Light heavyweight Abdullah Mason will return in February against Manuel James on a top-ranked card. It's not a particularly convincing game for 20-year-old Mason, but it's a predictable one after a recent disappointing performance.
Mason vs. James: A step back?
Mason (16-0, 14 KOs) takes a step back in this fight against Jaimes (16-2-1, 11 KOs) after his shaky performance against the veteran Johan Vasquez on November 8 at Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. Mason was knocked down twice in the first round by 30-year-old Dominican Republic native Vasquez (26-6, 21 KOs). It was fortunate for Mason that Vasquez suffered a knee injury in the first round.
Boxing Scene reports that Mason will fight countryman Manuel James in San Jose, California next.
For those who follow the sport closely, they know James as the man who recently defeated former WBA light welterweight champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero via a lopsided 10-round unanimous decision on September 14 on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga At T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Rolly-Jaimes was buried on the undercard in the fifth spot of the main event. Rollie is using Jaime as a confidence booster after losing his WBA 140-pound title to Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz by eighth-round knockout on March 30.
Manuel James was no rival to Rulli, who outsmarted and overpowered him. It looked like Romero carried him because he could knock him down, but he looked like he stayed in first gear throughout the ten-round contest to get some runs. The results were 99-91, 99-91 and 99-91.
Mason could fight James on the undercard of lightweight contender Keshawn Davis' next card, where he is expected to challenge WBO champion Denis Perincek in February.
Chin question
Top Rank will have to figure out how to protect Abdullah Mason to prevent him from being eliminated before he fights for the world title. Floyd Schofield Sr. recently revealed that Mason was injured in sparring by his son, Schofield Jr., and is believed to have a chin problem.
The Vasquez fight will confirm that. If Mason's resistance to punches continues to be an issue, Top Rank will have to point him in the direction of a weaker like Shakur Stevenson and hope he can handle the accurate shots from the WBC champion.
