Kenny Ellis Rejects Too Young Talk As Abdullah Mason Rises

Ellis points out that fighters like Felix Trinidad and Sugar Ray Leonard were fighting the best at 20 and 21 during their careers. He feels that if a fighter is great, they don’t need to wait until they’re 24 or 25.

Some fans viewed Shakur’s comment as patronizing, letting Mason know that he needs to stay down and not rise up to become a star. By Abdullah gaining quickly, it would put pressure on Stevenson to fight him.

If he were to agree to the fight, Mason could mess up the money he’s making now, sending him backward to the lower paydays he was receiving.

Although it’s unclear if Shakur will return to the lightweight division, it’s not good for him that Mason would be attracting a lot of attention due to his entertaining fighting style. If Turki Alalshikh put pressure on Stevenson to fight him, fans could see his low-burning star flame put out by the powerful southpaw.

“They hear people say it. In the history of boxing, the greats do it at 21,” said trainer Kenny Ellis to Mill City Boxing, reacting to people saying that Abdullah Mason is too young to be taking the big fights. “So, if he’s great, why can’t he do it at 21?”

Mason is a mature person for 21. To listen to him talk, he sounds more like someone with the wisdom of a person in their 30s. He doesn’t sound like someone that age. His ability to fight has already shown that he’s capable of beating the best. It would be interesting to see if Turki were to steer Shakur into a fight against Mason before he gets a taste of the gold at 147.

“Ray Leonard did it at 21. I remember watching [Felix] Trinidad fight Maurice Blocker. He was 20 years old. Tyson did it at the age 20. That’s the history of the sport. Great fighters of the sport do it at 20, 21, and 22. It’s a myth, ‘Oh, you got to wait until your 24 or 25.’ Abdullah did it at 20, so he’s great,” said Ellis.

Sugar Ray Leonard captured an Olympic gold medal in 1975 before turning pro. So, he’d been fighting the best fighters from around the world and was ready to take on the best at the pro level. Mason didn’t have as long or as impressive an amateur career as Leonard. However, his power game was more suited for the pro than the fencing style that is used in the amateur game.