The World Boxing Organization on Thursday ordered negotiations to begin for Sam Noakes and Abdullah Mason to meet for the lightweight title after it was stripped from Keyshawn Davis.
Davis came in overweight Friday for his scheduled title defense against Edwin De Los Santos. Davis was stripped of the title, and the Saturday fight was canceled. Mason, 21, was elevated to the main event and stopped Jeremia Nakathila in the fifth round. Mason (19-0, 17 KOs) is ranked No. 2 by the WBO.
Noakes (17-0, 15 KOs), 27, is the WBO’s No. 1-ranked lightweight. He last competed in May, when he scored a third-round knockout of Patrik Balaz.
Mason is promoted by Top Rank Promotions, and Noakes is promoted by Queensberry Promotions. The two sides have 20 days to come to terms for a fight.
De Los Santos would have been eligible to win the lightweight title had he decided to fight Davis. However, due to the weight disparity — Davis weighed in at 139.3 pounds, 4.3 pounds over the 135-pound limit — De Los Santos opted out and, as the WBO’s 14th-ranked contender, is not entitled to a title opportunity.
