Make Your Fourth of July Plans With Us. Local Boxer Defends Title at Home: CLE Daily

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♥️ Never Forgotten: The Tamir Rice Butterfly Memorial at Cudell Recreation Center, where the 12-year-old Rice was fatally shot by police in 2014, was designated as a Cleveland historic landmark this week. 

🏋️ Big Lift: Congrats to Medina's Ella Nicholson, a Team USA weightlifter who won the 86 kg division at the 2026 USA Weightlifting National Championships this week in Colorado Springs. 

🎆  Photo Bomb: Heading to your local fireworks show? Send us your best photo to conversation@clevelandmagazine.com, and we might feature you in Monday's newsletter.  

ICYMI: Two Greater Cleveland suburbs will welcome new employers after the Ohio Tax Credit Authority approved job creation tax credits for companies investing in both communities.

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Today's Trivia

What Clevelander briefly played minor-league baseball before a lengthy political career, serving as a municipal and common pleas judge, mayor of Cleveland, governor of Ohio and U.S. Senator?

Boxer Abdullah Mason defends his world title on home turf.

Sports | By Dillon Stewart

The 22-year-old phenom has already entered the pantheon of great Northeast Ohio fighters. Now, after going pro at 17 and becoming Cleveland's first World Champion in more than a decade, he defends his title belt at the Cleveland State Wolstein Center on July 4. 

• Tale of the Tape: Known for his speed, power and athleticism, he’s gone 20-0 with 17 knockouts, becoming Cleveland’s first World Champion in more than a decade.

• Local Matchup: With his original opponent, the two-time British world champion Joe Cardina, facing visa trouble after being charged with assault at home, Mason now takes on Toledo native Albert Bell, who is  known for his control and sharp technique, is 28-0 with nine knockouts.

Fighting is a family affair for Mason, his four brothers, and their father, Valiant, who serves as their coach. His brothers Abdurrahman Mason (vs. Alvaro Cabral) and Ibrahim Mason (vs. Erik Hanley) are even on the undercard on Saturday night. 

• Mason: "My family is my biggest support system. They push me to be better inside of the ring and outside of the ring.”

Watch: Tickets are still available for the fight (starting at $58.55), which begins at 8 p.m. You can also watch the title match on TNT Sports.

Read our full Q&A with Mason.

Have a CLE-inspired July 4 cookout.

Food & Drink | By Peter Caram

When you're celebrating our freedom, make sure you celebrate Cleveland, too. Here are some Northeast Ohio products that will take your cookout to the local level.

• More Meat: Everything revolves around the meat. If you love a brat, Gibb's Butcher Block is a great place for gourmet sausages with out-there flavors, while Raddell's Sausage Shop is the place for your classic link. Or visit Ohio City Provisions, which delivers everything from the tried-and-true chops and steaks to weirder cuts.

• Everything on Top: Whether it's chicken or burgers on the menu, hot sauce is a go-with-anything essential. We love Black Cap Hot Sauce out of Columbus, Chili's Fire Pit out of Mentor and plenty more. If Heinz ain't cutting it, Cleveland Ketchup Co. has flavors ranging from classic to garlic dill and bacon and bourbon. 

• Regional Sweets: Any party with cassata cake is a party for us. Baraona's Bakery has been doing this cherry- and cream-filled cake the old fashioned way for nearly 80 years.

Find more delicious Cleveland food at clevelandmagazine.com/food-drink.

Fourth of July celebrations across the 'burbs.

Things To Do | By Cleveland Magazine Staff

Avon Lake's 250th Jubilee | July 3

Come hungry to Avon Lake's 250th Jubilee, where a lineup of food trucks, dessert vendors, contests and live entertainment leads up to a fireworks display over Weiss Field. The evening's headliner is 97 Crosses, a John Mellencamp tribute band, performing before the 10 p.m. fireworks finale. Free, 4-10 p.m., Weiss Field, 33401 Webber Road

Hudson Fireworks at Barlow Farm Park| July 3

Hudson kicks off Independence Day celebrations at Barlow Farm Park with food trucks, family activities and a concert by Journey tribute band E5C4P3 before the fireworks light up the sky. Free, July 3, 1965 Barlow Road

Lakewood's Fourth of July Celebration at Lakewood Park | July 4

Lakewood's Fourth of July celebration begins with a parade that goes through Lakewood Park at 10 a.m. Then, at 7 p.m., the Lakewood Project, Lakewood High School’s Youth Rock Orchestra, will perform at the Bandstand at Lakewood Park. The city of Lakewood will launch fireworks at Lakewood Park at approximately 9:45 p.m. Free, 14532 Lake Ave.

Mentor's Independence Day Celebration | July 4

The city of Mentor celebrates Independence Day with food trucks, live music from Eagles tribute band Hotel California and a 25-minute fireworks spectacular. The display launches from the Civic Center ballfields at approximately 9:50 p.m., with prime viewing available from Mentor Civic Center Park and Mentor High School. Free, 5:30 p.m., 8600 Munson Road

North Ridgeville's Freedom Festival at Victory Park | July 4

Victory Park Ohio's Freedom Festival packs an evening of family-friendly entertainment into its sprawling outdoor complex. The celebration features inflatables, carnival games, sports activities, pony rides, a Ninja Warrior course, performances by the Performance Dogs of Ohio and Jungle Bob, plus food, drinks and live music throughout the night. Stick around for a fireworks display capped by a grand finale. $25+, July 3, 4-11 p.m., 7777 Victory Lane

For our full list of things to do visit clevelandmagazine.com/things-to-do.

Talk of the Town

Cincinnati-based Kroger is buying Giant Eagle for $1.65 billion. Giant Eagle has led the Northeast Ohio grocery market for decades, so this hands Kroger the region's dominant chain. Local stores keep their names, leadership and MyPerks rewards.

Ohio's fracking commission approved 21 bids Monday to frack more than 15,000 acres of public land — nearly 13,000 in the Egypt Valley Wildlife Area — for a combined $241.2 million, with out-of-state drillers from Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia scooping up the largest parcels. 

Sportsbooks have the Warriors as the slight favorite (-115) to land LeBron James with the Cavaliers (+600) and Heat (+1,000) as longer-shot reunions. The Warriors' pitch leans on his long-stated wish to play with Steph Curry.

Louisville-based MMY US has been named the first manufacturer for Cleveland's new Midline District, taking over the historic Wellman-Seaver-Morgan plant on East 71st Street with a $25.7 million renovation and 150 new jobs. MMY will also serve as the city's preferred modular housing manufacturer, part of Mayor Justin Bibb's push to speed up housing production in the Central, Hough and St. Clair-Superior neighborhoods. 

Yesterday's Trivia Answer 

This East Side coffeehouse became one of the top venues for folk music and rock ‘n’ roll in the 1960s, featuring artists like Simon & Garfunkel, Jimi Hendrix and the Velvet Underground. La Cave

From the Editor

I was a wrestler as a kid, so I know a little bit about what a sport like boxing can teach. No sport, not football or baseball, taught me as much discipline and toughness as wrestling.

It also taught me to cherish the post-weigh-in meal. After weeks of cutting or maintaining weight, nothing tasted as good as that moment of indulgence — especially when you knew you'd be doing it all over again soon. 

So, I had to ask Mason, the boxer, about his favorite post-fight snack — cookies and ice cream, he says. Hopefully, he gets to enjoy one of our favorite local ice cream spots as he celebrate success on Saturday night.

You won't hear from us tomorrow or Sunday. We'll be back on Monday. Have a great Fourth of July, Cleveland!

— Dillon Stewart, Editor

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