing series “The Fight,” airing both on TNT Sports and DAZN Boxing. The main card airs at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Big Test for American Boxing
While Americans no longer dominate boxing as they once did, the July 4 card gives Top Rank’s American-born world champions and prospects the opportunity to prove there is still plenty of talent born in the U.S.A. for American boxing fans to get behind.
It will also be a crucial first test for boxing’s return to linear television on TNT Sports, which will air select monthly cards under its new deal.
Mason (20-0, 17 KOs) will defend his WBO World Lightweight title against Welsh former world champion Joe Cordina (19-1, 10 KOs) at Cleveland’s Wolstein Center.
The fighters joined Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb to announce the card.
“I’m excited to showcase that greatness lies in our city. It’s a dream come true as the mayor of this great city.
“I think people don’t realize how Cleveland has influenced boxing and the sport of boxing for years, and now people are starting to notice.” Bibb pointed out that Cleveland is celebrating 230 years as a city in 2026. “To the native sons of Cleveland, Abdullah and Tiger, I need you both to give me a win to celebrate Cleveland’s 230th birthday come July 4th.” No pressure!
Watch the announcement.
Abdullah Mason: Fast Rise from Prospect to Champion
Mason rose from being the universal Prospect of the Year in 2024 to a world champion with his defeat of Sam Noakes in Riyadh in November at age 21 to become the youngest world champion. Now Mason, age 22, takes on a man in 34-year-old Cordina with nothing to lose, a former world champion intent on returning to the top.
“He doesn’t know any better. When the bell rings, that’s all that matters,” said Mason. “It sounds cool right now, but I know I’m going to have fun on July 4th. As soon as that bell rings, I’m going to have fun doing what I do. He’s not going to expect what I have coming for him.”
Mason is grateful to fight in his hometown and thanked Mayor Bibb for his support. He promised the local fans a great show and a party. “Me and my brothers in the city of Cleveland, we are putting on for the city. We are making sure that everything we do is big. We have a lot of support and we appreciate that. There is going to be a lot of smoke. We’ll call this one a cookout.”
Mason promised he would be ready for Cordina. “He’s definitely a volume puncher. He has some good offense, is quick, and has good feet. I would say he’s well-rounded in what he does. But everything he does, I do better.
Cordina is training in the UK, but sent a sizzling video message that drew reactions in Cleveland.
“It’s a massive task ahead of myself, but a task I’m more than capable of coming through with flying colors,” said Cordina. “Abdullah is a good fighter, but I’m looking to come fuck up his homecoming. I’m coming to rip his heart away from him and take it back to the UK. I’m looking to become a three-time, two-weight world champion. We turn up, we fuck shit up, and we bounce.”
Bruce Carrington Joins The Cleveland Party
In the co-feature, WBC World Featherweight champion Bruce “ShuShu” Carrington of New York (17-0, 10 KOs) crashes the Cleveland party to defend his title against Rene Palacios of Mexico (19-0-1, 10 KOs).
Carrington is coming off a knockout victory to win his first world title. “Right now, it’s the perfect time to introduce myself to a place I’ve never fought in before,” said Carrington, promising his own sort of fireworks.
“Every single fight I have is a statement made. I feel like this is one of those things to show people why I am a champion. Even though I have this title, a real champion is someone who can defend it successfully,” said Carrington. He vows he will become the first undisputed featherweight champion in this era. Put that in the history books.”
Tiger Johnson Faces Tough Test in Cleveland
Cleveland’s welterweight contender Tiger Johnson (17-0, 8 KOs) faces ambitious unbeaten challenger Christopher Guerrero of Canada (16-0, 9 KOs) in a ten round fight.
Johnson earned bronze and silver medals at the 2017 and 2019 Pan American Games and represented the U.S. at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021. Johnson recently moved up to the welterweight division, where he looked strong as he stopped Nicklaus Flaz in the fourth round of his last fight in November. Johnson is ranked No. 11 in the world by both the WBO and IBF.
Johnson said he’s motivated to make a statement in front of his hometown crowd and prove he belongs among the sport’s elite.
“It means everything, it’s a dream come true. It’s something I’ve been dreaming of since I was a little kid. In Cleveland, we breed killers. We bring some of the best boxers in history. It’s hard to make it out of Cleveland. If you make it out of there, you can make it anywhere,” said Johnson.
In a statement from his promoters Eye of the Tiger, Guerrero was quoted as saying, “This is the moment I’ve been waiting for my whole life. It’s long overdue. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to collect a paycheck. I’m here to take what’s mine,” said the 25-year-old Guerrero.
Guerrero’s trainer Giuseppe Moffa, among the youngest trainers in boxing at age 26.“You don’t get anything without taking risks, but Christopher is ready. This is the fight that will change his life.”
Guerrero is ranked in the top 20 by the IBF and WBC and is a two-time Canadian national amateur champion.
Abdullah Mason’s younger brothers, Ibrahim and Abdurrahman, will join their brother on the card. Both have two wins as prospects.
Also on the card, undefeated lightweight knockout artist Deric “Scooter” Davis of Fort Washington, Maryland (11-0, 10 KOs) returns in an eight-fight bout against Carlos Ramos of Ecuador (18-4-1, 10 KOs).
Tickets for the July 4 card in Cleveland go on sale Friday, May 8, at 12 p.m. ET via Ticketmaster.com.
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist with more than four dozen awards for both written and video coverage from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Society of Professional Journalists, and San Diego Press Club, where she is the past president. She is the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the BWAA. She is the Boxing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.