EVERY British world champion carries on their bucket list the dream of headlining in Las Vegas or at a famed venue like Madison Square Garden.
Joe Cordina is another. Winning the IBF super-featherweight world title in April last year against Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov was another memorable night for Welsh boxing. Those inside the Cardiff International Arena were in full voice and carried their man through the storm Rakhimov brought during the Fight of the Year contender.
Cordina, 17-0 (9 KOs), saved the best performance of his career for his biggest night and was a deserving winner. But his second reign as champion hasnโt featured the type of high-profile fight that could headline Stateside.
โI thought it would be quite easy [to fight in America] once you won a world title but itโs not as easy as I thought. Itโs difficult to get them in the ring,โ he said.
โThey always want strong money and some of them overprice themselves. Thatโs down to the promoters to make sure that happens but up until now we havenโt been able to do that.โ
Cordina spoke to Boxing News in the heat and humidity of another Riyadh fight week. Another heavyweight attraction takes centre stage and they donโt come much bigger than the undisputed showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. Sitting in the chief support slot is Cordina and Belfastโs Anthony โThe Apacheโ Cacace, 21-1-1 (7 KOs), who is the second man, after Edward Vazquez, to try and take the title from Cordina.
Cacace isnโt the opponent Cordina is looking for to change his familyโs future. This is a primary objective for the champion who wants to ensure that after heโs gone there will be no financial worries for his partner and children. Vazquez was another who didnโt get the champion’s blood pumping and almost paid the ultimate price because of that and, as he admitted to BN, โmade a couple of wrong decisions which showed in my performance.โ
So, what are his thoughts on Cacace?
โI’ve watched him because he boxed a stable mate of mine, Martin J Ward. Martin beat him, so I’ve kept an eye on him.
โHe’s a good fighter, technically good, good footwork, smart, awkward [and] he’s someone that I canโt take lightly. I can’t go in there thinking this is going to be a walkover because he hasn’t been in the at the top level. He’s someone whoโs got the bit between his teeth and he wants to win a world title but he’s in the same position as I am. If we don’t win this fight what’s next? My whole thing is securing my family’s future and he’s what’s in the way for me doing that. We’re both in the same position.โ
The super-featherweight scene is not currently blessed with a plethora of talent that could see Cordinaโs name up in bright lights on the Vegas strip. OโShaquie Foster (WBC champion) and Lamont Roach (WBA) are talented men but the Welshman would have to tempt them to the UK because of their lack of pulling power across the pond.
Meanwhile, Mexican favourite Emanuel Navarrete is moving to lightweight for a shot at the vacant WBO strap on Saturday night in San Diego against Denys Berinchyk.
Former champion Oscar Valdez got his mojo back against Liam Wilson and the WBO interim holder could be promoted to full status if his former foe stays at lightweight. Regardless, Cordina is growing tired of hearing names and nothing materialising.
Then thereโs the ‘domestic dust-up’ option of featherweights turned super-featherweights Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington.
โThey donโt really appeal to me but if the moneyโs there, yeah. Iโd rather fight for titles or big names worldwide, but as long as the moneyโs there, itโs not a problem.โ
If Cordina is looking for big names then his time at 130lbs may be coming to an end. The lightweight division is bubbling and if Navarette likes his new home then he joins Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson, Vasyl Lomachenko as title holders with a supporting cast of contenders, featuring William Zepeda, Frank Martin, Arnold Barboza, Gary Cully, Keyshawn Davis, Raymond Muratalla and more.
โIf he [Stevenson] wants to fight Iโll fight him itโs not a problem,โ Cordina said of the undefeated American.
โIโll fight anyone as long as the moneyโs right. Thatโs what it comes down to at the end of the day. I havenโt got the amount of time that Shakurโs got left. Iโm a lot older than Shakur. For me now itโs to make as much money as I can. If titles are there then take the titles as well as the money but heโs concentrating on titles, he wants to make history. Iโve achieved everything Iโve wanted to achieve apart from secure my familyโs future.โ
Cordina would also relish the opportunity of tackling Lomachenko who looked back at his spellbinding best against George Kambosos Jr last weekend.
โI grew up watching him,โ Cordina said.
โAll my footwork that I was doingโฆ why I was so good in the amateurs is because I was watching what he was doing. Itโd be a massive opportunity for me. Iโve love to fight Lomachenko, share the ring with him. I wouldnโt share the ring and say, โOh yeah, Iโm in with Lomachenko.โ
“Iโm going to try and take his chin clean off but at the same time heโs an unbelievable fighter, one of the best fighters to ever do it, heโll go down as an all-time great.โ