For the 33-year-old, the chance to fight for a world championship outweighed any concerns about changing opponents with only days to prepare.
“If you know my story, this is the opportunity I’ve been waiting on,” Bell told Ring Magazine. “To get a direct shot at the belt made too much sense. May the best man win.”
Bell enters the contest with a perfect 28-0 record but has spent years waiting for a breakthrough opportunity against one of the division’s elite names. While his scheduled eliminator with Andy Cruz would have moved him closer to a title shot, the late change has allowed him to skip that step entirely.
Although Mason presents a very different stylistic challenge than Cruz, Bell said his ongoing training camp means he expects to arrive in Cleveland in fighting shape.
The Toledo native also admitted the title opportunity has given him plenty to smile about after years of waiting for his moment.
Bell isn’t limiting his ambitions to Saturday night’s championship fight, either.
Looking beyond Mason, he already has his eye on the winner of the vacant WBC lightweight title bout between William Zepeda and Lamont Roach Jr., who meet on August 1.
“I feel like both would be tough fights,” Bell said. “I got big goals. All I want is big fights.”
Mason (20-0, 17 KOs) will be making the first defense of the WBO lightweight title he captured last November. Despite being 11 years younger than Bell, the unbeaten champion has already established himself as one of boxing’s fastest-rising stars.
The circumstances for Bell are secondary. After years of waiting for a world title opportunity, he finally has one, and he intends to make the most of it.
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