Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – In an electrifying card at the ANB Arena, three WBO world title fights produced decisive results as boxing’s attention turned to the Middle East. Here’s a breakdown of each fight and what it means going forward:

  1. Devin Haney vs. Brian Norman Jr.

In the welterweight division, undefeated Devin Haney captured the WBO welterweight title by pulling the upset over Brian Norman Jr. via unanimous decision. The official scorecards read 114-113, 116-111 and 117-110 in favor of Haney.

In round 2 Haney dropped Norman with a check left hook followed by a right cross, setting the tone for the remainder of the fight which Haney had no trouble controlling. A more experienced fighter, “The Dream” is no stranger to world title belts and with this win he became a champion in a third weight class, and sends a message that he remains among boxing’s elit.

2. Abdullah Mason vs. Sam Noakes

Battling for the vacant WBO Lightweight Title, Mason proved his superiority and defeated Sam Noakes via unanimous decision, with official scores of 117-111, 115-113 and 115-113. At just 21 years old, Mason becomes the youngest active male world champion in boxing.

Noakes was not an easy opponent, he came out strong and landed good shots, the scorecards reflect the battle in the ring, however, Mason was resilient, smart in the ring and ultimately his late-round strength paid off.

3) Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez vs. Fernando Martinez

In an exciting match with much on the line, WBO World Champion Jesse Rodriguez successfully defended his belt, defeating Martinez by knockout at the 1:25m mark of the 10th round via a counter left hook.

Rodriguez had dominated the fight since the beginning, accurate and efficient. Martinez´ nose was broken and Rodriguez put his durability to the test.

It was a night of both consolidation and upheaval. Champions emerged, belts changed hands, and careers took significant turns. Boxing fans earned plenty to talk about — and the ripple effects will be felt in the divisions for months to come.