AS an amateur Joe Cordina won the European championships and competed for Team GB at the 2016 Olympic Games. He is already 3-0 (3) as a professional, boxing next at York Hall on September 1 against Jamie Speight.
How have all your preparations been for your fourth pro fight?
All good. Just learning, progressing, taking each fight as it comes. Itโs an enjoyable camp and Iโm looking forward to Friday.
Has it been hard being in a new place and a new gym?
With team GB youโre going back to houses with the lads, Iโm now going back on my own chilling. Iโm just on my own basically. Itโs a bit tougher. Itโs more that camp feel, that Iโm in a training camp, Iโve got to concentrate on what Iโm doing. Iโm eating, Iโm sleeping, Iโm training and Iโm doing that two or three times a day. Iโve got two young daughters now and I miss them badly through the week. I just crack on. I knew everything Iโm doing is for them. It just motivates me to push on.
Is training with Tony Sims different from what you were doing before?
Heโs gone back to basic things. For instance the jab, working on the jab and making sure itโs fast as it comes out, no lazy jabs. Pinging the jab and defending while Iโm throwing the jab as well. Thereโs one example. Head movement โ instead of big head movement you only need to make them miss half an inch. That half an inch and counter as quickly as possible. So Iโm working on head movement, being cuter on the inside. That wasnโt really my game as an amateur. It was more box and move but Iโm comfortable in the pocket, fighting up close. When Iโm sparring Iโm sparring Conor Benn, Ricky Burns, Ohara Davies and theyโre a lot heavier than me. Me being comfortable fighting in close with them and Iโm improving on my inside fighting and Iโm getting stronger with that.
Have you been sparring with Jorge Linares?
Iโve been sparring Linares. It was enjoyable. It was good experience. It was quite cagey my first spar with him… He knew where he was in the ring at all time.
Youโve boxed twice in stadiums, what was Wembley in particular like?
How can that be topped? The only time that could be topped is if I fought in Cardiff in the Principality stadium. When I boxed at Wembley I opened the show. Opening the show for Anthony Joshua was unbelievable.
Nerve-wracking at all?
You know what, I thought I was going to be flapping but actually there wasnโt one bit of nerves. Even in Bramall Lane, I did not have one bit of nerves. The most I was nervous for was my debut and I wasnโt that bad [at the Echo Arena].