Mason (20-0, 17 KOs) will now defend his WBO lightweight title against Albert Bell at Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio, in a 12-round main event that will be streamed worldwide by DAZN and televised by TNT in the United States.Bell (28-0, 9 KOs) had already been training with a date booked, July 18, for a DAZN co-main event slot against Andy Cruz in an IBF title eliminator on a Matchroom show headlined by Diego Pacheco-Immanuwel Aleem in Carson, California. Instead, the 33-year-old Bell gets a title shot in his home state two weeks earlier after of Cordina’s withdrawal.The Ring has confirmed Cordina, a former two-time junior lightweight champion from Wales, was forced to withdraw after a visa issue prevented him from traveling to the United States. ThaBoxingVoice first reported the opponent switch on X.
Bell, a Toledo, Ohio native, last boxed August 30, when he scored a points win over Keith Hunter. He’s ranked No. 3 by the IBF and three places lower with the WBO.
The 34-year-old Cordina (19-1, 9 KOs) is the WBO’s mandatory challenger for Mason’s championship.