Tim Bradley says boxing’s youngest champion is a problem for Haney, Stevenson and Lopez

Tim Bradley has named the fighter that he feels is ‘a problem’ for several world champions, including Shakur Stevenson, Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney.

Many believe the aforementioned Americans to be the top dogs of their respective divisions, with all of them having established themselves as top 10 pound-for-pound operators.

At lightweight, three-weight world champion Stevenson is widely regarded as the very best, especially following his WBC title defence against William Zepeda in July.

Lopez, meanwhile, looks to extend his supremacy at 140lbs when he defends his WBO belt against Stevenson at Madison Square Garden, New York, on January 31.

As for WBO champion Haney, a dominant victory to dethrone Brian Norman Jr in November has made a sizable imprint on the welterweight division, putting him above fellow titlists Mario Barrios, Lewis Crocker and Rolando Romero in the consensus rankings.

And yet, while these three fighters are now approaching their 30s, WBO lightweight champion Abdullah Mason, aged just 21, is slowly but surely nipping at their heels.

The young prodigy claimed his major title at 135lbs with a unanimous decision victory over Sam Noakes, who gave a plucky effort himself, in November.

And while we are yet to see him dive into the deep end of elite competition, Bradley nonetheless believes that Mason represents a serious issue for any champion.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Hall of Famer Bradley predicts a tremendously bright future for the sport’s youngest current world champion.

“Not many guys win world championships at the age of 21. That’s rare territory. For him to do it in his first 12-round fight, and do it overseas, that should tell you already how strong, mentally, this kid is.

“Abdullah is still raw but, even with his rawness, and his toughness and his grit – and his skills on top of that – he is a problem.

“When I say [he’s] a problem for everybody, [that means] for everybody. That means Shakur; that means Haney; that means Teofimo Lopez; that means [IBF super-lightweight champion Richardson] Hitchins. All these dudes, they’re going to have issues with this guy.”

With many expressing similar thoughts to Bradley, Mason is widely expected to remain at 135lbs, at least for a short while longer, before bidding to become a multi-weight world champion.