🥊 Coronation of a Kid: Abdullah Mason Edges Sam Noakes in Gut-Wrenching War to Win WBO Lightweight Title

🥊 Coronation of a Kid: Abdullah Mason Edges Sam Noakes in Gut-Wrenching War to Win WBO Lightweight Title

In a sensational, grueling, 12-round war for the vacant WBO Lightweight World Title, American prodigy Abdullah Mason defeated Britain's Sam Noakes by unanimous decision on Saturday, November 22, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The victory was far from the one-sided performance many experts predicted. Mason, just 21 years old and still rising through the ranks, was forced to dig deeper than ever before, surviving a brutal, sustained body attack and weathering a persistent late-round assault from the gutsy, relentless Noakes. Mason’s victory makes him the youngest current male world champion in boxing, a feat that confirms the immense hype surrounding the Cleveland native.

📊 The Scorecards and The Result

While the fight was a back-and-forth thriller that had fans on the edge of their seats, the judges saw it cleanly for the American:

• Judge 1 (Benoit Rousel): 117-111

• Judge 2 (Danrex Tapdasan): 115-113

• Judge 3 (Leszek Jankowiak): 115-113

The split reflected the narrative of the fight: Mason’s superior skill, speed, and clean combination work secured the early and middle rounds, while Noakes's sheer aggression, grit, and successful body punching made the final five rounds extremely close and competitive. The 117-111 card was widely considered to be too wide, failing to acknowledge the severity of the damage inflicted by the challenger.

With the victory, Abdullah Mason remains undefeated, improving his record to 20-0 (17 KOs). Sam Noakes suffered his first professional loss, moving his record to 17-1 (15 KOs).

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💥 The Fight Breakdown: Skill vs. Steel

The stylistic clash made for an instant classic, pitting Mason’s slick southpaw counter-punching and blistering hand speed against Noakes’s relentless, power-punching pressure.

Early Rounds (1-4): Mason's Dominance and the Cut

Mason, advised by his father and trainer Valiant Mason to box smartly, started the fight using his reach and speed advantage. He landed razor-sharp straight lefts and quick combinations that repeatedly snapped Noakes's head back.

• Round 2: Mason momentarily buckled Noakes's legs with a perfectly timed left hand, signaling his power.

• Round 3: The momentum shifted violently when an accidental clash of heads opened a nasty, bloody cut above Noakes's left eye. The wound was a constant distraction for the Brit, but he fought through it with defiant aggression, charging back at the new champion.

Middle Rounds (5-8): The Body War Begins

As the fight moved into uncharted territory for Mason—who had never gone beyond six rounds—Noakes began to implement his intended strategy: to drag the young champion into a grueling war of attrition.

• Noakes’s Attack: The British challenger zeroed in on Mason’s body, landing sickening left hooks and right hands to the midsection. This strategy visibly slowed Mason's footwork and forced him to stand his ground and trade.

• Mason’s Response: While he could have chosen to stay on the outside, Mason showed championship resolve by biting down and fighting fire with fire, answering Noakes’s body shots with hard power punches upstairs, demonstrating his commitment to the war.

Championship Rounds (9-12): The Test of Endurance

The final four rounds were a relentless, desperate exchange of power shots that tested the conditioning of both men.

• Noakes's Surge: Energized by the fact that he was pushing Mason into the deep water, Noakes had great success in the 11th round, landing a huge left hook to the body that forced Mason to gasp for air and quickly circle away.

• The Final Round: The 12th round was a microcosm of the entire fight, with both men trading flush shots in the center of the ring until the final bell. Mason, relying on his cleaner, more accurate work and slightly better stamina, secured the final round on most cards, sealing the victory.

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👑 The Youngest World Champion

At just 21 years old, Abdullah Mason now holds the distinction of being the youngest current male world champion in boxing. Speaking immediately after the fight, Mason acknowledged the difficulty of the contest but downplayed the problems Noakes caused.

"I am now boxing's youngest active world champion," Mason stated. "We got the win, but it was a tough fight. I wouldn't say he was tougher than I expected. I fought his fight. That's what made it what it was. But we're on to the next."

Sam Noakes, though defeated, earned immense respect from fans and commentators alike for his toughness, heart, and ability to push the highly-touted prospect to his absolute limit. It was a premature leap into world-level competition, but his performance guarantees him another major opportunity in the near future.

The lightweight division, already one of the sport's most stacked, now has a new, exciting champion in Abdullah Mason, whose first defense will be highly anticipated.