In the case of Abdullah Mason, it is not a matter of if, it is more the matter of when he will one day contend and fight for a world title belt.

The unbeaten lightweight prospect is as talented as they come, but he understands development is important in becoming a superstar one day.

Mason will face Alex de Oliveira tonight at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio. The six-round bout will be part of the three-bout ESPN telecast (10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT) that will be headlined by the 10-round bout between unbeaten hometown favorite Jared Anderson and former world titleholder Charles Martin.

At Friday’s weigh-in, Mason weighed in at 135.2 pounds. De Oliveira came in at 135.8 pounds.

Mason (8-0, 7 knockouts), who resides in Cleveland, Ohio, last fought on May 20, stopping Desmond Lyons in the sixth round. In his previous fight on April 1, Mason knocked out Erick Garcia Benitez in the first round.

The 19-year-old southpaw will be fighting on the big stage of an ESPN telecast after fighting on ESPN+ in his previous fights. That may be a huge stage for a young prizefighter or a fighter in the developmental stage, but Top Rank is the best at developing fighters from their pro debut to a world title shot.

Even Mason understands tonight is just a small step in their plan to become a world titleholder. He is humble and appreciates the opportunity, but understands this is a journey and not a race.

“My family keeps me focused inside the gym,” said Mason at Thursday’s press conference. “We all share the same goal, which is to become a world champion. So, we’ll just keep working towards that, and eventually it’s going to come.”

Tonight will be Mason’s third fight of 2023 after fighting five times last year.

The 37-year-old de Oliveira (20-4, 14 KOs), who resides in Sao Paulo, Brazil, lost to Randy Moreno by decision in his last bout on March 24. He has lost his last three fights. 

Francisco A. Salazar has written for BoxingScene since September 2012 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached by email at santio89@yahoo.com or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing