Abdullah Mason and Albert Bell previewed their championship bout and came face to face at the press conference. The two fighters square off this Saturday, July 4, at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center.

• Cleveland-based 22-year-old southpaw Mason (20-0, 17 KOs) of Bedford, Ohio, defends his WBO lightweight title after claiming the vacant belt last November by decision against Sam Noakes.
• Toledo’s 33-year-old Bell (28-0, 9 KOs), who makes his first bid to become a champion, took the fight on short notice, replacing Joe Cordina of Wales.

See below what Mason and Bell had to say at the press conference on Thursday, following the open workout.

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Mason: I’m prepared to come out on top

“I’m excited. I’m super excited,” Mason said. “This is something me and my brothers have been looking forward to doing since we were amateurs. We fought on the same card a few times as amateurs, and all of us did it together on the last show my father threw here in Cleveland. It was huge.”

“At that time, we were like, ‘Yo, when we do this on a professional level, it’s going to be big for Cleveland.’ And now, it’s big for not only Cleveland, but it’s on TNT, so this is a national stage, a world stage with DAZN. I’m just excited to be able to put this show on with two of my brothers on the card.”

“I feel like it [fight vs Sam Noakes] was definitely a much-needed experience. That’s not the type of fight you have all the time in your career. It was something I felt like I had to do that night. Every fight is different, and it definitely gave me some insight into how I’ll approach the rest of my career. So, it was a much-needed experience and a great fight.”

“It [opponent change] was definitely unexpected. Albert Bell – that’s our guy from Toledo. But it’s boxing. You’ve got to be prepared for anything, and I’m prepared to come out on top. Everything happens for a reason.”

“One thing I do want to say is, I’m the youngest world champion in boxing for a reason, and I’m prepared to show that when I step into the ring.”

“Boxing is offense, defense and IQ, and you’ve got to put it together and tailor it to the person you’re stepping in the ring with. So, with the opponent switch, I just have to tailor it to the person across the ring from me, and that’s Albert Bell.”

Bell: We’re here now, and that’s all that matters

“I mean, it caught me by surprise,” Bell said on stepping in to face Mason on short notice. “It was an ideal opponent for me. I wasn’t really thinking about fighting Abdullah, especially not this soon. But everything made sense. I talked to my pops about it, and it made sense, so I stepped in to save the card, get my world title opportunity and put on a show for all of Ohio.”

“I mean, I get turned down by a lot of guys. I’m not saying that in a cocky way or trying to act like I’m the boogeyman or anything like that, but a lot of guys say no when my name comes across their table. I would’ve had the name I was supposed to have by now if it weren’t for that, but what’s delayed is not denied. We’re here now, and that’s all that matters.”

“I just need to be the best version of myself. I know he’s coming to be the best version of himself. He’s prepared, I’m prepared. We’re ready. We’re two top fighters, and we’re professionals. We’re both Ohioans. We’ve got history with each other, and it’s gonna be a show for sure.”

Mason vs Bell undercard

In the co-feature, Bruce Carrington (17-0, 10 KOs) of Brooklyn makes the first defense of his WBC featherweight title against Rene Palacios (19-0-1, 10 KOs) of Mexico.

On the undercard, Cleveland’s Delante “Tiger” Johnson (17-0, 8 KOs) takes on Canada-based Mexican Christopher Guerrero (16-0, 9 KOs) at welterweight.

Plus, Deric Davis (11-0, 10 KOs) of Fort Washington, Maryland, and Carlos Ramos (18-4-1, 10 KOs) of Spain by way of Ecuador, square off at lightweight.

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ILLINOIS – A severed arm with a distinctive Green Bay Packers tattoo led investigators to identify a Plainfield man whose remains were recovered from Lake Mattoon, and two people have now been charged in the case, including the man’s mother, Illinois State Police said.

James Adams, 26, and Robin Turner, 62, are each charged with concealment of a homicidal death, a Class 3 felony, and dismembering a human body, a Class X felony. 

The backstory:

Boaters found part of a human arm floating in Lake Mattoon on the evening of June 28, according to Illinois State Police. The arm had several distinctive tattoos, including a skeleton holding a Green Bay Packers helmet and an unidentified letter or number.

Severed arm found in Illinois lake belonged to Plainfield man, police say (Illinois State Police)

Authorities searched the lake and recovered additional human remains. The victim was later identified as 38-year-old Dalewayne Turner of Plainfield.

Investigators executed a search warrant Wednesday at a home in the 2400 block of Ruth Fitzgerald Drive in Plainfield, where Adams and Robin Turner were taken into custody, state police said. Robin is reportedly Dalewayne’s mother. 

Police said investigators also recovered additional evidence from the home but have not disclosed what was found.

What’s next:

Illinois State Police presented the case Thursday to the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office, which approved the charges.

Adams and Turner remain in custody as the investigation continues. State police said additional charges are expected.

The warden of an Indiana prison that serves as one of the Midwest’s largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers has departed his role as head of the maximum security facility.

Brian English, who ran Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill, announced his exit on LinkedIn.

“After much reflection, I’ve decided to take the next step in my career and will be transitioning out of my role at the Miami Correctional Facility,” he wrote. “Closing this chapter has reminded me just how much can change when a team decides to move forward together.”

English’s announcement described the prison as a “difficult place” recovering from lockdowns, strained community relations and severe staffing shortages when he first took over in October 2022.

“Over the past three years and nine months, we’ve strengthened operations of a maximum-security prison, with a minimum-security unit, infirmary unit and a newly opened 1,000‑bed ICE detention facility,” he wrote. “We rebuilt community relations, expanded partnerships with law enforcement and Grissom Air Force Base, doubled volunteer engagement, grew programming, and improved staffing and retention in meaningful ways.”

English confirmed in a telephone call to IndyStar that Friday, June 26, was his last day on the job.

“I no longer work there,” he said via phone. “I don’t really have any comment about it. I’m just taking some time off, and I’ll be pursuing other opportunities.”

When asked if he was leaving on his own or had forced out, English told IndyStar the decision was “totally his decision.”

“That’s all I’m going to really comment about,” he said. “It was my decision to go.”

The prison, which Trump administration officials nicknamed the “Speedway Slammer” despite local protestations, has continued to suffer from serious problems during English’s tenure. An IndyStar investigation found that violence and drug use were rampant at the facility before it began accepting ICE detainees in October.

Last summer, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that the prison would become an ICE detention site, housing up to 1,000 detainees, as part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration. Two detainees have since died at the facility, which as of last month housed more than 600 immigration detainees in addition to about 1,800 state prisoners.

Concerns about conditions at the prison have prompted calls to shut down ICE detention at the facility from U.S. Rep. André Carson, faith leaders and civil liberty advocates. They say detainees have complained of inadequate medical care, inconsistent food service and difficulties maintaining their hygiene.

More: Congressman calls for investigation of Indiana ICE detainee deaths

Although state officials have said the arrangement with ICE will be profitable, delayed payments from the federal government have resulted in expenditures exceeding revenue. Prison officials have said they expect that to change as the arrangement continues.

It’s unclear who will run the prison in the interim or if a new warden has been identified. The Indiana Department of Correction did not immediately respond to an IndyStar inquiry about English’s departure. Neither did ICE.

Contact IndyStar investigative reporter Alexandria Burris at aburris@indystar.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @allyburris and on Bluesky at‪@allymburris.bsky.social‬.